Random thoughts/truths a new wood turner should know:

[dan carter]

practice is the real key to improving.
many good wood turning dvd's are available for purchase/public libraries that can give good ideas, techniques, help, etc.
super glue is an important early purchase when beginning wood turning.
super glue and coffee makes a good filler.
a few basic wood turning chisels will suffice, not necessarliy sets; but important accessories will really make a big difference.
important first accessories: chucks- first a scroll type and a jacobs type, then collet and eccentric chucks.
a slow speed grinder is worth the money.
be alert for blown trees, broken limbs from rain/snow storm, don't be afraid to stop and inquire.
keep learning: books, magazines, pbs, and of course a good place to do that is on a wood turning forum like this one.
and
practice is the real key to improving.

Yours thoughts and additions are welcome.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Face shield with some type of dust protection or respirator is a must. Join a local AAW club.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Epoxy and instant coffee make a good crack filler.

Epoxy thinned by DNA makes an epoxy cocktail that helps harden punky wood.

If in doubt sharpen the tool.

A skew is a wonderful tool.....when sharpened and honed....and practice is the key to improving your skills.

[David E Keller]

Pleasing form can make the most simple wood look incredible, but awkward forms can make the most amazing wood unsightly. The difference between the two is often fairly subtle, and it's something that I struggle with with every piece that I turn... Regardless of my final product, I enjoy the process tremendously.

[Karl Card]

at one time or another a bowl or turning will come off the lathe... I have been fortunate that the 3 that came off on me went passed me and not thru me...lol

I will say this though... if i had the tools then that I have now, I dont think they would have come off. My tools right now will most definitely shave your skin, the old tools i had would not, therefor bunching up the wood instead of cutting it..

[Wally Dickerman]

Accentuate flaws in the wood, don't patch 'em....A patch looks like a patch.

Make your mistakes look like that's what you intended to do in the first place.

Wally

[Steve Schlumpf]

Turning is addicting because of the freedom you experience when creating something!

It called a vortex for a reason - it wants to take all your money and all your free time! You know you're an addict after a while because you allow it.

Important things?
- Safety!
- Protect your eyes and your lungs!
- If something doesn't 'feel' right - STOP - and find out why!
- If you hear a change in sound while turning - STOP - and find out why!
- Never stand in the line of fire! Meaning - if the turning is launched from the lathe - DO NOT try to stop it with your face! Always stand to the side when turning - out of the line of fire!
- Turning is fun - relax and enjoy it!
- Your skills will improve with time! Give time - time!
- No matter how good or bad you think your turning is - someone will disagree with you! So? Turn something else!
- The masterpiece you turn today will get shelved tomorrow and be an embarrassment a year from now. We all keep some of our first turnings as a reminder of where we started and where we still want to go!
- If possible - get with a knowledgeable turner and have that person demo how to turn. It is a great learning experience - for both of you!

Biggest thing to remember - it's only wood! If it doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to - grab another piece of wood and try again!

[Douglas Quetin]

Thanks, Steve. I particularly like, "If something doesn't 'feel' right - STOP - and find out why". Recently, I was continuing working on a piece and felt a continual slight vibration that was new. After a lot of searching, I found the headstock was loose. Next, none of my tools would cut! The rotation of the headstock was reversed. The "find out why" was big on my list. A buddy had dropped by while I was out and "looked over the lathe". We had some words. Good lesson to look over the whole of the machine each time.

[Thom Sturgill]

Sometimes the wood provides *new* design opportunities. Don't be afraid to take them.

The 'saves' are generally more instructional than pieces that came out exactly as planned.

[Terry Murphy]

:DThe very first thing you should have is Great membership in SawMill Creek!

[Mike Minto]

good points all, and i would reiterate using epoxy with whatever filler material you choose as it doesn't penetrate the wood and mess up a future finish as CA can.

[Reed Gray]

If you are going to try a new tool technique, slow the lathe down, and even slacken the belt so if you do have a catch, the results won't be very dramatic as in "if I can just find that piece, maybe I can glue it back together." This is one of the biggest advantages of variable speed lathes. You can see things happen at slow speeds. If you want to turn faster, work your way up, don't jump in all the way right off the bat. I would even go so far as to recommend to try to get your tools to catch at slow speeds and slack belt, to find out what makes them catch, so you can avoid them.

To find out where the line of fire is, turn some sloppy wet wood.

robo hippy

[Greg Just]

use sharp tools!

[Rich Stewart]

No amount of finish will cover bad preparation. Get the tool marks and sanding scratches out before applying a finish.

[Mike Peace]

I would amend your first statement with: Good Instruction followed by practice is the real key to improving.

I am not sure how effective practice alone is if you do not understand the basics. The basics are best gained with some instruction.

[Al Wasser]

If you are serious about wood turning you have no extra money left! But what the heck you can't set around and read books and watch TV all you free time..........

[Wally Dickerman]

Dan, I think the very best advice for any beginning turner is to to take one or more classes. Learn tool handling and more from an expert. If there is a Woodcraft store in your area, they give classes. I taught at one for a number of years, and just about everybody was amazed at what they could learn in just one day. Prices are reasonable and is money well spent.

You'll save yourself a lot of grief later on if you learn the basics of turning first.

Wally

[jason lambert]

A hammer can fix any mistake ;)

[Scott Hackler]

Go to art shows or look online at the turnings of the "Masters". Study their forms and reproduce the forms in your work.

Dont be afraid to try a new shape, but dont be mad if it looks stupid afterwards.

Buy a cheap right angle drill with a velcro pad for sanding. After power sanding, you wont ever want to do it by hand again.

Dna helps to find any cut, scrape of abrasion on your hands.

If you just spent 1 1/2 hours making the most delicate of Christmas ornaments using both hollowing and piecing techniques.... DO NOT TOUCH THE RIM WITH THE GOUGE to "improve upon your design" unless you want to see your work explode off the lathe into a dozen pieces!

[Jack Mincey]

I really like this thread. I tell my students to be aware of how they are holding their tool all the time and when they get a catch to avoid holding are using it in the same way again. Keeping the belt slack or using a safe drive when learning helps a lot. And then there is alway this, keep the inside of the bowl smaller than the outside dia.:)
Jack

[Norm Zax]

No amount of wood is enough.
No amount of tools is enough.
No amount of time is enough.
No amount of clamps is enough (ooops, wrong forum!)
No number of friendly creekers is enough.
enough of this. off to turn...
Norm

[Jeff Rich]

Being that I have OSHA training....I would say safety first.
Facemask and breathing protection, I know both of these from experience, bark flys and cedar dust in the dead of winter, (my first attempt at a goblet)
Common sense goes along with safety.
If more than one person uses your lathe, CHECK EVERYTHING before turning it on.
In the years that I have been turning, there are a lot of "truths" remembered and forgotten.
Learn to dress the bevel, lightly sharpen tools as to not grind away their value.
Buy individual tools, tools that fit your needs.
Example, dont buy a 3 wheel bandsaw with a cutting height of 4" when you want to make deep bowls...
Learning proper stance, body position and movement is key to flowing forms, I still have a bit of trouble with this, I want to use the arms to much to shape a piece...
Relax, enjoy and make tree trimmers your friend!
Dont be afraid to try something new if you WANT to do so
Wood is a renewable resource, plant some trees for the next generation
Most of all, have fun

[Scott Lux]

Here's the list I came up with after I had been turning about a year.

1) Sharp tools are better than dull tools.
2) Fancy woods are for woodworkers. Friends and family don't care if it's Bubinga, burl, firewood, or a scrap 2x4. They only know if they like it or not.
3) There is a fine line between batch production and tedium. That line is different for everyone and moves over time.
4) Softwoods hurt just as much as hardwoods flying off the lathe.
5) There are hardwoods and there are HARD WOODS. HARD WOODS make sharp tools into dull tools.
6) When making bowls and hollow forms it is very important that the inside is smaller than the outside.
7) There are people who are naturally gifted at working with wood. I am not one of these.
8 ) Honeylocust smells a bit like cinnamon when you're working it. It also makes you feel like you have a cold for 2 days afterward. And it is a very HARD WOOD.
9) Wood is very forgiving. Even the worst mistakes can be made into a beautiful fire.
10) Dull Tools + Sandpaper + Time < Sharp Tools
11) Highly polished wood looks better, but lightly sanded wood feels better.
12) Mahogany is made up of sub-atomic particles (mahoganons) that are carried for miles on the slightest breeze, and stick to everything at the molecular level.
13) Cedar dust (flour?) is almost as bad as mahogany.
14) You see all the flaws in your work. Friends and family see only the best in it.

[Bob Glenn]

I always stand to the side when starting the lathe the first time on a new piece of wood on the lathe.

[ed hoxter]

the vortex will suck up your money. :( AFTER THOUGHT- GET EXTRA JOB :eek::) ED

[Kyle Iwamoto]

the vortex will suck up your money. :( AFTER THOUGHT- GET EXTRA JOB :eek::) ED

If you got a part time job there would be less time to turn. :(

Avoid buying too many special tools. I have lots of tools I don't use. A Spindlemaster is one of them..... I try now and again to use it, and still can't find something it does that a skew can't. The Spindlemaster catches just as good a skew.:eek: I guess keeping to the basics of gouges, scrapers and skews. You cannot have too many gouges though!