Years of Turning Experience

[Michael Dromey]

I am a new turner. I am curious how many years of experience you fellow turners have out there. I have been very impressed with so many turned things on this forum.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Michael I have been turning now for 4 1/2 yrs.

[Ron Ainge]

I got into this hobby about 7 to 8 years ago and I fell in love with it. I am a tool junky and I have to have almost of the new tools that come out so you can tell that by now I have a shop full and my wife says I don't need any more but I know she is just kidding. I love turning so much that this year I am the presidnet of the Front Range Woodturners located in the Denver Colorado. If any of you are in the Denver area and want to attend one of our meeting contact me and I will give you the information you need to get there.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bernie started a couple of months before me.

So...4 years.

[Doug W Swanson]

I've been turning about 2 years now. I hope to start cranking out more things once I get my shop done...

Doug

[Ted Calver]

The date on my #1 bowl says 2003, but my first turning was a 'bonker' in high school shop class in 1958.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Started the end of October 2004 - so that's 5 years & 5 months but please understand that the amount of time you have been turning isn't as important as how you use that time. If you push yourself and learn all that you can - you can turn anything that you have seen on SMC.

Great examples - check out the work of John Keeton or Dewey Torres.

[Brian Effinger]

Off & on since '95, so 15 years.

[Dennis Puskar]

Been turning on and off since 1964.

Dennis

[Mike Minto]

Since late 2007, I believe...so that's about 2 1/2 years.

[Bob Borzelleri]

Hmmm... let's see... What time is it?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hmmm... let's see... What time is it?



Hey wait a minute! You aren't John Keeton.....

[David E Keller]

Pens for a couple of years... larger stuff for a little less than a year.

[Reed Gray]

I can't remember exactly, had atlas lathe for 2 years, PM for 8, and Robust for 2 or 3 years, so 12 or 13 years.

robo hippy

[Wally Dickerman]

Since 1936....Let's see, that's 70+ years. I've enjoyed every bit of it.

Wally

[alex carey]

3 years of turning, started in high school.

[Paul Atkins]

Professionally for 20 years - wow time flies.

[Jeff Rich]

Off and on since 1980, then a bit more seriously since 95.
I set out on a journey to turn my own goblet in 95, by 97 it was complete.
Lots of work prevented me from having the time to really work on it.
Now, I tend to make the weekend my time, unless other projects creep up.
And I do have a few projects this year, siding on the south sid of the house needs repaired, workshop needs new wood and roofing, maybe an expansion if it fits the budget....and 2 show to get ready product complete.

[John Keeton]

I purchased my first lathe (HF 39706) in September 2009 just to do spindle turning for my flatwork. I vaguely recall making the LOUD proclamation that I had no interest in turning bowls.:D After being chided, and literally shoved into the vortex by a bunch of these guys, I turned my first "dish" on Christmas Eve, 2009.

Since then, my memory is blurred - though I do recall my wife's name, not much else......obsessive thoughts......there is wood all around me.....my mind wanders......everything seems round......:confused::confused:

[Greg Just]

Been woodworking since a little kid, woodturning for 4+ years

[Thom Sturgill]

Been around woodworking all my life (I will be 62 this year) and turned a little metal in High School. Bought my first lathe just about 2 years ago (a Jet 1220) and am looking to upgrade.

[Jeff Nicol]

I turned my first thing in 1978 when I was in highschool then in 1983 I bought a Shopsmith and used the lathe very little, about 5 years ago or so my Dad and I started up a little woodworking shop and he bought a $250 Jet knock off and it has been a steady ride in the VORTEX ever since! It is the greatest addiction ever! Is that not correct? Just ask Mr. Keeton, if you can get through the glazed eyes and dreamy state of mind!

Turning rules!

Jeff

[Bill Bulloch]

18,559.00 dollars ago. That equates to 18 months. I have enjoyed every minute of it, except for the two times I was hit in the face by broken bowls flying off the lathe.

[Charlie Reals]

Off and on since 1960 The lathe has always been my favorite woodworking format.

[Roland Martin]

One year minus 8 1/2 months.:D

[Dick Sowa]

My first turning was in Junior High wood shop, 1957. Then I didn't turn a thing till my kids were born and I needed some cheap furniture in the late 70's...when I got my first lathe. Even then, 95% of my woodworking has been flat work, till around 3 years ago when I started doing little else but turning.

[Allen Neighbors]

Since March, 2003....I think....

[Baxter Smith]

8th grade shop, 1967 and loved it. Then one or two things every 10-15 years for the next 30. Got my first lathe about 10 years ago and turned a little bit more often. All spindle work. Fell into the bowl right before Christmas and haven't been able to crawl out yet.

[Kevin J Lalonde]

Started turning in October 2009. Have roughed out about 100 bowls and finished maybe 15, most of which have been natural edge. Enjoyed every shaving so far!

[Sean Hughto]

About six months.

[Bob Borzelleri]

Hey wait a minute! You aren't John Keeton.....

Yes, but I play him in a TV show.

[Jonathan Harvey]

I've been turning off and on now for about 3 years. I'm in the process of going full time turning :-)

[steven carter]

High School in the late 1960's - then a little over 3 years ago I bought a Jet 1236. One year later, I sold the 1236 and jot a Jet 1642.

[Steve Mawson]

First turned piece was at my uncle's Craftsman standing on a bucket. Think that would have been about 1955 or 6. Then got a Dunlap for Christmas about 1957 or 8. Some turning through high school then Army, then got married and started moving around the country and not much turning. Then found this bunch and got trapped again. More fun than ever and more $$$ too.:D:p Still have my original set of Craftsman carbon steel turning tools that probably came with the Dunlap.

[Jeff Fagen]

Like some of you I've been turning since jr. high.
Seems like I've allways had a little project lathe around.
But it was'nt untill last year I attended a woodturning/carving show put on by the local club that I was pulled in to the VORTEX! and things have'nt been the same.My entire tax return was sucked in!:eek:I can't help myself,I dream of hollow forms and bowls.:o

[George Guadiane]

I've been at it for about 6 years now

[Ken Vonk]

2 years and 5 months. Mom and Dad showed up for a visit with a Jet 1442 in their van!!! Wish I had started sooner and that I had more time now :o.
Ken

[Tim Hughes37]

I'm like David Keller. Pens for about 3 years and now getting into bigger and better things.

[Scott Lux]

I had to go back and look it up. I started turning in Oct. 2005, on a drill press. I turned about 6 pens on it. I didn't get a lathe until March 2007.

So I've really been turning for 3 years now.

[Dave Haughs]

2 weeks :D

[Mark Patoka]

7+ years officially. Bought my Jet mini in 2002 but sometimes it may be 6 month intervals between turnings and the wood collected for turning keeps growing.

[Joe Mioux]

Sept 30, 2008

[Jack Mincey]

I started turning in high school back in 1974 and turned a lot of stuff for the next 4 years. My dad bought my brother and I an old tube sears lathe after I graduated HS in 78 and I truned a few items on it until I started teaching shop class in 83. I then had access to the schools lathe and turned some for the next 20 years or so. I then started selling game calls and jumped head over heels into the vortex about 6 years ago. So I guess I've been turning some for the last 35 years and a lot, the last 6 years of the 35. The funny thing is when I was just starting into the world of teaching shop 27 years ago, I always dreamed of selling bowls when I retire to make a little money and if my health holds up that is what I will be doing.
Jack

[Justin Stephen]

2 weeks :D

About this for me also.

[Matt Ranum]

I had no interest in woodworking back in my school days and not until my mid 30's actually. Still didn't get interested in turning until last summer and dabbled a bit with some small bowls, then work got busy until January and have been using it almost daily since then. So basically a few months.

[Curt Fuller]

My first bowl is dated March 2003. Sometimes I feel like I've been going backwards though instead of progressing.

[Frank Van Atta]

"Number of years of turning experience" is a very misleading term. Some people have been turning - "on and off" - for 30 or 40 years, and may have produced 50 pieces; others might have been turning for 10 years and have produced several thousand pieces. Which would lead you to believe that you could better gauge turning experience by the number of pieces produced - but even that is misleading. Some turners have produced the same - or very similar - piece several hundred times (what we used to call "1 year of experience and 20 years of habit"), while others are constantly improving their skills and trying new things and may have turned several hundred different items in only a few years. So, the way to gauge true turning experience is . . .

[Nate Folco]

About negative 6 months (I hope). I'm restoring a Rockwell 45-460. I need to sell my current house, build the new one, the put the lathe together, then learn how to turn.

[Joe Wiliams]

Turned a bowl, well a really thick handless mug, in high school circa 1984. Purchased a lathe about 6 weeks ago and it's still in the box:(. Gotta finish the shop...:rolleyes:

[Rasmus Petersen]

2 years now :) but as stated before it´s not the time spet in the shop that really counts.. if you do it wrong, dooing it wrong for 20 years wont make you a great turner

[Chris Stolicky]

I purchased my first lathe (HF 39706) in September 2009 just to do spindle turning for my flatwork. I vaguely recall making the LOUD proclamation that I had no interest in turning bowls.:D After being chided, and literally shoved into the vortex by a bunch of these guys, I turned my first "dish" on Christmas Eve, 2009.

Since then, my memory is blurred - though I do recall my wife's name, not much else......obsessive thoughts......there is wood all around me.....my mind wanders......everything seems round......:confused::confused:

Yeah,I was going to ask how that extension you bought was coming along. I don't think I have seen any spindle work come off of the new machine. : )


I bought my Jet mini in October 2007. I am mostly self-taught in between a full time job, owning a home, and now a baby. I have a supportive wife and do still manage to find time to get in a little shop time.

[Russ Denz]

I've been hard at it since Valentines Day, 2010...but accumulating the tools since February. No "gloats" yet, so I must be a slow learner.;)

[Tom Hamilton]

The turning bug bit me in Sept 2007 when Amazon had a Delta mini on sale for $125. They had three, I got one of them.

Very slippery slope this turning stuff.

Now I've got chain saws, a band saw, two lathes, multiple chucks and tools, gallon cans of DNA, cans of finish, drawers of pen kits and blanks, waxes, sanding disks in various grits, a half dozen DVDs and two dozen books.

There's probably more "turning stuff" but you get the idea.

And I look forward to every minute of my turning time.

All the best, Tom

[Robert Parrish]

50 years or is that 1 year 50 times!

[Lionel Mercier]

Since 1979, but like many other folks, deed it on & off...