First VA Pen Program Meeting: Veterans Turn in Their First Pens

The first VA Pen Program meeting was a wonderful success. Four veterans joined us at the Stateline Woodturners clubhouse, where they were welcomed by club members and allowed to learn the art of turning wooden pens.

During the session, each veteran was guided through the process step by step, from preparing the pen blank to shaping, sanding, finishing, and assembling their very own handcrafted pen. More than just a woodworking project, this program gives veterans a chance to enjoy fellowship, learn a new skill, and experience the encouragement that comes from creating something with their own hands.

We are thankful for the veterans who came, the volunteers who helped, and everyone who has supported this program so far. This is only the beginning, and we are excited to see the VA Pen Program continue to grow.

However, this program needs your support to stay alive. Donations help provide pen kits, wood blanks, safety equipment, finishing supplies, tools, and other materials needed to keep offering this meaningful experience to veterans.

Please consider giving to our GoFundMe page and helping us continue serving those who have served us.

https://gofund.me/fe828f614

Thank you for supporting the VA Pen Program and helping us make a difference, one pen at a time.

John Adams to Demonstrate “How to use texture tools ”

StateLine Woodturners members are invited to join us for an upcoming demonstration by John Adams, who will show how to use texturing tools on the lathe.

This will be a fun and educational project for turners of all skill levels. Members will have the opportunity to learn new techniques, pick up helpful tips, and see the step-by-step process for creating a unique textured project.

Whether you are a beginner looking to build confidence or an experienced turner wanting to add another creative project to your skill set, this demonstration will be a great chance to learn, ask questions, and enjoy time with fellow woodturners.

Come ready to learn something new, be inspired, and have some fun in the shop!

Demonstrator: John Adams

Topic: How to Use Texture Tools

Audience: All skill levels welcome

Member Spotlight

Carl Hoffman

Carl Hoffman is a talented member of SLWT who has created beautiful works of art that span the woodworking craft from turning, woodworking, and toymaking.

How did you get started and wood turning? When I was in my 30's, I got interested in woodworking and I made a rocking cradle and a doll bed for my daughters. Fast forward to COVID and I started watching wood working videos on YouTube. That got me interested in purist, non-powered, woodworking with only hand tools - that didn't last long! Shortly after getting back into woodworking, a friend approached me and asked if I could repair a three-legged stool. I asked some friends about how to make the legs and that landed me with SLWT. I showed up at a meeting and wound up joining in 2023.

Over the years I have made a lot of stuff, but a few of my favorites are a chest of drawers that I hand cut all of the dove tails and I made a coffee table for the living room. 

What is a project or piece that you are most proud of? Sometimes, the successful builds are in competition for favorites with the ones that offer challenges. I made a rocking cradle for my daughters when they were babies. That is hands down my favorite build. However, I recently got a nice large piece of burl to make a bowl, but with a small design change, made a funnel! Now I am getting into segmented turning and design, letting my creativity take form just before it is illuminated with the "pop" of a good finish!

If you had to pick one tool in your shop that everyone should buy, what would it be? I think the most important piece of equipment in a shop is a good table saw. I bought a Saw Stop and it is a fine piece of equipment. Now that I am getting into segmented turning, the accuracy of cuts is crucial, which Saw Stop delivers.

What is one tool you just had to have, but have never used? A coring system. A few months ago I bought the OneWay coring system and it is still new! I am hoping that I will do some coring soon, but so far, I have never used it.. 

Besides woodworking and wood turning, what are your other hobbies? I am busy taking care of my yard, being a husband, a father, and a grandfather. My wife and I say we were meant to be together, because we were born 4 days apart in the same hospital in Fayetteville, AR. That means we would have been in the nursery at the same time and had the same nurse. We didn't know it at the time, but that would have been the first meeting that led to 57 years of marriage and counting.

What did you do for a career? While I was in medical school I was commissioned with the US Army as a physician and later became a Flight Surgeon stationed in Germany. After five years I left active duty and joined the Army National Guard for an additional four years. Then, I opened a private practice and served patients in Rogers, Springdale, and Siloam for 20 years before I sold everything, went to Seminary School, was ordained, and I took a job as a pastor of a Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Over the next several years I pastored congregations in Bullhead City, AZ and Little Rock, AR, before retiring. I was then called out of retirement to pastor a congregation in Tulsa, OK, and then retired. I was then called out of retirement to pastor a church in Bella Vista, AR, but as of this year I am again re-re-retired.