HELP I've been interested in woodturning since I was a little kid and iv finally bought a lathe but I'm very unsure of myself. I bought a pretty cheap set of tools from rockler because I don't want to mess a good set up I'm not even sure exactly what each individual tool's specific function is or if they have individual functions. I've been looking on the web for how too type articles and they have thus far been kinda hard to come by. So if any of you pro, Old Timers or anyone in general with more experience than me has any advise PLEASE ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRICIATED
To answer some of your first questions, a read through Keith Rowley's book "Woodturning: A Founcation Course" or Richard Raffan's book "Turning Wood" or Phil Iron's book "Woodturning". If you can't get these from the library, you can likely purchase them from or from Craft Supplies USA . A video or two would also make the job of learning to turn much easier. Mike Darlow has a DVD with about 8 hours of information on how to turn wood, excellent way to go. Richard Raffan also has several videos and Keith Rowley has a video called, what else: "Woodturning: A Foundation Course."
It wouldn't hurt to subscribe to More Woodturning and Join the American Association of Woodturners and get their fine magazine "American Woodturner". Another excellent magazine is the British magazine "Woodturning."
There are also a lot of good web sites with excellent information located at their site. You can begin your search by going to my More Woodturning web site . There is a lot of good information at that web site, plus a pretty comprehensive list of links to other woodturning sites and club sites all over the world.
Then when you have a specific question, go to . This will get you to the Google search area of the news groups of the internet. Select Power Search (or whatever they call it) and enter rec.crafts.woodturning into the forum slot and the subject you are looking for information about in the search area, then select search. Failing to find anything there, come back to rec.crafts.woodturning and ask your question. You'll likely get lots of answers, since there is not really any one way to do something.
I hope this bit of rambline will help you on your way to learning how to use those tools with that lathe to make beautiful things for your home or as gifts to friends.
You are going in the right direction - but, the first thing you need to do is get with an experienced turner in your area and pay them to get you up to speed on each tool's use, how to sharpen and the basics of wood's nature. From there, you can read all you want, but eh key is to go out there and do it. But, do it correctly. What good is the practice if you are not practicing the techniques properly? You can read all you want, but you should dust off a few extra bucks to pay for someone else to teach you the basics. $50 will go a long way!
I am not sure from your post if you are interested in spindle or faceplate turning, That makes a big difference in where to start.... I personally don't turn many spindles as they rarely pay for them selves in my experiance...
But, I am now entering my 12th year of turning wooden bowls for a living, I have turned many other things of course, but I find simple bowls the most fun and by far the most profitable...
NOTHING, beats practice, find a cut that works for you, from a book, video or tutor then practice it until you are up to your neck in shavings......
DO NOT, but tools and gagets you don't need, when I first started I bought every tool out there, some of them I didn't even know what they did nor how to use them, Now I use four tools 1/2 bowl gouge, 1/4 inch bowl gouge, 1 inch scraper and a 1/4 inch parting tool, that is all I use to make my living with wooden bowls.....
DO NOT get fooled into thinking there is a right way or a wrong way to do something, there are many opinions on what is right and wrong, try to keep an open mind and do what works for you rather then what someone else has decided is right or wrong....
MOST OF ALL, have fun with it.... it is a hobby for most here and a hobby should be fun, if it is not fun then why bother doing it. It is cheaper to by a table leg then it is to make one if you are not enjoying it.....
I, ofcourse, believe videos are a great medium for teaching and learning, you can watch others do it as many times as you would like without paying extra each time, many course will teach you how to do something, but once you are home, you are on your own, you can't rewind your day at the Instructors studio and see that demo again, like you can on video...That is one reason why I choose to teach using videos, In my area a 2 day course one on one goes for about $600-$800, or atleast that is what I charged when I was teaching... How much FUN can a hobby be if it cost that much everytime you want to learn something new..... SO, I when with the videos teaching met hod as it lets me turn instead of teaching and I get to help many more folks as the price is more reasonable.....
Just thinking out loud, it runs in my family......... Cheers,,,, Goodturning and have fun with it.......... Ken.......
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