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ABOUT ANDY
Andy began woodturning in 1996 after he was
diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. At the time he
worked in heavy industry and continued there until he
realised that his job involved far too many risks for
someone with sensory problems.
He has always been
active and for some reason has always fascinated by
fast moving machinery, motorbikes and drag racing.
Andy had always preferred metalwork to woodwork (on
the basis that if you made a mistake with wood you
couldn’t weld it back together!) but, up for a
challenge, he decided to try woodturning.
His first
attempt was turned on a 19th century engineering
lathe using a couple of homemade tools, and he
realised he had found a craft that he not only
enjoyed immensely, but one for which he had natural
ability.
After a while he needed an outlet for his
work and started to attend local craft fairs, selling
his work in order to fund more trips to the wood
suppliers for timber to play with. He also joined the
local Woodturning club and began to expand his
aptitude and design skills, gaining confidence with
experience.
Andy is often drawn to timber with interesting grain
patterns and inclusions (the sort of stuff that many
would condemn to the log basket!!) as this can, and
often does, produce wonderful unique pieces of work
or alternatively adrenalin fuelled moments of duck &
cover!.
He is very happy to chat about any and every aspect
of the craft, enjoys giving demonstrations and loves
teaching, which he normally does on a one to one
basis. He has a very positive attitude in everything he
does and firmly believes that life should be lived to
the full - boundaries are there to be pushed!
Woodturning, in all its aspects, is a very vital part of
his life, bringing creativity and purpose, and a chance
to pass on the pleasure of this wonderful craft to
others.
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