Best Lathe Video

Unplug Your TV & VCR/DVD. Put them in boxes, tape up the boxes, put them in the attic/basement, or on craigslist/ebay.

Plug in a lathe, grab some wood, turn.

That is your "best lathe video" as far as I'm concerned. You'll learn a lot more making shavings than watching someone else make shavings.

snipped-for-privacy@robmward.com wrote in news:1161654259.451953.29420 @e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

Welcome Rob, I've been turning for fifty-two years and bought Richard Raffan's Turning Wood video and the book of the same title. I should mention that I took a fifty year break in my fifty-two tears of turning. I got back into turning because I had contacted restoration job that involved restoring 10 columns (a semi circular porch). The column bases and the upper and lower capitals had to be replaced due to rot. I tried to find a turner that would be able to turn the capitals that summer and was unsuccessful. Since I had been a pretty good turner in school and think I can do anything, I bought a lathe (Jet mini, the lager diameter capitals were nine and a half inches) and a set of Sears lathe tools. The capitals were pretty simple to turn; two beads and a cove or two. Now I was hooked and I was also sixty-two (I lied, sixty-three). Memory is a great thing, but using the skew made me think I had forgotten something and being I had only turned spindles in school, I thought a book and/or a video might be prudent. I can re-discover the wheel as good as anybody. I don't know anyone that is better at learning from the 'School of Hard Knocks' better than I, but I didn't want to spend the time learning to walk (never mind staunching the flow of blood) at my age. Mr. Raffan's tutorials brought back the basics and I recommend his video and book. I also have a book on basic turning by Keith Rowely that I think is very good. One only reinforces the other. Either by itself is more than adequate. Enjoy the lathe, Hank

Think safety and do what Lawrence says. Safe involves staying out of the path of ejecta, even if you think you have the piece sturdily mounted.

Safe means keeping the toolrest close in so you don't give leverage to the wood, but keep it on your side.

Safe means paying attention to the wood. It'll teach you. The best cut is the one that takes the least effort from you, because there's equal and opposite involved too. When the shavings flow, not fly, you're on target.

I'd stay with the web for "tips" and styles, but there's little out there on theory, save perhaps _The Practical Woodturner_ by Frank Pain. It's the book I own. Tells you about the various tools and the way to apply them to the wood. Theory, you supply the practice.

This was a good portion and well written theory, I learned a lot of it:

Absolutely, and it was in my bookmarks. Don't know why I didn't think to cite it.

Rob,

I bought Richard Raffens, books and videos when I first started. He is a producti> Hey,

Your previous answer made me think of it, so it's all cooperation;-)

Screw the videos, I'd like to hear how you wound up with a free lathe.

B.

Safe also means wearing wearing some eye protection at least and a face sheild better. Sometimes you can't stay out of the path. Just came upstairs from another reminder of that lesson. First lesson I learned when I drew blood. This time I just flinched back when a piece broke off and it hit the face shield. No blood, no swollen facial parts, no redness.

I coach high school football and one of the other coaches makes baseball bats. He has switched to an automated system. I simply used my overflowing charm to convince him that I wasn't going to make bats in competition with him. He had an extra lathe so he agreed I could have it for a year and see what happens. Its not quite a full gloat but sometimes a tool loaned out for a year can be forgotten. (Or I will pay for it.)

Buddy Matlosz wrote:

I coach high school football and one of the other coaches makes baseball bats. He has switched to an automated system. I simply used my overflowing charm to convince him that I wasn't going to make bats in competition with him. He had an extra lathe so he agreed I could have it for a year and see what happens. Its not quite a full gloat but sometimes a tool loaned out for a year can be forgotten. (Or I will pay for it.)

PS I did pay the price for it though, our team got it a** kicked for most of the year (but did win their first playoff game tonight!)

Buddy Matlosz wrote:

Sounds like every one I've ever loaned out, that's for sure.

Hello Rob,

To toot my own horn a wee bit... I have an excellent DVD video on Turning Writing Pens (70 mins) and a two disk DVD set on Bowl Turning (140 mins) that have been very well received by wood turners around the world. Both have received excellent reviews. If you would like detailed information, I will be happy to email you. The bowl turning video set is available at Craft Supplies USA at

We will also have our own website up > Hey,

Thanks for the help everyone..... Problem solved...... My wife (who is in med school) was dissecting a cadaver with a retired surgeon and after a conversation with him about his free time he mentioned that he was a turner. Of course, she had heard repeatedly about the free lathe and told him I was just starting. He told her that he was in the local wood turners club and invited me to come along.

Things are looking up! Thanks Again Rob