About two and a half years ago, two very fine people made me two very fine gifts. Dennis Peacock made an awesome steady rest, and Ernie Nyvall made an awesome hollowing rig....both custom made for my lathe.
I had been making vases for a while, using some long, stout homemade tools, and had pretty much reached my limitation of those. Ernie and Dennis definitely expanded my horizons in one felled swoop.
Then, just a month or so later, disaster struck my family....then again...then again...and again. In fact, the reason I stopped visiting SMC was because I just couldn't justify any outside activity other than getting my family and our home intact.
During my 2 year absence....the two rigs suffered neglect...as did many things. They rusted and froze, and I worried that they may not recover. But over the past few days, I've worked diligently to get these two wonderful gifts back into operation.
This is not a gloat...and it is not an exclamation of accomplishment. It is an apology to two very fine people, who put their hearts and their sweat into something special....and I nearly squandered that generosity.
I am pleased to say that I have started a vase using these tools and they work just as wonderfully as the first day. Still a tad rusty....but I'll keep at it.
Thanks again guys.....I'm back in business.