I started woodturning about ten years ago, not long after my retirement from Weyerhaeuser.
The list of projects at home quickly diminished. I had been involved with the "Book Buddy" program, until one of the local school districts decided not to have canines in the schools. I found I had extra time on my hands.
In the fall of 2001, I attended the annual woodcarving show sponsored by the Lower Columbia Woodcarvers. It was there I met Frank Lynn of Kelso who was demonstrating on his mini-lathe how to turn pens. Frank also had on display several other turnings including bowls, platters, dishes, etc. I asked Frank if he would show me how to turn and he said he'd be glad to. Frank became my mentor: What kind of lathe I should buy, tools I'd need, sanding and finishing techniques, tool sharpening and all. Practice, practice, practice. Slowly but surely, I learned how to use various tools,the speed of the lathe, how to sand etc., and began to produce respectable pieces. I was still having to buy my turning stock, and in some cases laminating pieces together to make a thick enough bowl. Frank invited me to go with him to the Cascade Woodturners Association meeting in Portland. I joined the club and that is where I met Bob Espen of Winlock. Bob invited me to his shop and introduced me to turning "green" wood. Bob also tried his darnest to get me to properly use a bowl gouge. I'm still trying. By Bob introducing me to green wood, it opened up a whole world of possibilities for me. I no longer rely on having to buy most of my stock, I come by it naturally. A lot of friends and neighbors offer me wood that they would otherwise burn. "Green" also offered me a wider selection of species. I don't have any qualms at all, when I see someone cutting down a tree, to ask if I can have a piece for turning. Willow, Apple, Hawthorne, Wild Cherry, Chinese Elm, Blue Pine, Holly are examples of wood I don't usually see turned.
One other turner that helped me was Burnie Greenamyer of Castle Rock. I've always liked wood and the trees that made it. Each piece that is made is unique and different than the others. Like fingerprints they are different. The texture, the colors, the rings, the specie. The finish I used on my beginning pieces was wax. All together, I used six coats of three different waxes. For what ever reason most people like shiny. And shiny they were. But to me something was not right. At the Woodturners club I noticed some bowls that weren't shiny at all but looked real nice. I then learned about walnut oil, mineral oil, butcher block oil, etc. These are food safe finishes that I now exclusively use. It brings out the natural color of the wood that I think is missing with wax. Waxed pieces are limited, in my opinion, in their usefulness. Oiled pieces can be used for most anything and just reoiled occassionally. Inside each piece of wood lies the beauty of nature, all I do is expose it to the world as the bud exposes the petals of the bloom.
Tony Sujka and his lovely wife Kris Hansen (an excellent woodcarver) live on their six acres on Si Town Road with their three border collies.