LA GRANDE— La Grande resident Shawn Risteen was looking for a way to fill his days during his extra time at home after the pandemic began. His daughters bought him a wood turning lathe and he fell in love with making small projects in his garage.

Now, he is selling his creations at Community Merchants in downtown La Grande and creating his own home business — 5:1 Turning.

“I was told if you don’t come out of the pandemic with a hobby, you’re doing something wrong,” Risteen said.

The name of the business, he explained, comes from the fact he is the only male in the house with his four daughters and wife. For Risteen, working in the garage is an escape, but his wife and daughters love to see what he creates.

The decision to turn his hobby into a small home business came from Risteen’s experience as the president of La Grande Main Street Downtown and a member of the Union County Chamber of Commerce. He said he sees small businesses as vital to the local economy and wanted to help contribute.

“I could sell these things online for more, but I prefer to put it downtown and put money back into our community,” he said.

Risteen can make just about anything as long as it is round.

So far he has made candlesticks, ornaments, jars, cups and bowls. He is experimenting with different types of woods and materials, including using resin and colored pencils.

“It is nice to watch something that might be thrown away turn into something beautiful,” Risteen said.

With no prior wood turning experience, Risteen has taught himself everything he knows through the internet. He said it is amazing the amount of information you can find to get started. There has been some trial and error, but he said he finds the whole process relaxing.

“One of my favorite parts is watching the wood spin, especially the colored wood,” Risteen said. “It is almost hypnotic, just to zone out and watch things spin.”

It takes Risteen anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of days to complete a piece, depending on the complexity and if he is using resin.

He said he tries to make each piece look different to keep things original. Pieces are available in stock at Community Merchants and can be custom ordered.