Michael Roper is a third generation carpenter / woodworker who fell in love with wood turning while studying in the Fine Woodworking program at Red Rocks Community College. He has been practicing carpentry since he was a teenager, working with his grandfather and uncle. From exterior framing to installing hard wood floors, to custom interior beam work and timber framing, to building and installing built-in furniture, he has a diverse range of experiences working in the medium of wood.
This diversity has only expanded during his years of studying at Red Rocks, where he earned his Craftsman Certificate in Spring 2010. Along with learning how to spin wood on the lathe, he has learned how to lay out and cut joinery by hand, how to take a standing tree down to useable material, and the crucial elements of design that interact with the way he approaches wood.
Roper lives in the mountains above Denver, where the forests, mountains, and animals inspire him to leave his pieces as natural as possible, to focus on the inner beauty of the wood. He uses local and sustainable wood and all natural finishes whenever possible. Because many people have never seen wood turned before, Roper takes a portable lathe with him to craft shows and farmer’s markets. He finds people are fascinated by the simplicity of the process of transformation that wood goes through. His toys, pens, bowls, and furniture can be viewed at www.roperwoodturning.com. His pens are also for sale at Express Yourself in Evergreen, and all of his products are available at various farmer’s markets and craft shows around Colorado. He just graduated from Red Rocks Community College with an Associates Degree in Finewoodworking and will be teaching woodturning in the fall of 2011 at Red Rocks he also is the chairperson for the Mentoring program for the Front Range Woodturners Club.
Winner of the 2010 Educational Opportunity Grant from the Front Range Woodturners, April 2011 Turning Challenge winner from the Front Range Woodturners, and 2011 Collegian Excellence Award winner from the American Association of Woodturners,1st Place Art Sculpture at the Denver County Fair 2011.
-- Roper - Master of sawdust- www.roperwoodturning.com
23 comments so far
GaryK
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10262 posts in 5047 days
#1 posted 03-27-2008 02:07 AM
Welcome to Lumberjocks! Enjoy yourself.
-- Gary - Never pass up the opportunity to make a mistake look like you planned it that way - Tyler, TX
Scott Bryan
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27249 posts in 4881 days
#2 posted 03-27-2008 03:33 AM
Hi Roper,
Let me welcome you to LJs. I hope that you will find this to be an exciting and rewarding part of your woodworking adventure.
-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine
rikkor
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11295 posts in 4933 days
#3 posted 03-27-2008 03:51 AM
Welcome to LJ. You will like it here.
cajunpen
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14578 posts in 5125 days
#4 posted 03-27-2008 07:22 AM
Welcome to LumberJocks. Enjoy the community.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
Max
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56000 posts in 5332 days
#5 posted 03-27-2008 05:57 PM
Glad to see that you have made Lumberjocks a part of your Woodworking experience… Welcome
-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT
Roper
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1389 posts in 4772 days
#6 posted 03-28-2008 12:19 AM
thanks for making fell very welcomed here,you guys are great. I will post some pics soon.
-- Roper - Master of sawdust- www.roperwoodturning.com
Grumpy
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26811 posts in 4910 days
#7 posted 03-28-2008 12:21 AM
Welcome to Lumberjocks . This is a great community of people with like interests.There is much to learn here & you will have the opportunity to share your skills & ideas with others. I hope you enjoy LJ’s as much as I do.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
Karson
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35271 posts in 5459 days
#8 posted 03-31-2008 03:11 AM
Welcome to LumberJocks. Glad to have you aboard.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Appomattox Virginia [email protected] †
teenagewoodworker
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2727 posts in 4827 days
#9 posted 03-31-2008 03:12 AM
Welcome to Lumberjocks. Can’t wait to see some of your work!
barlow
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129 posts in 4799 days
#10 posted 04-12-2008 04:44 AM
The basswood would be shipped from Kingsford MI, Fedex, sorry i dont know the zip code off hand
-- barlow
brunob
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2277 posts in 5228 days
#11 posted 04-12-2008 05:17 AM
If you like working with wood, you’re in the right place. Welcome.
-- Bruce from Central New York...now, if you'll pardon me, I have some sawdust to make.
Paul D
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2134 posts in 4807 days
#12 posted 04-12-2008 02:28 PM
Welcome to LJs !! Glad you have joined us !!
-- Paul D - Lawrenceville, Georgia
ND2ELK
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13494 posts in 4833 days
#13 posted 04-13-2008 04:00 AM
Welcome to Lumberjocks. The projects are an inspiration, the information is priceless and the people are supportive. The only problem is, the site can get addictive.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
Dick, & Barb Cain
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8693 posts in 5358 days
#14 posted 04-13-2008 10:56 PM
Welcome Roper!
I see you like to carve, you should fit right in.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Joshua Howe
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71 posts in 4533 days
#15 posted 12-22-2008 04:17 AM
Wish I lived in Colorado!
-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign
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