Paul Courtright Demonstrates Woodturning
Woodturning has been part of Paul Courtright’s life since he was in high school during shop class. At that time, he acquired a Sears lathe from his father, which had been handed down from his grandfather. Paul taught himself the basics of woodturning by working with the lathe and learning from his mistakes.
Over time the bearings on that lathe wore out. They first replaced the motor with a washing machine motor, but later he replaced the lathe with a Powermatic. He purchased a second lathe that he could move out to the drive way and turn outside in the sunshine.
Paul grew up in a small farm town in northern Ohio. However, after high school, he moved to the Columbus area for college. There he discovered a local woodturning club, Central Ohio Woodturners (COW) and decided to join. Over the years, Paul has served as President and Vice President of COW and taught several wood turning demos at the COW meetings.
He also joined the national organization, American Association of Woodturners (AAW). Because of his membership in both these organizations, he has attended many symposiums and events which taught him the do’s and don’t’s of woodturning and furthered his knowledge of the craft.
Then, he started to accumulate an inventory and began selling his work at craft shows and festivals from March through December. He now attends around 20 shows a year throughout Ohio and surrounding states, where he sells his work and does woodturning demonstrations. He now has pieces in several states like FL, NY, CA, AZ, and SC as well as a few countries including Germany, South America, and Canada.
Little wood goes to waste in Paul’s world. When a tree blows down, he might turn part of it into a bird house. Old 2’x4’s might become an American Flag. Other reclaimed lumber might end up in a beautiful cross Laser engraved with a Biblical saying using his xTool.
Recently, he began trying something new by working with different mediums like resin and alternative items like pumpkin stems, corn cobs, and pinecones. A beautiful pinecone bowl won a People’s Choice Award recently at the Salt Fork Festival. Some of his popular items include cheese cutters, pepper mills, American flags, and ice cream scoops. There are still some things he has on his dream list. One of them is a working grandfather clock.
Giving is part of his nature. He often gives small items to children that appear at the festivals…perhaps a whistle or small car. Frequently, he participates in the silent auction at Children’s Hospital. Before costs raised, he gave a pen to every veteran he met but now he has a special wooden object that he gives them.
He even has his own YouTube channel (Wood Chip Woodworking) as a way to teach and share his knowledge and skill. Paul tells others, “Woodturning might be the best stress reliever of this century.”
While wood, especially walnut, is his favorite thing, Paul also has a degree from OSU in Animal Science and Food Science. He has worked in the food industry with Abbott Labs in research and development of their products for around 20 years. He took a five-year break where he taught Food Science at OSU. Food is another passion of his but he also enjoys just being outdoors, hunting, fishing, and gardening.
During the year, Paul also works on getting things ready for the various craft shows he attends. This year he plans to also demonstrate wood turning at his booth at the Salt Fork Festival. He also enjoys displaying his woodturning at the Paul Bunyan Festival in Old Washington in October.
Paul enjoys attending craft and art shows where he meets like-minded people, who have become great friends. This has allowed him to gain a lot of knowledge and experience in marketing his craft.
Today Paul lives in Westerville, Ohio. Woodturning has made him a happy guy. “I can take a piece of wood that someone has discarded or even threatened to throw into the fireplace, and I have made something out of it and presented it back to them. Just the smile and look of sheer wonder on their faces is priceless.”
Learn more about his work on his Facebook page, Paul Courtright or watch some of his woodturning videos. Of course, selling his work at craft shows also makes him pretty happy. He would enjoy having you visit him at the Salt Fork Festival August 8-10 at his booth Woodchip Woodworking. If you are lucky enough to have a piece he has created, you have something from his heart.
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