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Peter is a retired aircraft engineer and worked for Britten-Norman and Micronair Ltd. from 1950 to 1993 when he retired. In January 1950 he was involved the building of a wooden single seat high wing aircraft (the BNlf) which was designed by the late John Britten and Desmond Norman, this plane had its first flight in May 1952. In 1954-55 he was involved in building a wooden 2 seater low wing monoplane for the Popular Flying Association, this flew in late 1955. As well as planes Peter was also involved in building a 21 ft. Junior Offshore Group sailing boat (again designed by John Britten and Desmond Norman) it was launched in early 1953.
Peter was introduced to woodturning during his apprenticeship as a sawyer and machinist at Alexander Sharpe's timber yard in Shanklin IW and completed his 4 years at their Sandown machine shop in 1946. The main type of turning he carried out was waggon wheel hubs in elm and oval spokes for the hubs in ash.
About 2 years prior to retiring Peter decided to go back to wood and started woodcarving, he did an evening course at the Isle of Wight College in Newport and then built his workshop at the rear of his garage.
Peter soon realised that if he had a lathe he could rough turn some of the carvings first and save lot of time, so he purchased his first lathe from the late "Fergies" at Carisbrooke. After a few years he found he was doing more turning than carving! Most of his early turning was between centres. During the late 1990s Peter went on a bowl turning course at the Riverside Centre in Newport, although only a short course it was just enough time to pick up the basics. During 2006 Peter visited an exhibition at the Quay Arts Centre put on by the Wight Woodturners where he met Jack Le Brect and joined the club the next meeting.
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Spalted beech platter 26cm dia. |
Mahogany solitaire board 23cm dia. |
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Boxwood stand for rings and earings,
14cm high by 7.5 cm dia. |
Sycamore four poster bed finial,
14 cm high by 7.5 cm dia. |
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A salad bowl (22 cm dia) made from acacia
and two beech and sycamore dishes (13 cm dia). |
Gavel and block made from oak and mahogany. |
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Cherry vase 20 cm high by 7.5 cm dia. |
Cherry vase 21 cm high by 7.5 cm dia. |
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Weed pot made from spalted beech,
16 cm high by 7 cm dia. |
Mahogany acorn 10 cm high by 8 cm dia. |
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