Pat, Chuck, Matt

A little bit about me, my name is Charles Beland but everyone calls me Chuck. I work for the USPS as a Mailman.  I was born June 29, 1958 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Louise and Maurice.  I have an older sister Michelle (Mitch) and a younger brother Richard (Rick).  I come from a very big extended family with 56 uncles & aunts.  My family’s roots on both sides are from Canada & we have a lot of family still there.   I have been married to my lovely wife, Pat, for almost 28 years and we have a son, Matthew (Matt).  I come from a mostly blue collar heritage.  I had never done any type of woodworking when I was young.  My parents mostly worked two jobs and didn’t have a great deal of time for hobbies and the one Pépère (Grandfather) who did woodworking died before I was born.  I spent close to 11 years in the Army as a Recon Scout LRRP’S (Long Range Recon Platoon) until I fell down a flight of stairs and messed up the main nerve in my back.
My interest in woodworking began when my wife wanted a new vanity in the bathroom that had a drawer at the bottom.   I told her it would be difficult because the pipes went from the sink directly to the basement so we couldn’t put a new vanity in.  Well, while she was away for a conference for work I ripped out the old vanity and re-routed the pipes through the wall to the basement.  I had recently joined a woodworking forum, TIF (Tool Info Forum) and asked how I could connect black iron pipe to PVC and a guy said just cut it with a sawsall.  I told him I don’t have one so he said he would come to my house and do it for me. His name is Ian Manley.  Ian told me he was a master plumber.  Ian drove an hour to my house it took all of 20 minutes to complete, and we spent the next three hours bull crapping.  Ian does the most amazing complex segmented turnings.  I asked him countless questions about how he does it, and he invited me to his house to try making a pen.  So about two weeks later I drove to his house and he gave me the whole mentoring thing from starting with safety to making a finished slim line pen made from snake wood for my wife.  Well by the time I was done I had the biggest grin on my face.  From that day on I was hooked and fell head first into the turning abyss. I went searching for turning forums and joined a few, one being WR and the other FW.  I have loved being a part of both forums and feel like I have joined a family.
I started with a Jet mini (non-vs) and I have added a Jet 1642 EVS,  I have had to prioritize buying wood working equipment since I had nothing to start with I now have mostly all the basic tools I need. I have found that I really enjoy turning since its more artistic then exacting like carpentry.  I really get a thrill when someone gives me compliments on my creations.  I love when the wood reveals what it wants to be and seeing how the color and grain of the wood come alive when I’m done.  Well that’s me.