Introduction

[Marcis Sodums]

Happy holidays fellow turners.
My name is Marc Sodums, I live in Trumansburg, upstate NY. I’ve been turning for 5 yrs, and like making one of a kind objects that highlight unique grain, spalting, color etc.
I have a lot of downed maple, butternut, black walnut and box elder in my hedge rows.
I’m just getting into more complex hollow forms, as well as continuing to learn all I can.
It would be great to hook up with some local turners as the nearest club is over an hour away.

 

[John K Jordan]

Greetings Marcis! Sounds like you are having a lot fun.

I know “over an hour” to a club seems long but we know many who drive that far to club meetings. I often drive a hour (with traffic) to our club and joined and attended a second club maybe 1.5 hrs away. There is so much value, not only in the demos, wood raffles, training resources, news letters, seeing the work of others, etc, but especially in meeting and talking to people. You might even announce your location and see if some club members are closer to you - might be a good way to make contact! And in a club, visitors and new members come with even more potential for meeting up with people close to you.

The second club let me meet even more people and provided more opportunities to do more turning demos. I’d meet some who live closer to me and we would car pool.

JKJ

 

[Marcis Sodums]

Thanks John. Where are you located?

 

[John K Jordan]

Thanks John. Where are you located?

We live a bit north of Clinton, TN, a little north of Knoxville. Out in the countryside with no visible neighbors (when the leave are on the trees) but still within 8-10 minutes of drug stores, banks, grocery, gas stations, restaurants, auto parts store, farmer's co-op, building supply, movie theater, and not far from three major hospitals/medical centers... it's a little piece of heaven, especially when you get elderly and feeble! 🙂

I see you are by the lake, surrounded by farmland.

A huge amount of farmland in TN too but much our end of the state (East TN) is rolling hills, ridges, and Appalachian mountains. Lots of lakes, mostly reservoirs, dams for hydroelectric power.
If you click on the "Clinton TN" below my profile picture you should see a map of the area, on a hill just north of where the road out of town bends to the west, then back to the north. We are on a ridge in the countryside a couple miles north of the town. Our farm is 27 acres, woods, fenced fields, horses, llamas, peacocks, etc.



If anyone want's to come by and borrow all my stuff, don't miss any of the security systems and hidden cameras! 🙂
Old picture of the house, when we moved here in '03, before remodeling and landscaping.


There are lots of things to do for fun...


...when I'm not in at the lathe. Been turning almost 25 years, not nearly as long as some here.


(sorry, I love photos!)

JKJ

 

[Gene Pitstick]

Welcome Marc from the buckeye state. Lots of great fellowship in this group.

 

[Adam Robins]

Marc,

I am also new around here. Greetings from the Beaver State.

Adam

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome to the forum. I will say John K is right the benefits' far outweigh the driving distance. We have members who drive over 1.5 hours.