About Woodturning and the Birth of WOOD PUNK
My name is Jan Ludvík. I am a devoted husband, father of three wonderful children, and proud owner of an old small house in the beautiful Wallachian village of Horní Bečva, located at the very eastern border with Slovakia. In my free time, I focus on woodturning and crafting primarily wooden bowls, vases, containers, and other hollow wooden creations.
The Journey of Wood – Roots
I have had a positive relationship with wood and working with it since early childhood, spending summers in my grandfather’s workshop. There, I watched him work around the house and admired his carvings. During my student years and the few years after, I completely forgot about wood. I focused on getting to know my future wife, sports, travel, and studying the art of hospitality.
The Journey of Wood – Return to Roots
The beginning of my return to the path of wood could probably be traced back to the turn of 2011 and 2012, when my wife and I returned after years of study and work from Brno to our native Wallachia and acquired a small, old house in the beautiful Kobylská Valley in Horní Bečva. During the first year as a newly minted homeowner, I spent more time dismantling than creating, adjusting and repairing. Gradually, I equipped myself with the essential carpentry and joinery tools according to my needs.
The Journey of Wood – Workshop
One evening in the spring of 2020 (by then all three of our children were already in the world, and I was probably just bored), while randomly watching a video featuring an unknown enthusiast in his workshop, I realized I desperately needed a workbench and a table saw. So I ordered the materials and the saw, and got to work. Soon followed a small jointer, a thickness planer, a larger miter saw, a router, and other hand tools. I started making all kinds of jigs and devoured information about wood species, production techniques, and historical hand tools, especially Stanley planes. Gradually, I made a children’s table, a child-sized chair, and a few cutting boards. I even didn’t shy away from the idea of building an all-wood sauna from firewood-grade timber.
The Birth of WOOD PUNK
It was the year 2021. I had far more ideas for creating than time and energy to pursue them, and on top of that, I realized I probably needed a wood lathe. So, I purchased a small lathe, and it took about six months before I actually got to use it. By February 2022, I had instantly fallen in love with woodturning, and that’s when WOOD PUNK was born.