How I Started E.F. Woodturning:

Several years ago, my parents gave me a miniature lathe for my birthday, which they found in a toy catalog. A few months before COVID, I started experimenting with it more, using screws and the bent tips of sparklers as makeshift chisels. When I transitioned to distance learning in 6th grade, I upgraded to a larger lathe from Harbor Freight, capable of turning wood up to 10 inches in diameter. That’s when my passion for woodturning really took off, and I began making bowls.

A little over a year later, I started selling my work—initially on the roadside. Before long, I participated in my first craft fair and eventually saved enough to invest in a full-size lathe, the Laguna Revo 18|36. I strive to source most of my wood from local trees that have been cut down or have naturally died, while additional materials come from nearby sawmills, where I select slabs to cut into bowl blanks.