What wood to learn on?

Andy, The ideal wood to turn is a close grained hardwood. But, to learn on, anything you can put between centers and spin is good. The soft woods like pine, fir, cedar, and that wood that Home Depot sells as "whitewood" are easy to cut on the lathe. However, they have a tendency to have "tear out", where the end grain wood fibers are torn out instead of being cleanly cut. The answer to tear out is super sharp tools and excellent tool technique. Soft woods are probably the best you can find to learn tool technique. You'll also learn how to sharpen your tools to get the best cut. When you can get your end grain areas to cut cleanly on pine or cedar, then you should have little problems on other woods. In addition to the spindles you will make from the split 2X4's, you can get a 2X8 (or 2X10 if your lathe has enough swing) and cut into square blocks. Cut off the corners with any saw you have available, and start making shallow bowls or platters. If you are able to master the inside and outside of these pieces so that you don't have to do the final shaping with 36 grit paper, then you're far enough along that you can start your "real" learning curve. Keep reading here and ask questions, you'll learn quickly. Good luck,

Ken Moon Webberville, TX .................................................................

Hi Andy, Ken answered your question fully. I think fir is good to learn on and buying wood is forbidden at this stage. Also, for the pure joy of seeing what is in store for you, pick up some fresh cut green limbs of any roadkill wood about 2" t0 4" diameter and cut out some straight sections with tight bark and no knots, maybe 8 to 12 in. long. You may be sprayed with water from the log but no dust and you will easily make long satisfying shavings. Have fun and don't get up tight about those catches & tearouts that we all suffer and most of us admit to. Please share your progress. Arch

Fortiter,

Fire.

I've been turning for years, and I'm still turning my firewood. I don't think learning on brittle KD Douglas fir will teach you anything you'll remember longer than the frustration of trying to do everything right, and having some latewood collapse into the softer early, making a pit you can hardly sand out.

As Arch mentioned, green turns fine, but you have to remember that you can't make anything final out of it. Set some trimmed stuff aside from your initial allocation and it'll be dry and ready for projects by the time you are.

Free wood is my simple answer, Hardwood preferably. You can ussually get free wood from tree surgeons or Public works folks..... If you pay for it you start valuing it and worrying if you can make something out of it, If it is free and you are practicing for the sake of practice, you will get more out of the practice...... Have fun...... Ken...

Get a chainsaw and keep an eye out for recently downed trees. Then just ask the homeowner or contractor. Noboby wants green hardwood as the cure time for firewood may be a couple years. I have some apple from last year that I didn't keep from cracking, so I cut it into firewood lengths. It still really isn't nice and dry yet for burning.

Derek

Andy,

I live in San Diego. Because of the wildfires, eucalyptus is quite abundant here. I turn it for finished items, jam chucks, practice, tool handles, etc. Free is the correct price. In some of the more rural areas, Ponderora pine is available because of the fires and/or beetle infestation. While this wood is great for turning, you might find it a bit too soft for starting out.

Lots of urban forestry in Southern California yields all kinds of free wood. I have eucalyptus, sycamore, black acacia, carob, Norfolk Island pine, ponderosa pine, cedar, alder, ash, liquidamber (sweet gum) and probably a few others that I have forgotten - all free..

Joe - San diego ======================

George,

I would have to disagree with you here..

George wrote.....

As Arch mentioned, green turns fine, but you have to remember that you can't make anything final out of it.

I have been making finished pieces from green wood for several years. I turn them thin, and let the go where they want to. It is my favorite way to turn. It works really well for natural edge pieces, and for endgrain hollow forms.

To each his own. :)

Dave

David Peebles Lyons, Ohio Revolutions Woodturning

When I was learning to turn and was in need of practice wood, I did a lot of dumpster diving and alley prospecting. Pieces of table legs are usually big enough in diameter to re-turn into spindle stock, chair seats are often thick enough to learn shallow bowl and platter techniques on, old solid wood shelving and bed headboards are perfect for plates, and look for big beams at demolition sites. And yes, I ripped a lot of old

2x4s in half and made it a rule to turn a 12" length every single day to practice my skew and gouge techniques. After the first series of cuts, I'd smooth it out and do it again. When you master clean cuts on that stuff, you are well on your way. About once a month I'd date and save one, unsanded, so I would have a record of my progress.

Get some expert instruction if you can. EXPERT, not just somebody who knows more than you. It can take literally years off your learning curve. Musicians take lessons, athletes have coaches, turners should be wise enough to not forego the advantage of instruction.

best of luck,

-mike paulson, fort collins, co

Nice gloat, Joe. :) -mike

Spindle work has a tendency to oval. Not a lot of beauty in that, as I see it.

All green work has to dry (become final) before it can be properly sanded or finished.

Take a peek

do that too.

I completely agree, Dave. That that only turn dry wood are missing a whole other aspect of turning. Green turning comes with it's own set of issues, techniques, and procedures as one would expect. Of course, I won't disparage anyone that only wants to turn dry wood but I also won't suggest that it's the only way to go either.

- Andrew

Hey guy get some olive wood and be happy forever it is one of the great woods to turn I use this wood on demos and beguiners class it really makes shavings and will make you look far out ED