June 2005 Program:
Paul Tiefel
"Multi-Axis Turning"
Paul Tiefel grew up in central Oklahoma and has been woodworking since his early teens. He learned basic carpentry and cabinet making in his father’s shop and got his first taste of woodturning in jr. high school shop class. During his high school years he worked in commercial and residential construction during school breaks. Paul passed the journeyman carpenter’s exam and paid for most of his college by working as a carpenter. He planned to obtain an architectural engineering degree and follow his father into commercial construction.
However, after winning a partial scholarship he entered the petroleum engineering college at the University of Oklahoma. He planned to change to architecture but stayed with petroleum engineering after becoming interested in the exploration of oil and gas. During his career in the oil and gas business, Paul maintained his love of woodworking but had limited time to spend in his shop. Paul left the oil and gas business in 1999 and he and his wife Marcia moved from Houston to North Texas in 2001.
Paul rediscovered turning in 2002 while taking a class with John Horn at the Woodcraft store. John introduced the class to the Woodturners of North Texas and Paul joined on his first visit. Paul has also taken classes with Stuart Batty, Ernie Newman, Jean-François Escoulen, David Ellsworth, Michael Hosaluk and Trent Bosch. Paul enjoys a challenge and is constantly trying new turning ideas. He became interested in multi-axis turning after watching a demo by Chris Scott at the 2003 AAW Symposium. Paul took a 5-day class with Escoulen in 2004 where he got to experiment with many multi-axis turning ideas. In his demonstration, Paul will show how to turn a figurine, a candlestick and a spider double box if time allows.
Revised January 28, 2006