I was born in Melbourne Australia in 1950. My cabinet maker father introduced me to the joys of working with wood at a very early age. Even though I enjoyed cabinet making, the world of electronics fascinated me more. I became an electronics technician, specializing in audio equipment. I worked at several jobs in the service industry before establishing an audio equipment and speaker box manufacturing business in 1981. I ran this business with my wife until we retired in 2007. I began woodturning in 2000 after receiving a lathe from my wife for Christmas. My wife also booked me into a basic woodturning course with Vic Wood. This was the stat of my woodturning journey and the beginning of a friendship that would last twenty years. To hone my skills I began entering woodturning competitions. I managed to win numerous category awards at the Australian national woodturning competition. As well as these awards I took out overall best of show on seven separate occasions. My work has been featured in magazines all around the world. I have also written numerous articles for the Australian Woodworker magazine. I have demonstrated at trade events, symposiums and clubs all over Australia. I have also demonstrated in New Zealand several times and once at Provo in America. I have tried and enjoy all types of turning. My main interest however is lidded boxes, the more technically challenging the better.
- Ken Wraight