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Hello from Vancouver Island, Canada

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frankonthetis

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Posts
11
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
First Name
Frank
Been a "lurker" for some time as feel unable to provide useful pen turning information to you more experienced turners. Took up pen turning after quitting golf and have enjoyed the last 6 years. My wife makes children's clothes and with my pens, pencils, sewing implements and recently bowls we enjoy our weekly local summer market from 24 May to Labour Day in Sept. Our island is home to a couple of marina's and church camps so the summer population increases exponentially. Vacationers are often looking for memories of their visits so using only locally sourced wood that is what I can give them. We have arbutus/madrone, maple, alder, cypress, deodara cedar, hawthorne, dogwood, plus lots of shrubs like lilac, rhododendron, wild rose, wild crabapple that provide enough wood for blanks. Beauty of pen turning is the size of wood needed for your blanks. Have gone to CA finish which to me high lights the beautiful wood grain.
 
flexi

flexi

Executive Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Posts
6,526
Location
Maidstone
First Name
mark
Welcome to the 'open' forum, we all have something to bring to the table....never thought of Rhododendron or Madrone so looking forward to a couple of pics...
 
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frankonthetis

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Posts
11
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
First Name
Frank
Thanks Mark, here are 3 pictures, 2 of arbutus/madrone burl wood and one showing a rhododendron. Generally avoid taking pictures of turned items but do so when filling special orders. The picture with 5 pens was for someone wanting a click pen. The last picture is from an ornamental deodars cedar tree. It turned like a resin blank, all the shavings stuck everywhere and sanding was no fun either. You can see my photographic ability leaves a lot to be desired.
 

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  • Arbutus:Madrone burl fountain pen.jpeg
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  • Click Pens.jpeg
    Click Pens.jpeg
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  • deadora cedar.jpeg
    deadora cedar.jpeg
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F

frankonthetis

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Posts
11
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
First Name
Frank
Thanks Kelvin, Phil, Peter for your welcome. Kelvin, just wish our local rhododendrons provided more wood for bowls.
Pete, at my age it ain’t coming with me when we go so using the 1224 c/w 24” bed extension was a dream come true. The golf weakly golf winnings would never compete with our summer market take and the market is good. The gulf islands are lovely places to live.
 
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frankonthetis

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Posts
11
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
First Name
Frank
Thanks Alan and Ian. Alan, family originally from Dromore, County Down and presumably left before the 1851 Scottish census where they showed up in Ayrshire. Coal and/or iron miners some of whom emigrated the Canada between 1880 & 1927.
Ian, usual blank sizes are 7/8" but lucky if the rhododendron gives me 5/8" so stick to a slim Groove style click or slimline twist pens. A lot of times feel like a kid at Christmas again opening presents. You cut the blank, size, glue in the tube then shape and finish. Always amazed at how the various woods turn out, never disappointed.
 
F

frankonthetis

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Posts
11
Location
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
First Name
Frank
Hi Alan, unsure at what point in time the family ended up in Dromore or from where & when they came. Have birth records back to 1798-1801 but the proverbial brick wall has stopped me there. The GGG grandfather and his 2 youngest boys were on the 1851 Scottish census and the daughter and 2 oldest boys were also on that census in Ayrshire. Always presumed it was the potato famine that migrated them to Scotland.
 
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