Fred Holder from More Woodturning magazine recently published an article I wrote titled "Is the Lathe Really Therapeutic?".
My stuff is on pages 28 & 29. The cover also has my Butterfly Bowl pictured. Sorry, I couldn't copy the photos.
I'm trilled about this and hope it might help out some other turners.
Thanks in advance for reading it.
Here's the article:
Is The Lathe Really Therapeutic?
by Don Leyden
I sure think so, and I can prove it. I’m also betting
there are plenty of other folks who know exactly what
I mean.
Figure 1. Meet Don Leyden, author of this article.
About 11 months ago I was diagnosed with stage
3 Lymphoma cancer. Bummer! Two days earlier I lost
my business because of the economy. That’s at least
a double bummer! Talk about a lousy week. When
I told my friends and family up north (I’m in North
Carolina) about my situation they all said “oh no, I’m
sooo sorry”. I told them “You wait, something good
is going to come out of all this”. At the time I had no
idea what that would be, but I was sure hoping I was
right. With no relatives near by, no insurance, no job
and no wife (divorced) or girlfriend, I figured I better
do something to keep my mind and hands busy during
the chemotherapy and radiation or I’d go stir crazy, and
quite possibly be depressed. I’m not real good at sitting
around and doing nothing. Especially alone.
I’ve always enjoyed flat woodworking and have
a pretty nice shop, but I figured with the chemo, my
energy level might not be up to moving around from
machine to machine with boards of any significant size.
Then it hit me!!! What about the lathe? I had a little and
old Craftsman that I used to turn a few badly shaped
bowls on before it got covered up with business stuff
in the garage. Poor lathe! So, I took my last $2,000.00
and bought a used Powermatic 3520B lathe on Craig’s
list. Little did I know it would be the best money I ever
spent. It was a beauty. Almost new condition and it had
a bed extension along with a few other goodies. Some
days I can still hear the previous owner complaining
“what a steal” this was. What can I say - thanks!
Then the chemo started. I suppose it doesn’t matter
whether it’s chemo, a bad day at the office, a fight
with the wife or husband, existing health problems or
just a bad mood - everybody goes through bad times.
How else would we appreciate the good ones? The real
question is “what are you going to do about it?”.Well,
I studied everything I could get my hands on - books,
videos, anything online, magazines (including this one)
and catalogs. The chemo really beats up your immune
system, so the docs said not to be around groups of
people for fear of catching a cold. It could quickly turn
into pneumonia and that would be no fun. So much for
joining a club. So, in the house and shop I stayed. I
joined a couple online woodturning forums (Woodturners
Resource and the AAW) and found a great group
of very helpful and supportive people. I learned a lot
(still am) from those kind folks. My turnings got better
with each piece.
Even if it was a better sanding job or a new cut
that started working for me instead of against me, at
least it was progress. What a great feeling!
The effects of the chemo were setting in pretty
good, but whenever I was at the lathe all was forgotten.
I know others have similar experiences. First off, your
concentration better be on the lathe or accidents can
happen. Figured I had enough problems so I tried to
keep that to a minimum. The real joy for me is when a
piece was done and I get to put the finish on it. Man, that
just makes my whole day. I’m color blind so watching
the grain pop is very exciting for me. Colors might not
do it, but nice grain always makes me smile. At night,
sleeping can be a problem. Some projects are good and some are great. Some,
you’ll never forget.
I had become friends with more than a few people
during the long chemo process at the clinic. Many of
the conversations somehow turned to woodturning.
Wonder how that happened? One of these times while
I was conversing about the wonders of wood, one of
these new friends asked me if I could make a special
bowl for her. She was unfortunately terminal and she
knew it. I said “sure” and asked her what she wanted.
She said that both her and her best friend both loved
blue butterflies. She wanted me to incorporate a blue
butterfly into the bowl so every time her friend looked
at the bowl she’d know it was her smiling down at
her from heaven. I know, pretty heavy. No pressure!
Although I had no idea how I was going to do it, I
said I’d be proud to make it for her. I had it finished
in a week and the results are in Figure 2. She came to
my shop to pick it up and when I showed it to her she
cried. They were tears of joy and she said she couldn’t
wait to give it to her friend. She first took it home and
showed it to her father - they both cried. Then she gave
it to her best friend and you guessed it - they cried. This
very nice lady has since passed away, but I know my
bowl is saying “HI!” from heaven whenever her friend
looks at it.
Figure 2. Photo of butterfly bowl.
If that won’t take your mind off your so called
problems I don’t know what will. There is always
someone worse off than yourself. Although I have
some pretty bad previous feet problems and the chemo
made it worse, whenever I can stand, I want it to be in
front of the lathe. All through the 9 months of chemo
and radiation I worked on the lathe whenever possible
(all but 5 days). I can’t say that all this was a breeze. It
wasn’t. But I honestly don’t know how I would have
handled this without the lathe to keep me occupied and
productive.
Are you also one of those people who feel the lathe
can be therapeutic? Perhaps. There is something about
the creativity and that almost instant gratification that
makes all your problems go away. Giving your wife,
friend or relative something you made with your own
hands from a chunk of wood is a wonderful feeling.
You’re pleased to give it, and they’re pleased to receive
it. Win, win.
The latest tests show I’m now cancer free and in
remission. Yee Haa!
So, after all this, I found a new love and the one
thing I’ve been looking for for 54 years - my true passion.
Told ya something good would come out of all
this!
I had to edit out some of this for space, but thanks so much for reading it, Don L.
My stuff is on pages 28 & 29. The cover also has my Butterfly Bowl pictured. Sorry, I couldn't copy the photos.
I'm trilled about this and hope it might help out some other turners.
Thanks in advance for reading it.
Here's the article:
Is The Lathe Really Therapeutic?
by Don Leyden
I sure think so, and I can prove it. I’m also betting
there are plenty of other folks who know exactly what
I mean.
Figure 1. Meet Don Leyden, author of this article.
About 11 months ago I was diagnosed with stage
3 Lymphoma cancer. Bummer! Two days earlier I lost
my business because of the economy. That’s at least
a double bummer! Talk about a lousy week. When
I told my friends and family up north (I’m in North
Carolina) about my situation they all said “oh no, I’m
sooo sorry”. I told them “You wait, something good
is going to come out of all this”. At the time I had no
idea what that would be, but I was sure hoping I was
right. With no relatives near by, no insurance, no job
and no wife (divorced) or girlfriend, I figured I better
do something to keep my mind and hands busy during
the chemotherapy and radiation or I’d go stir crazy, and
quite possibly be depressed. I’m not real good at sitting
around and doing nothing. Especially alone.
I’ve always enjoyed flat woodworking and have
a pretty nice shop, but I figured with the chemo, my
energy level might not be up to moving around from
machine to machine with boards of any significant size.
Then it hit me!!! What about the lathe? I had a little and
old Craftsman that I used to turn a few badly shaped
bowls on before it got covered up with business stuff
in the garage. Poor lathe! So, I took my last $2,000.00
and bought a used Powermatic 3520B lathe on Craig’s
list. Little did I know it would be the best money I ever
spent. It was a beauty. Almost new condition and it had
a bed extension along with a few other goodies. Some
days I can still hear the previous owner complaining
“what a steal” this was. What can I say - thanks!
Then the chemo started. I suppose it doesn’t matter
whether it’s chemo, a bad day at the office, a fight
with the wife or husband, existing health problems or
just a bad mood - everybody goes through bad times.
How else would we appreciate the good ones? The real
question is “what are you going to do about it?”.Well,
I studied everything I could get my hands on - books,
videos, anything online, magazines (including this one)
and catalogs. The chemo really beats up your immune
system, so the docs said not to be around groups of
people for fear of catching a cold. It could quickly turn
into pneumonia and that would be no fun. So much for
joining a club. So, in the house and shop I stayed. I
joined a couple online woodturning forums (Woodturners
Resource and the AAW) and found a great group
of very helpful and supportive people. I learned a lot
(still am) from those kind folks. My turnings got better
with each piece.
Even if it was a better sanding job or a new cut
that started working for me instead of against me, at
least it was progress. What a great feeling!
The effects of the chemo were setting in pretty
good, but whenever I was at the lathe all was forgotten.
I know others have similar experiences. First off, your
concentration better be on the lathe or accidents can
happen. Figured I had enough problems so I tried to
keep that to a minimum. The real joy for me is when a
piece was done and I get to put the finish on it. Man, that
just makes my whole day. I’m color blind so watching
the grain pop is very exciting for me. Colors might not
do it, but nice grain always makes me smile. At night,
sleeping can be a problem. Some projects are good and some are great. Some,
you’ll never forget.
I had become friends with more than a few people
during the long chemo process at the clinic. Many of
the conversations somehow turned to woodturning.
Wonder how that happened? One of these times while
I was conversing about the wonders of wood, one of
these new friends asked me if I could make a special
bowl for her. She was unfortunately terminal and she
knew it. I said “sure” and asked her what she wanted.
She said that both her and her best friend both loved
blue butterflies. She wanted me to incorporate a blue
butterfly into the bowl so every time her friend looked
at the bowl she’d know it was her smiling down at
her from heaven. I know, pretty heavy. No pressure!
Although I had no idea how I was going to do it, I
said I’d be proud to make it for her. I had it finished
in a week and the results are in Figure 2. She came to
my shop to pick it up and when I showed it to her she
cried. They were tears of joy and she said she couldn’t
wait to give it to her friend. She first took it home and
showed it to her father - they both cried. Then she gave
it to her best friend and you guessed it - they cried. This
very nice lady has since passed away, but I know my
bowl is saying “HI!” from heaven whenever her friend
looks at it.
Figure 2. Photo of butterfly bowl.
If that won’t take your mind off your so called
problems I don’t know what will. There is always
someone worse off than yourself. Although I have
some pretty bad previous feet problems and the chemo
made it worse, whenever I can stand, I want it to be in
front of the lathe. All through the 9 months of chemo
and radiation I worked on the lathe whenever possible
(all but 5 days). I can’t say that all this was a breeze. It
wasn’t. But I honestly don’t know how I would have
handled this without the lathe to keep me occupied and
productive.
Are you also one of those people who feel the lathe
can be therapeutic? Perhaps. There is something about
the creativity and that almost instant gratification that
makes all your problems go away. Giving your wife,
friend or relative something you made with your own
hands from a chunk of wood is a wonderful feeling.
You’re pleased to give it, and they’re pleased to receive
it. Win, win.
The latest tests show I’m now cancer free and in
remission. Yee Haa!
So, after all this, I found a new love and the one
thing I’ve been looking for for 54 years - my true passion.
Told ya something good would come out of all
this!
I had to edit out some of this for space, but thanks so much for reading it, Don L.
