When
did you first discover you had a flair for wood turning?
After 30 years as a maintenance engineer my wife Sue and I sat down
and discussed what would be the best course of action. I had tried
my hand at making traditional garden furniture a few years earlier
and I was doing very well but in September of that year all sales
died and we realised it was too seasonal to make a living out of it,
so we stopped making the furniture and I went back to work as a maintenance
engineer. I knew I enjoyed working with wood so we decided to make
something that would be appealing all year round, and the result was
us going and buying my first cheap wood lathe. I found that I was
better at it than I first thought I would be. Ideas flowed thick and
fast and with the encouragement and full support of my wife I experimented
with all sorts of timbers and finishes. It felt so good making items
out of wood. I had such a natural flair for woodturning which came
as a complete surprise. This encouraged me to try more and more designs.
I showed what I had made to friends and family and got a very positive
response and the rest, as they say, is history.
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| A
vase made by Paul from Australian Jarrah Burr wood |
What
sort of wood do you like working with?
Australian eucalyptus burr is my favourite wood to work with because
of the fantastic array of colours and textures, with fabulous swirls
of contrasting shades within the timber. There are many different
types of eucalyptus burrs including coolibah burr, brown mallee
burr and red morrell burr. It is extremely dense and heavy and a
real challenge as every piece is different, no two pieces of wood
are the same so therefore each item I make is unique, plus I can
get a fantastic finish on something that can be up to 2000 years
old.
How
big a piece of wood do you start off with?
The size of the piece of wood you start with depends entirely upon
the finished article you have in mind, although there are times
when you start with a large piece and end up with a lace bobbin
(if you're lucky) because it is inevitable that you will make a
cock up from time to time!
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| This
piece was made from Brazilian Pau Amerelo and African Ebony |
What
sort of equipment do you need to be a wood turner?
The only equipment you need to be a wood turner is a lathe,
a set of woodturning tools, various grades of sand paper and plenty
of patience. Do not go and buy an expensive lathe and tools unless
you already know that you are a competent wood turner. I have since
bought a good woodturning lathe and better tools as the timber I
work with requires it. Once you have become competent at woodturning
you need to sell and make a living out of it. I auditioned and was
accepted into The Art and Craft Guild of Lancashire (formerly The
Craft Guild of West Lancashire) and started exhibiting around the
north west area. To reach a wider audience you need to advertise
your wares, so my wife designed a web site to try and reach as many
people as possible. We decided on a name, Wooden It Be Nice and
our web site www.woodenitbenice.co.uk is now up and running. I exhibit
in various galleries around the North West (see web site for details).
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| This
is one of Paul's larger pieces at 48cm x 22cm, made from Southern
USA Manzanita Root |
What's
the biggest piece you've made?
The largest piece I have ever made is a Jarrah Burr Platter, which
is 60cm in diameter and weighed 30kg at the start.
And
the smallest?
The smallest piece I have made is a twig pot 7.5cm high. I do prefer
making large pieces as I feel I can really get stuck in and the
creative juices really flow. Occasionally I try out delicate items
and enjoy these too.
What
would be your dream commission?
My dream commission is to make a large centre piece for the foyer
or entrance hall to a large public building. Australia House in
London would be perfect.
What's
your top tip for getting splinters out?
My top tip for removing splinters is the ability to block out pain
and a large needle!
Paul
Guy's website >>>
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