Lanny Dean Woodworking
Union, Maine
“My first encounter with woodturning was in a Union Maine high school shop class. After a few years in the army and returning right back to Maine I went to work for the local power company as a lineman, staying with the company for a forty year stint. During this time I was also either rebuilding an old house, or building a new one, moving back to the old family farm in 1981 where I reside today. In 2009 I decided I wanted to try turning again, and into my cellar arrived a small lathe from Woodworkers Warehouse. I accepted their brochure to The Woodturning School, attended classes there and was forever hooked.
I have since attended multiple classes at regional and national symposiums and local woodturning clubs. With a much bigger lathe, a dedicated shop and having retired for a few years the passion to reveal the contents of mostly burl wood now consumes a large portion of my time. Using almost entirely locally grown timber, I prefer to sell my work directly to people. While I do place some pieces in a few select shops, most sales are through attending shows such as the Maine Craft Guild’s, now merged into the MCA. I do still treasure one turned bowl from that original shop class in the 1960s.”
