[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Introduction

Mon Jul 12 17:12:52 UTC 2021

Good afternoon,
When I was in a certain college major, woodworking was required. I loved
using both the hand and power tools. The only machine I felt I couldn't
safely use was a ban saw. The whole finishing process was very pleasing to
me. I know it was a small thing, but using chisels to make room for hinges
made me think whittling might be satisfying.
I hope you will offer a beginner class.
Bernice

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Krafters-Korner <nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of Ray Wright via NFB-Krafters-Korner
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2021 9:07 PM
To: List for blind crafters and artists <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ray Wright <metaltipman at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFB-Krafters-Korner] Introduction

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 
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