Name: Mike Vickery
How young are you? I am 33 years old
Physical description:
Six foot four about 225 pounds. I was up to about 265 but cut back on the fast food for lunch.
Where is home?
Currently I live in Gilbert AZ, which is a suburb of Phoenix. I grew up in Riverview, Michigan just outside Detroit. Moved up to Mt Pleasant MI for college and I stayed there for about 6 years (No, still no degree after the six year stay). I moved to Phoenix for about 4 years before moving to Sacramento CA for about five. I have been back in AZ a little less than 2 years now.
Family information:
I met my wife while in college. We have been married for almost 10 years. We have a four year-old boy and girl 18 months old. We also have one dog and she’s a Border Collie / Blue Healer mix who was saved from a sheep ranch after most of her litter was eaten by coyotes. She’s been with us almost 10 years now.
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Do you have a website?
Yes I made it a while ago mostly just to sell pens. If I ever get good enough I will post some of my other stuff on it as well.
Vocation:
I am a database analyst for a large bank. I have been a computer geek my entire professional career and have done computer programming, server administration, database administration, PC desktop support; I even ran a phone switch for a call center for a while.
Shop Overview:
My shop is a three-car garage attached to the house. The original plan was I would get 2 bays for my shop and my wife could park her car in the other. Needless to say I have all three bays now. I have two lathes, a grinder, tablesaw, bandsaw and miter saw as my big tools. I used to make boxes quite a bit and made chessboards for a while, but now I only do flatwork when the wife wants something for the house. I have a half-finished L-shaped computer desk that I’ve been working on for a while but have not gotten around to finishing it yet. I have made some basic furniture like end tables, bookshelves and computer desks before.
How many lathes do you own?
I have two lathes a Jet mini and a Woodfast 910. I got the Jet Mini and used it for several years while making pens and bottle stoppers. I decided I wanted to get into some bigger stuff a while ago and was looking at getting a Jet1642 (the best I could afford) when a neighbor saw a used Woodfast for sale at a great price. It is a beast with about 20-½ swing and about 40-inch length capacity 220volt 2 HP electronic variable speed. It has outboard capacity but I have not used that yet. I got it because I could afford it and I think it is a machine that will last me quite a long time.
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How many turning tools do you have?
I have about 20 tools and most of them are store bought, but about 6 or 7 are home made. Most of what I have done are either pens and bowls. For pens my favorite tools are a Sorby ¾ roughing gouge and a homemade ½ inch round skew that I made from a HSS drill blank. For bowls my favorite is a P&N 3/8ths Irish grind bowl gouge and a Sorby multi tip tool for shear scraping.
How long have you been turning, and what got you started in the first place?
I have been turning for about 2 ½ or 3 years now. I had never used a lathe before and for some reason thought I would like to turn some pens and maybe even some chess pieces to go with the chess boards that I was making at the time. I still do not think I am good enough to turn the chess pieces but maybe someday I’ll get to it.
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What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I do not really have a favorite. I get a bunch of different flavors when we take the kids for ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s with the caramel chunks is the current rave.
What do you enjoy most about turning?
I’m not sure. I think I just prefer shavings to dust. For some reason if I do flat work I feel like I made something. With turning I feel like I created something. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone.
What was your first completed turned project? You get bonus points for a picture of it.
Well I definitely will not get any points on this one. My first project was a slim line pen made out of wenge. I was dumb and gave it away to a lady I worked with. This is the only piece I’ve regretted giving away.
What’s your favorite individual piece that you have turned, and why?
The last one! I have not taken a picture of it yet, as I’m still at the point where I am improving all the time. It’s a maple bowl and it is my favorite so far mostly because it has fewer mistakes than the last one.
What’s your favorite form that you turn?
Lately I have been working on the classic bowl shape. Once I get good enough with the tool techniques I will expand out.
What do you not turn now that you want to - or plan to - in the future?
Once I get better at the bowls I would like to work on hollow forms and platters. I am kind of obsessive and will do one thing until I get good at in then move on. I still want to do more texturing, burning and piercing on some of the bowls first.
Time for a station break.