Jes' Foolin' Around (pics)
Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA
>Greetings everyone
Earlier last week I was happily turning away in my shop when I received a phone call from a man in our church. He had called to tell me that good friend of ours was turning 85 this week. We have a custom in our Sunday School class for everyone who attends, from infant to elder. Every Sunday during opening exercises, anyone who has a birthday that week goes up front and everyone sings Happy Birthday to them. Then they receive a pencil as a small gift. So my friend Don wanted to know if I could turn a pencil for Pepper as a gag gift. I said I would be glad to do so in honor of his reaching such an age and doing so well for it.
Here is a picture of my efforts. I turned this from poplar, and then started getting creative. The tip is a piece of artist's charcoal from the art supply store. The paint, both yellow and silver also came from the same store. The eraser was a bit of a challenge, but I have a box full of PSA backed rubber pads that were perfect in color and texture. Pepper sure is going to be surprised. Oh yeah, one more thing - this isn't your ordinary average pencil. for a big birthday, it needs to be a big pencil!
This baby is approximately 33" long and 2" in diameter. He will be able to write with it, but once he wears the point down, he is going to have a tough time sharpening it! As an aside, while I was sanding the tip of it on the lathe the other day, the UPS guy showed up with a package. He walks into the shop and says, "How's it goin"?" I replied, "Fine, I'm just sharpening my pencil here." I think he may have hurt his neck with the double take he did. Then he got a good laugh out of it. I hope you all do too.
Thanks for looking.
Bill
