Mulberry for turning?
Joe Pack
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Officially retired on March 1, 2007 after 35 years as a teacher, class advisor, coach, athletic director and high school principal. I miss working with my students, but fishing and my feeble attempts at woodworking keep me busy. Plus, my sweetheart (still working full time...a "stay at home mom for a bunch of years, so a few more years before she earns any sort of retirement) "lets" me do laundry, cook most of the meals and do dishes anytime I get the urge. I am very good at buying tools and materials, but not quite so good at getting around to using them. Still, I have done a little bit of flat work, and am learning how to make toothpicks on my lathes. I have pretended to make a little bit of money by doing a few craft shows for the past 4 years, selling pens and other small turnings. I'm not getting rich, but, after several hundred kits, I'm getting the hang of long and round. Bowls are next, but I'm still learning. I don't pretend to do much of anything well enough to brag, but do most things well enough to not have to pay someone else too much to make it right. After working my way through school a good number of years ago as grunt labor on a summer carpentry crew, factory service guy, hardware store clerk, etc., I learned enough to pound every nail, run every wire and connect every pipe in the house I built. Heck, I even designed it myself...took my "blueprint" (a pencil sketch on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper) in to show the lumber yard folks when I ordered materials! Jack of all trades, master of none is not just a saying, it is the truth in my case. I visit WC regularly, usually only reading, sometimes posting. I toss in my 2 cents worth when I know what I'm talking about. I toss in my 5 cents worth when I only think I know what I'm talking about. When I really try to impress people with what I think I know, I can start some really good arguments or completely make a fool of myself, or both. Visiting WC has usually been one of the higlights of my day for the last couple of years. I appreciate the folks here, and consider them my friends, even if I have only ever met two of them in person. I look forward to meeting many more down the road.
