Home » Forums » Members

Update from Australia

Submitted by Henry Weiner on Fri, 02/11/2005 - 19:31. Members

I am going through a bit of withdrawal in that I have not seen a lathe for a month. I can not even find a turning club in the area. I will look harder!

The gum trees are wonderful. I have not seen their grain but the shapes of the trees are very interesting. I will try to attach some photos in the future since I suspect many of our members have not had the opportunity to see these native trees. Yes, some even have koalas in them and some have kangaroos near by.

I wish there were a way to bring some wood back to the states but I am afraid I would not get through customs if I tried.

I hope the club will have as many interesting programs after I return. I forgot my password but can still view the site. Feel free to share by greeting and best wishes with the members.

Henry

Henry Weiner is spending the semester at La Trobe University. You can reach him either at h.weiner@latrobe.edu.au or hweiner@purdue.edu

» add new comment

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Another update

Submitted by Webmaster on Tue, 04/05/2005 - 10:10.

I spent a few days during the Easter break last week in Tasmania. I have not seen much turning in Melbourne, where we live, but most quality shops we visited in Tasmania carried bowls but not a lot of end grain turning. The woods were wonderful. One shop let me buy some wood. I hope I can fool customs to think these are art pieces. They are coated in sealer.

The quality of the turning was very good but not exceptional. I feel many of the members of our group do more interesting work. The wood, though, was exceptionally beautiful. I only met one turner who happened to own a store. He told me that it was very inexpensive to buy burls but he just cut them off of downed trees in the forests. Lucky him! We saw lots of trees with burls; I really liked a wood called blackwood.

Next week my wife and I are going to take a small vacation in New Zealand. The South Island is very mountainous so it will be interesting to compare the trees between the two islands. A friend arranged for me to take a one day course while we visit them on the North Island. I am not interested in the course, but I am anxious to be at the lathe. My wife has some great photos of some of the tree but I don't know how to down load them to my computer. If I learn I will send some. It is autumn here and the European trees are turning but the native gum trees do not loose their leaves. From my office window I see a red maple and some yellow leafed trees. We have elm trees on the property and that is a treat to see.

As much as I enjoy the trees seeing parrots and cockatoos are ever more fun.

I hope you have a wonderful Spring and are having fun turning. Feel free to edit this note if you want to share put it in the bulletin.

Henry

» reply to this comment