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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN WOODTURNERS

Welcome to Carolina Mountain Woodturners (CMW), a non-profit club dedicated to woodturning as both a craft and art form. CMW is a educational Chapter of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW). If new to CMW, start exploring from the About Us tab.  If you are a current member, login or explore the links below.

CMW UP COMING DEMONSTRATORS

Andi Wolfe My career has been spent as a plant evolutionary biologist at The Ohio State University, but I have many interests beyond the work I do as a scientist. My science background has led me into an exploration of art - particularly in working with wood. I have also discovered the joys of other media (photography, painting, glass) and have been combining some of them in my wood practice.

April 13, 2024

Miriam Carpenter is an artist, researcher and designer based in New Hope, Pennsylvania. After graduating from RISD in 2006, she designed furniture alongside Mira Nakashima for seven years. In 2014, she was awarded the Windgate ITE Residency sponsored by the Center for Art in Wood together with four wood artists from Japan, Canada, West Ghana and the United States. The year following, she lived, worked, and studied with furniture makers, sculptors, scholars, and environmental stewards in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Miriam is currently living and working as Artist in Residence at the Antonin Raymond Estate in New Hope, PA. She is most passionate about exploring the potential in the environment around her and in working side-by-side with those filled with enthusiasm and creative spirit, to support a common endeavor.

May 18,  2024

I was born in a very small town in South Dakota in the late 40’s and grew up on my parents’ farm there. In 1970, I received a BS from South Dakota State University and moved to Texas to enter the Air Force pilot training program. After graduation, I became a T-38 pilot instructor and then an instructor at the instructor pilot training school in San Antonio, Texas. It was like flying a Ferrari! Since leaving the Air Force, I’ve held jobs in sales and teaching and in 1995 I moved to the Atlanta area to become the IT manager for the US District Court in Atlanta from which I retired in 2007.

I developed an interest in working with wood while working on the family farm. My father was one of those people that can look at a few examples, talk to a few people and then build it. I helped him build pole barns, cattle sheds and even a grain elevator. My grandparents gave my father a Shopsmith in the late 40’s and it was a primary factor in a lot of the buildings on our farm.

One use, which I don’t think my father knew about at the time, was as a lathe. My brother and I managed to make pine 2×2’s into rough cylinders using one of my father’s wood chisels. It was great fun! Miraculously, we survived the experience and it stuck with me for over forty years. The Shopsmith has also survived. My brother still has it after fifty years!

In the military, I was a frequent visitor to the base woodworking shop. I made “going away” plaques for the squadron and several “multiple award” plaques for 24 and 48 names. I sometimes wonder if they’re still hanging in the squadron at Randolph AFB. Probably not.

I spent a little time with the lathe in the Randolph shop making a few pretty bad pieces. In that shop, there as a gouge sticking in the sheetrock on the opposite side of the shop from where the lathe was positioned. It was apparently left there after having been wrenched from the hands of someone at the lathe, bounced off the wall in front of the lathe and traveled about twenty feet to stick into the wall about ten feet from the floor. True or not, it was a great object lesson regarding high speed and poor tool control. It could easily have been just another story since there were plenty of pilots frequenting the shop and none of us were above creating such a scenario – on the other hand none of us were above lightly holding onto a tool and approaching a very rapidly spinning piece of wood either!

In 2000 I purchased an inexpensive Craftsman lathe and a true addiction soon set in. I started out with my Craftsman in the basement of our home, but now have my shop in about half of our four car garage. I’ve graduated to a Powermatic 3520 too after wearing out the Craftsman. No more sawdust, lacquer odors etc.to contend with in the house!

Over the years I have done my share of production turning for craft shows around the southeastern US. Eventually, I tired of production turning and began to make cremation urns. As of 2020, 90+% of what I make are pet or human urns. The rest being artistic pieces for shows and exhibits.

I am a two-time past president and current webmaster for the Georgia Association of Woodturners (GAW) and a member of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW)

https://stevepritchardwoodturning.com/

June 15, 2024

Membership

New members may sign up online or in person at a monthly demonstration. Membership is only $35.00 a year. Learn more about CMW.

Renewing members should log in and complete the membership renewal online or in person at a monthly demonstration. 

MEMBER BENEFITS

Joining Carolina Mountain Woodturners comes with a host of exclusive benefits, allowing you to fully engage in the art of woodturning.

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