Going down the list

[Dewey Torres]

As some of you may know I will soon have the bomb (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1023002&postcount=100).

I need to get some things on order here this weekend. Below is the list I have been given (please understand that I don't know a single thing about turning) and my responses in green.

1. a face shield easy enough

2. a good chuck planning on the Supernova II (thoughts???)

3. any of the Richard Raffan videos or books ok... I'll take a look

4. Bill Grumbine's "Turned Bowls Made Easy" video probably wont do bowls right away

5. Keith Rowley's book "Wood Turning - A Foundation Course" sounds like a good beginner book

6. If you don't have a grinder....a good slow speed grinder I do have a grinder but it is a high speed grinder

7. Some kind of a grinding jig systems...such as the Wolverine system since I am much more accustomed to flat work I would be interested to see your homemade jigs here. (Jim Kountz????)

8. Lots and lots of sandpaper of all kinds and grits. Got it covered here!

9. An angled drill for sanding with sanding pads. Brands? Good / Bad

10. All kinds of finishes and waxes. Kinda broad:confused:

11. Lighting of course so that you can see what your doing. My shop is lit like a baseball stadium already. Does this mean portable ones?

12. Every new tool that someone mentions does something for them that you don't have. Already familiar with this in flatwork...no surprise:)

13. You'll also need to learn how to do metal work, so that you can make tools for yourself. Sounds cool:cool:

14. You will need some sort of respirator, don't forget that. Got it!

15. Lots and lots of wood. Make friends with local power company or tree surgeons. Sometimes you have to slip them a little something. (More money) Sounds like a plan

16. Multiple chucks because you'll get tired of changing chuck jaws. Oh yeah, and some more chuck jaws. Need help here... the Super Nova is about $200 for one.... how many do I need?

17. A new chainsaw, anything you got now will not do. Crap! I just sold my Sthil 20" Farm boss:mad: Last summer

18. Of course, a bandsaw if you don't have one now. Got a Powermatic 14"

19. And, lots and lots of time. This one will prove to be a challenge!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dewey,

The Keith Rowley book is my "go to book". Though I keep it in the house, it spends a fair amount of time propped open near the lathe if I'm trying something new.

Chucks....I have a SN2. Good all around chuck. I hope Bernie Weishapl will respond because he has some Grizzley chucks he likes and has had good luck with.

Your grinder will work. The grinding jig system is a must. Grinding turning tools especially gouges has a long learning curve. Trying to learn to grind and turn too simultaneously would be a rough row to hoe.

Finishes....intially I used friction polishes which are basically shellac and wax combinations. I use a lot of Dewaxed shellac. I buy it by the gallon at my local Ace Hardware. I use Zinnser's ...I forget their trade name but in the logo on the front of the can it says "100% DEWAXED Shellac" You can put dewaxed shellac over anything....And any other finish will go over dewaxed shellac. I use a lot of Deft brushing lacquer. Often I will us BLO on something to "pop" the grain...follow that by a coat or two of dewaxed shellac (Frictioned) and then follow that by a coat or two of Deft brushing lacquer (frictioned on) and the Beal buff.

A Beal buffing system or a knock off will add dramatically to your final look on your turnings.

Others will give you some differing opinions and more is better.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dewey,

Saying you are getting into turning is a lot like saying you are getting into woodworking - it is a very general statement. What to recommend as far as equipment really depends a lot of what types of turning you want to do as a lot of the items are tool specific.

Example - if you want to turn pens, then you need a mandrel and smaller turning chisels. If you want to do any spindle work, then a good chuck will come in handy along with the appropriate jaw sizes. Course, the bigger the finished product, generally, the bigger the tools.

I recommend getting the Wolverine sharpening system. Most of us started out using a fast grinder and over time migrated to the slow speed version. A fast grinder works just fine.

The Beall buffing system makes a huge difference in your final product. The first time you can do a side-by-side compare between a turning that has been buffed and one that has not - you will be sold!

Biggest thing I can suggest is to join the local turning club as members there can demo how to use the different tools and save you months of trying to learn on your own!

I am sure a lot of folks will add to this list - the more we know what direction you want to start off in - the more we can guide the process!

Have fun with it! Jumping into the vortex is an adventure - an expensive one - but an adventure just the same!

Let us know what questions you have and we'll see if we can clear up any mystery!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Dewey looks like you have most of it covered and you got some good advice from Steve and Ken. Finishes well everyone has there favorite. I don't use much wax as it just leaves a lot of finger prints. Renaissance wax is about the only one I will use because it doesn't leave finger prints. I agree with Ken that a wolverine jig would be most helpful. Good luck.

[Richard Madison]

I have a couple of the $99 Grizzly chucks, as does Bernie, I think. They seem like better value for the buck than the high priced ones, for the most part. They grip the wood and cause it to rotate when the lathe is turned on, which is pretty much what I need from them.

[Burt Alcantara]

Just a comment on the chuck. All Teknatool chucks are righty-loosey, meaning clockwise loosens the chuck. Some people are fine with this, others not with me in the not crowd. I use Talons and will soon purchase a pair of Strongholds. There are others out there too. I will admit that Teknatool has the best selection of jaws but I've yet to find that to be a problem.

If you have the funds I'd recommend David Ellsworth's new book. It may look to be an advanced book but there is a wealth of information in there. This book has already altered the way I approach turning.

Richard Raffan's "The Art of Turning" is also excellent. It is not about technique but design. Very highly recommended.

Congratulations and good luck,
Burt

[Jim Kountz]

Dewey, here are some pics of my very rude and crude yet highly functional grinding setup. Mine is on the other end of the shop from the lathe which really sucks, I end up walking alot. This will be remedied soon though, I just moved the lathe and some workbenches around and will have an entire corner dedicated to turning. The base is just birch ply and took me about 20 min to make.
The wheel on the left never touches any of my turning tools, its just too rough. I use it for lawnmower blades and other rough work.
The bucket underneath the bench is for water to cool things down should I get too aggressive with my grinding but that usually never happens:rolleyes:
I do use the Wolverine Vari-grind attachment for my bowl gouges and some spindle gouges. However its not necessary for some spindle and roughing gouges. The handle of the tool sits in the "V" of the extending arm and you rotate the tool from left to right and the grinder does the work. I use a high speed 6" grinder and it did take some getting used to in order to prevent burning but its really not hard at all. Besides a high speed grinder is faster!! ;) I practiced on some cheap cheap tools I found at big lots. I can grind a gouge in less time than it takes me to walk from the lathe to the grinder with this setup and it didnt cost me anything really.

I also posted a picture of my pen press should you get into doing pens. This works alot better than a clamp for me and costs alot less than the ones you buy.

[Dewey Torres]

Ok... thanks all.

My biggest draw is segmented turning although I will likely start with handles, Christmas ornaments, small round stuff in general, then later bowls, then HF's.

I have no desire to do pens at the moment although I like them.

Jim,
Thanks for posting your "Kountz r' rine" sharpening jig:)

[Richard Madison]

Dewey,
If you are going to do segmented (someday), you might as well go ahead and order Malcolm's book (The Art of Segmented Wood Turning). It will help push you over the edge into a pile of itty bitty pieces.

[Dewey Torres]

Dewey,
If you are going to do segmented (someday), you might as well go ahead and order Malcolm's book (The Art of Segmented Wood Turning). It will help push you over the edge into a pile of itty bitty pieces.

Yep,
Got it! Any others...Ray Allen?

I admit Tibbetts and Wyko got me first looking at turned objects so I have had Tibbetts' book for about 5 months now.

[Richard Madison]

Malcolm's book should be all you will need for segmenting. Dunno about other stuff. Some folks have the resources for a lot of books and CD's, and that is fine. I just have the one book, and one CD on sharpening that was a freebee with AAW membership a couple years ago. Good luck, and looking forward to seeing some of your work soon.

[Thomas Canfield]

Dewey,

The angle drill is really helpful in sanding the interior of bowls and hollow forms, but of little use to me for spindle work so may be a later addition. I have both a Klingspor generic 3/8" angle drill ($59.95 catalog, but bought on sale) and a Milwaukee that cost double that even on sale. I use the generic the most using 2" hook and loop scallop disks. The Milwaukee is set up with a 12" extension (1/4" drill bit extension) for the disk holder with a piece of PVC pipe over the extension to hold for deeper work. The other good brand is Sioux.

[Dewey Torres]

Dewey,

The angle drill is really helpful in sanding the interior of bowls and hollow forms, but of little use to me for spindle work so may be a later addition. I have both a Klingspor generic 3/8" angle drill ($59.95 catalog, but bought on sale) and a Milwaukee that cost double that even on sale. I use the generic the most using 2" hook and loop scallop disks. The Milwaukee is set up with a 12" extension (1/4" drill bit extension) for the disk holder with a piece of PVC pipe over the extension to hold for deeper work. The other good brand is Sioux.

Thanks Tom,
I will give all a look:)

[Dewey Torres]

Thanks for the replies:

Please know that I am not Bill Gates but I am not hurting for money at all. I am on a crusade to replace all my crap tools as my skills outgrow them so if your recommendations include something pricey I am fine with it.

Later on when I find I am good enough at this for a Big Mustard, Stubby, Robust, or One Way, so be it. For now just the basics but quality basics that will still be with me as I get better if that makes sense.

Thank you very much for allowing me to enter and maybe one day contribute to the spinning side. Bare with me as I post some rather unflattering works:o

[Dewey Torres]

Question:

On the Beall buffing system there are 2 kinds... a disks and a set of buffing balls. Which ones?

Also would like your thoughts on your turning Aprons.

I have ordered pretty much everything else.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dewey - I use the 8" disks and - for me - they work great! The big thing here is the headstock on my lathe can move all the way to the far right side - so I can buff turnings without having to worry about clearance. With the mini-lathe - you will not be able to move the headstock. The disks come in 2 sizes - 8" and 4". The buffing balls come in 2", 3" and 4" sizes and are primarily used for buffing the insides of bowls. For most of the work you are going to start off with - I would think the smaller wheels would work out great.

Hopefully, Ken or someone with experience on the mini-lathes can provide some more info!

[Dean Thomas]

Turning smocks are good things. They keep dust and chips in the shop where they belong and out of pockets. I have a friend who use a couple of pieces of cloth and some tape to make some spats to cover the laces of his Nikes. Keeps the chips out of the shoes and again, leaves them in the shop where they belong.

Find one that is appropriate for your climate/workspace situation. Remember, no long sleeves to get caught in the machinery. My shop is pseudo heated but not cooled for summer. I have a homemade smock out of nylon. It breathes pretty well so I don't overheat in winter and so that I only sweat a little in summer. Too much sweating for me and the chips stick to me and EVERYthing. Does not make momma happy when this big dog comes up and shakes near the rugs. :eek:

And we all know that when momma ain't happy, ain't NObody happy. ;)

[Dennis Peacock]

Dewey,

If you can swing it, go here (http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/) and get the 1100 RPM $189 buffer (I caught mine on sale for $99). Also get your buffs from Caswell. If you watch their sales, you can sometimes get a buy one get one free or even better and happen on a deal like I did at one time, buy one get 2 free. Their buffing wheels are exactly the same as the Beall ones, but a lot less expensive. I got the wheels and such about 3 years ago and I have yet to wear out any of them.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dewey...with reference to Steve's buffing information....I'd get the individual 8" buffing wheels and the #2 Morse taper adapter for the wheels. Initially I had the 3-on-1 and recently bought the individual buffs and the adapter. With the 3-on-1...the other 2 wheels get in your way when you are buffing bowls and HFs etc. Granted you have to change wheels on each project but it only takes a few seconds and you don't find yourself limited by the proximity of the adjoining buffing wheel.

I'd get either the 3" or the 4" bowl buffs. I bought the 2" and find them handy for small lidded boxes but too small for bowls etc.

Now back to crating that thing up.

[Brian Effinger]

Dewey,
I just purchased the Beall Wood Buff from my local Woodcraft for $70, and all I can say is wow. These things are great on my Jet mini 1014vs. This is the version with three separate 8" wheels, but they are very easy to change. The Morse taper adapter has to be bought separately and is $12. This system is well worth it. I'd like to get into bowls sometime this year, and a bowl buff set will definitely be purchased.

Brian

[Dewey Torres]

Ok guys thanks. I will be back with more newbie questions soon.

Any recommendations on where to buy the smock? Thanks Dean.