A Telarah resident’s chance discovery on Facebook of a group that makes ornate wooden pens has resulted in his hobby becoming a small business.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Known as the bearded woodworker, Guil Noronha, 31, is a boilermaker by trade.
He was making wooden pens as a hobby when he discovered the Penturners group.
“What they were doing seemed a lot of fun and it was also very creative,” Mr Noronha said.
The father of two girls said he wanted an activity that would enable him to be close to his family.
He now scours the area, seeking different types of wood from which he can make fine pens.
“I use wood that I find myself. I don’t buy any,” Mr Noronha said.
“There are some wonderful types – jacaranda, cypress, cedar and redwood that can be picked up quite easily around the Maitland area.
“I have also found myself becoming something of a tree expert.”
He recently began making pens from deer antlers, from which he has turned out an impressive range of pens.
“I start off by getting a blank piece of wood into which I insert a pen kit, which I buy,” he said.
“Then I trim the wood down to a desired pen shape, using my lathe and chisels.
“When I began, it would take me up to three hours to make a single pen.
“But now I can make them in up to 50 minutes.”
Mr Noronha also used pine cones for some of his pens and he has an online store, selling the pens internationally.
“Americans love the deer antler pens and business is good, because not too many people are turning pens,” he said.
“In about a year I hope to own my own store.”
Mr Noronha is also passionate about opera and musical theatre.
He has performed in many productions in Maitland and in Newcastle.
