Member Profile:  Tom Obourn

Tom was born in New Jersey but considers Wellsville, NY where he went to high school, home.  He graduated from Cornell University, received his Masters from Michigan State and has additional graduate credits from Penn State.  He was the County Agriculture Agent, mostly in Erie County, for 37 years.

 Tom is a founding member of the PIW.  He has been aware of turning for most of his life but started turning seriously in the early 90’s.  His first formal exposure to turning was the Utah Turning Symposium in 1993.  His first class was at Cooks Forest Sawmill Center for the Arts.  He has been to the Utah Symposium 9 times, the AAW Symposium 3 times and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts 9 times where he was under the tutelage, the likes of Ray Key, John Jordan, Al Stirt, and Mick O’Donnell.

 Tom started turning professionally in the late 90’s.  His main thrust at that time was face plate turning – bowls.  Now he leans to natural edge turning.  If you have been to Tom’s place you know that he is a very serious and prolific turner.