Learning to turn
- Thread starter Rmiller
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Welcome to the site Rich! Glad you found us.
Unfortunately you are kind of in a bit of a "dry zone" there for access to Klingspore, woodcraft or other "shops" that would attract classes you can take.
1. Where did you take the class?
2. Do you have a lathe and tools?
3. What attracted you to lathe work (pens, bowls, spindle turning, furniture pieces etc.)
The web is a huge resource for learning these days.
Self-teaching and practice is important.
I enjoyed the Richard Raffan books and videos.
But, I understand sometimes you need a little guidence and that "second set of eyes" for "Why did this go wrong?"
I took a look at www.woodturningonline.com and came up with the following;
Tennessee
Cookeville Turners Club
John Lucas - johnclucas@charter.net
Meet in Cookeville, 3rd Tuesday of each month
Duck River Woodturners
www.duckriverwoodturners.com
South Central TN and Northern AL
Mid-South Woodturners Guild
http://midsouthwoodturners.com
Memphis Area
Smoky Mountain Woodturners
Dave Harding - daveharding@msn.com
Meet in the Knoxville Woodcraft Store
TN Association of Woodturners
www.tnwoodturners.org
Meet in Brentwood, 1st Tuesday of each month
Tri State Woodturners
www.tristatewoodturners.com/
Southeast TN, Northwest GA and Northeast AL
Tuckessee Woodturners
Telephone: (931) 362-3669
Charles R Putnam
Clarksville, TN and Hopkinsville, KY
Upper Cumberland Woodturners
Jake Neidling, President - jake.niedling@alcoa.com
Meet in Crossville, TN
West Tennessee Woodturners
www.wtnwoodturners.com/
Meet in Jackson, TN
Unfortunately you are kind of in a bit of a "dry zone" there for access to Klingspore, woodcraft or other "shops" that would attract classes you can take.
1. Where did you take the class?
2. Do you have a lathe and tools?
3. What attracted you to lathe work (pens, bowls, spindle turning, furniture pieces etc.)
The web is a huge resource for learning these days.
Self-teaching and practice is important.
I enjoyed the Richard Raffan books and videos.
But, I understand sometimes you need a little guidence and that "second set of eyes" for "Why did this go wrong?"
I took a look at www.woodturningonline.com and came up with the following;
Tennessee
Cookeville Turners Club
John Lucas - johnclucas@charter.net
Meet in Cookeville, 3rd Tuesday of each month
Duck River Woodturners
www.duckriverwoodturners.com
South Central TN and Northern AL
Mid-South Woodturners Guild
http://midsouthwoodturners.com
Memphis Area
Smoky Mountain Woodturners
Dave Harding - daveharding@msn.com
Meet in the Knoxville Woodcraft Store
TN Association of Woodturners
www.tnwoodturners.org
Meet in Brentwood, 1st Tuesday of each month
Tri State Woodturners
www.tristatewoodturners.com/
Southeast TN, Northwest GA and Northeast AL
Tuckessee Woodturners
Telephone: (931) 362-3669
Charles R Putnam
Clarksville, TN and Hopkinsville, KY
Upper Cumberland Woodturners
Jake Neidling, President - jake.niedling@alcoa.com
Meet in Crossville, TN
West Tennessee Woodturners
www.wtnwoodturners.com/
Meet in Jackson, TN
Buy an eight foot whitewood 2" x 4". Rip it down the center and then cut it into about 8" lengths. Spend the day practicing every lathe cut that you know, at the end of the day you will be a much better turner. Visit carolinamountainwoodturners.org. Our meetings in Asheville are FREE! Our auction on November 21 is a good place to purchase lathes, tools, wood, and books. Welcome
Thanks for info...currently I don't own a lathe, but want one and I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead a make the big leap to a really good lathe, say $2500+ range or start small. I don't want to do what I did with all my other tools (wishing I bought better/bigger). I know I'll like it.
Whatever lathe you decide to purchase: buy variable speed! If you can't afford VSpeed, wait until you can. There are several operations that are best done without a STOP between speed changes. Apply friction polish at a slow speed and quickly go to highest speed possible to cure or friction the polish. Make it SMOKE. This needs to happen before alcohol in finish evaporates.
When spinning out of balance large blanks, start slow, as wood is removed, gradually increase speed to just below the vibration point. That is mostly impossible with stepped pulleys. Have fun, join a club, find a mentor, take a class. Money spent early for education will save you MUCH money later. Half of the tools in chisel sets you will never use. Learn to properly sharpen early in your lathe career, The price of your lathe is about 25 to 33% of a turning setup cost. Attend a woodturning symposium, that will open your eyes. Arrowmont in Gatlinburg has wonderful classes
When spinning out of balance large blanks, start slow, as wood is removed, gradually increase speed to just below the vibration point. That is mostly impossible with stepped pulleys. Have fun, join a club, find a mentor, take a class. Money spent early for education will save you MUCH money later. Half of the tools in chisel sets you will never use. Learn to properly sharpen early in your lathe career, The price of your lathe is about 25 to 33% of a turning setup cost. Attend a woodturning symposium, that will open your eyes. Arrowmont in Gatlinburg has wonderful classes
I started turning about 3 years ago and bought the Delta 46-460. So far I haven't found a need to upgrade, but I don't do a lot of complicated or very large turnings. If you buy this lathe and later decide you would like something bigger, it will be very easy to sell.
I started turning about 10 years ago. The one thing I came to realize very quickly is in turning, like lots of other things, you get what you pay for. Lathes, lathe chisels, chucks etc. You can spend $2500 for a good lathe and an additional $2500 on the extras. So its a lot to lay out. What is it you would like to turn?. Bowls? Spindles?. This is what you need to decide going in.
I started turning around 30 years ago. My first lathe cost $30 and I used a screwdriver for a turning tool. I made a faceplate out of plywood and a steel nut. I turned a bowl, several spindles, and made a toy train.
I once used a drill press and a screwdriver to make handles for tools at a place I worked.
Now I have a big old lathe with a new variable speed reversible drive and lots of tools, chuck with different jaws, steel faceplates, drill chuck for the tail stock, and lots of calipers and dividers to check thickness and length.
Start any way you can and advance as you are able. The main thing is get started and stay with it.
I once used a drill press and a screwdriver to make handles for tools at a place I worked.
Now I have a big old lathe with a new variable speed reversible drive and lots of tools, chuck with different jaws, steel faceplates, drill chuck for the tail stock, and lots of calipers and dividers to check thickness and length.
Start any way you can and advance as you are able. The main thing is get started and stay with it.
I feel I can pick out a good lathe, what don't have confidence in is buying all the other "stuff" you need, chucks, which I see thru looking at numerous videos are endless, turning tools, sanding and polishing stuff, etc. this is where good advice could save me money. Thx for the help.
Rich,
To reiterate, you should decide what it is you want to make with your lathe so we can best assist you in your choices
To reiterate, you should decide what it is you want to make with your lathe so we can best assist you in your choices
OK Rich, my advice would be buy a decent Oneway 4 jaw chuck, a 1/2" bowl gouge (probably sorby or that quality level), a Parting tool, a 3/4" spindle roughing gouge, a 3/8" spindle gouge and a skew to start. you will also need some sort of grinder, be it wet or dry and the right jigs to grind consistenly helps.
+1 Chris Goris recommendations.
That's where I've ended up after a couple years of testing the waters.
I'd add a good heavy bowl scraper to the list of tools, if you plan to do many bowls.
And I hardly ever use the 3/8 spindle gouge.
The tools are the only thing I've bought new.
The Oneway Stronghold I got used from a member here.
That's where I've ended up after a couple years of testing the waters.
I'd add a good heavy bowl scraper to the list of tools, if you plan to do many bowls.
And I hardly ever use the 3/8 spindle gouge.
The tools are the only thing I've bought new.
The Oneway Stronghold I got used from a member here.
Exactly.
the Easy Wood Tools 'Easy Chuck' is the best chuck on the market, go put you hands on it. 9 jaw sets changeable in 30 seconds, quick adjusting zoom ring, solid body, impeccable quality, 100% Made in America. Nothing else comes close.
here's a link, do yourself the favor:
Easy Chuck & Jaws
here's a link, do yourself the favor:
Easy Chuck & Jaws
Rich,
we have a lathe called "the good will lathe" that we donate to beginners.
I think it is a Rikon, with a grinder tools etc.
I am not sure if there are any restrictions (time in the group etc. - hopefully someone else will jump in and let us know)
then you just have to request it and wait in line.
Below is an old post, but you get the gist!
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=37571&highlight=donation+lathe
we have a lathe called "the good will lathe" that we donate to beginners.
I think it is a Rikon, with a grinder tools etc.
I am not sure if there are any restrictions (time in the group etc. - hopefully someone else will jump in and let us know)
then you just have to request it and wait in line.
Below is an old post, but you get the gist!
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=37571&highlight=donation+lathe
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