Why did you start?

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I was introduced to it by my dad, who bought a lathe after being given a gift from my sister of a pen turning class. I was living 1000 miles away from my dad, but when I'd go home and visit, I just wanted to hang out in the basement and make pens. The rest of the family didn't like that too much... So when I was separating from my husband, and just happened to have a couple of hundreds of dollars in amazon gift certificates, and they sold the Jet lathe with free shipping, I decided I'd just buy my own lathe...
 
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Paul, I didn't know you made lathes too! I claim first spot in line for one- how long do I have to wait? (Glad I got the first spot!)[:)][:)]
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You'll get the first 'Pen-o-matic 5000'[:D]
 
I had bought a multi-purpose machine that could be set up as a lathe and turned a few boxes and a little spindle work. Then LOML bought me two pen kits for Christmas 2005 and here I am 160 pens later. (plus two more lathes, a bandsaw, a good tablesaw and ....)
 
I started building things first out of lack of funds, then because I enjoyed it. I was looking at sites that had custom rocking chairs, stumbled across a bowl site and thought it looked like something I could try without a lot of money invested. Yep, I'm a short bus graduate. I bought myself a lathe for my birthday. I made a lot of bowls and was looking for another challenge when I found this site. I have been in awe ever since. My wife thinks I have lost my mind. My kids whisper about me to each other. Something about picking a home. I think standing at the lathe is like fishing....it does not count against your alloted days of life.
 
My ex-boss started making pens to give as gifts when he was Potentate of our local shrine and after seeing some ( I did not get one) I thought I can do that and better. When I retired I took a lesson at woodcraft in KC and bought a small cheap craftsman lathe to make a few. I now own three lathes two band saws and two drill presses along with more wood and pen parts than I can count. Can anyone say addicted [:p].
 
Worked with wood all my life but never much of a turner. Somehow I got interested in it so my daughters pooled money to buy me a Delta midi-lathe for my 50th birthday a few years ago. I started doing some 'net searches for stuff to do with it and found a CSUSA web site, pens looked interesting and more usable than most of the stuff I was just turning to be round instead of square. Have sold a few but mostly I make them as gifts and give them away. Mine aren't nearly as nice as some others on here but everyone I have given one to really seems to appreciate it.
 
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