[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Introduction

[Ray Wright]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for all your welcoming words. I am excited to be part of
this group. I hope to be able to contribute and share any knowledge I
might have to all of you.

For those of you who live in apartments and condos, don't let this
stop you from thinking you can't do woodworking due to space
restrictions. I have some former students that, after taking my class,
bought a lathe and a few hand tools  and  now make their own gifts for
family and friends. One student I had is renting a storage unit near
his room that he rents and uses it as his woodshop. He sets up at a
local farmer's market every weekend and sells enough to pay for the
rent on his storage space and makes a little extra too. Another
student I had lives in a small apartment. She bought a mini lathe and
the necessary tools to make pens and keychains. She bought a large
tarp to collect the sawdust and puts it over her small chest freezer
and uses the freezer as a workbench. She started selling her pens at
local craft fairs and now sells them at many different art shows,
Christmas boutiques and festivals. Where there's a will, there's a
way.

I was looking forward to meeting Roger in person when our Woodworking
for the Blind group was planning a workshop in Calgary last year, but
the pandemic put the end to that for the time being. I met George
Wurtzel at the Enchantment Hills Camp in Napa Valley, California a few
years ago. He hosted our annual WW4B workshop a couple of times. We
learned a lot from each other. I hope to make it out to see him and
his new shop in Tennessee one day.

Please let me know if you have any questions that I might be able to
answer. As I said earlier, I love to share what little knowledge I
might have with all of you.

Also, I hope to put some items up for sale on this list too.
All my best,

Ray


On 7/11/21, Jillbilly4 via NFB-Krafters-Korner
<nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>  Hello Ray, this is Jill Rossiter the first vice president of the Krafters
> division. Loved reading your story! I would love to learn to woodwork. My
> brother who is cited and my dad who has passed away both loved it and made
> beautiful furniture, built houses, cabinetry, and now my brother is into
> turning thanks to George Wurtzel! He has done turning in the past but needed
> a new laid I was showing him what George was doing with his biscuit cutters
> and started him with an H. He bought a new one! And he has not made me a
> biscuit cutter yet but did turn a beautiful little bowl with lid that I keep
> on my desk at work. Glad to have you with us!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>> On Jul 9, 2021 at 10:40 PM,  <Ray Wright via NFB-Krafters-Korner
>> (mailto:nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org)>  wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>  Hello Fellow Crafters, Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ray
>> Wright and I am new to this list. I have no light perception and am
>> totally blind. I became blind 20 years ago from Retinitis Pigmentosa after
>> 17 years of deteriorating vision. I am originally from Southern California
>> and currently live in Sandy, UTah, just south of Salt Lake City. My
>> hobby/craft is woodworking. It is also my profession. I am the Woodshop
>> Instructor at the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and visually
>> Impaired. Except for taking woodshop in Junior High School, I never had
>> done any woodworking since then until I went totally blind. When I went
>> blind I attended a training center in Northern California to learn my
>> blindness skills . At that time I was reintroduced to woodworking. I fell
>> in love with it. I enjoy the artistic process of creating something from a
>> board or two. When I was sighted, my hobby/profession was photography. I
>> find that making something tactilly with my hands fills  that
> void I felt when I lost my sight and now I can create an image of a
> different kind. I also love teaching woodworking to students who have lost
> their sight. It's a great way for me to pay it forward and instill in my
> students that just because you can't see, doesn't mean you can't use your
> vision to make beautiful keepsakes. I have 2 favorite tools in my shop. The
> first one is the click-rule. It is a specialized measuring tool for the
> blind. Basically, its a tactile ruler. My other favorite tool is my lathe. I
> love to do woodturning and make writing pens, bowls, vases, candlesticks,
> backscratchers , tops, ice cream scoops, bottle stoppers, pizza cutters,
> seam rippers, crochet hooks, and whatever else I can think of. Anyway,
> that's my basic story. I look forward to being on this list and expanding my
> crafting horizons. Thanks for being so welcoming during the convention. All
> my best, Ray _______________________________________________
> NFB-Krafters-Korner mailing list  NFB-Krafters-Korn
> er at nfbnet.org (mailto:NFB-Krafters-Korner at nfbnet.org)
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org  Division
> Website:  http://www.krafterskorner.org  Facebook page:
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/NFB-Krafters-Division/269246643109571
> Krafters-Korner Blog  http://krafterskorner.org/  "Follow NFB Krafters
> Korner on Twitter: Our Handle is @craftingblind Don't have a Twitter
> account? You can still follow Krafters Korner on Twitter. Go to:
> Twitter.com/craftingblind (http://Twitter.com/craftingblind)  To
> unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NFB-Krafters-Korner:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/jillbilly4%40comcast.net
>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NFB-Krafters-Korner mailing list
> NFB-Krafters-Korner at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
> Division Website:  http://www.krafterskorner.org
> Facebook page:
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/NFB-Krafters-Division/269246643109571
> Krafters-Korner Blog http://krafterskorner.org/
> "Follow NFB Krafters Korner on Twitter: Our Handle is @craftingblind
> Don't have a Twitter account? You can still follow Krafters Korner on
> Twitter. Go to: Twitter.com/craftingblind
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NFB-Krafters-Korner:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/metaltipman%40gmail.com
>