New Turner

[Joe Cunningham]

Hi SMC, I've been a member here for a while, mostly in the neander section, but I recently took a beginning wood turning class and think I've caught the bug. As it happens, my mom also had a few trees taken down (red oak) as they were 'topped' in a our recent October snowstorm and would have rotted and fallen on the house or barn.

So any advice for a newb with a big cache of red oak? I'll probably get some anchor seal ASAP and pick out some rounds that could possibly fit my Shop Smith (eventually I'll get a dedicated lathe, I can tell already).

My first turning, a hard maple mallet. My beads need lots of work, but that is half the fun, right? My bowl was just so-so.

http://hockeygoon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Basic-Woodturning/i-V2mrBTF/0/M/mallet2-M.jpg

Here are a few shots of the oak. Much of it I'll be splitting for firewood.

http://hockeygoon.smugmug.com/Woodworking/wood/i-Tmc2qFX/0/M/tree1-M.jpg

http://hockeygoon.smugmug.com/Woodworking/wood/i-W4KB2j5/0/M/tree4-M.jpg

http://hockeygoon.smugmug.com/Woodworking/wood/i-6rW4V5Q/0/M/tree5-M.jpg

[Paul Heely]

Welcome to the vortex. If you want to try turning any of the bigger pieces PM me. We live in the same town and you are welcome to turn some in my shop. Saw the bowl on your website and it looks like a fine first effort.

[Roger Chandler]

Welcome to the Vortex..............nice bonker.........that is a prerequisite for a newbie! We all have made one! Nice wood stash............what kind of lathe are you using?

Bet you'll be on this forum a lot more than the other one from now on! :D

[Dick Wilson]

Joe, welcome to the SMC forum. Lots of surley duds here very willing to help you. There are three or four of them (won't mention names) that will drag you into the vortex further at every opportunity. Watch out for them:D. As a Shopsmith owner who tried using it as a lathe I can only tell you from experience that you are better off turning small turnings and between center is best. Forget about trying to do a pepper mill. My many, many attempts is what prompted me into getting a lathe. Have fun!!!

[Michelle Rich]

glad you are joining us, we all enjoy the suffering together this way! Your wood stash is to die for..hope to see your postings soon. break out your wallet, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

[Dan Forman]

Welcome Joe --- Looks like a fine bonker you have there. By all means take up Paul's offer, nothing like an experienced person at your side to speed your development as a turner. And get some of that oak split (remove the pith) and sealed up (end grain) as soon as you can.

Dan

[John Keeton]

Joe, I recall you well from my forays in the Neander forum!! Great to have you on the round side, but you must understand you may as well sell all the handplanes so you can buy turning tools. You won't have any use for those planes!!

Great job on the mallet! Really nice!

[Reed Gray]

If you haven't contacted Paul to take him up on his offer, do so now! Hands on help is priceless.

The red oak will be fine for practice wood, but not so good for bowls. I was watching Roy Underhill once and he was demonstrating the difference between red and white oak. He split off a billet of red oak, put one end in a bucket of water, and blew onto it. Bubbles came out the other end. That is why they only used red oak for whiskey barrels once. Fine for dry goods or fruit bowls, or practice.

robo hippy

[Joe Cunningham]

Thanks everyone! Paul and I are already coordinating a wood swap and I thank him for his generous offer of helping me out.

@John, LOL, I dunno I still like my hand planes, and that LN I bought from you a few years ago is still taking some fine shavings. I don't have any power tools other than the shopsmith, so I think I'm going to have to pay for my turning tools the old fashioned way.

Good advice on splitting and removing the pith first Dan, thanks. I'll pick out a few this weekend (they were cut yesterday afternoon). Would some of the smaller branches make good spindle practice?

[Steve Vaughan]

And another one bites the dust! Welcome and for a first turning, you did a fine job!

[Scott Hackler]

Welcome to the madness Joe. Hope you weren't saving for a vacation or something because the vortex is going to start detouring your money! Nice job on the bonker.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Joe - Welcome to this side of the Creek! Nice looking mallet!!

Be sure to take your camera when you go visit Paul! We always enjoy Creeker visits! Have fun!

[Jon Nuckles]

Welcome to the spinny side, Joe. As a convert from flat work to turning, I can attest to the power of this vortex. While I still do flat stuff, the money that used to go to Tom Lie-Nielsen now goes to Doug Thompson, Paulo Marin and CSUSA. Have fun and try not to notice the decline in the bank balance that is sure to come!

[Baxter Smith]

Nice mallet Joe and welcome. Looks like you have plenty of wood to practice with. As long as its green, the red oak isn't too bad to turn. It is great you have someone to help you get started. It would have helped me for sure.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome Joe. That is a great looking mallet.

[Don Orr]

Joe-welcome to the Abyss! Great mallet (referred to as a "Bonker" around here). You have much good guidance already and I will only add that you should practice as much as possible and the smaller branch pieces are great for that. Also practice sharpening. Oak, especially wet, will cause your machines to rust very quickly so clean up accordingly.

Oh, and do you feel that warm area around where you keep your wallet? That's a lathe and accessories burning a BIG hole in your pocket.

Have fun!

[Richard Jones]

You will be assimilated............ oh wait, you probably already are..........

Ditto to what the others said about your neighbor Paul. You will be way ahead on the learning curve if you get some instruction. You're lucky that your town is large enough to have at least one other turner. Mine isn't..........

Hope you have fun.

Rich

[Nate Davey]

Welcome Joe! It's a slippery slope you just got on, prepare for a change of priorities. Great bonker, that was my first big project as well.

[David E Keller]

Welcome! Nice looking bonker... In fact, it's a little too nice.:confused: I'm starting to get suspicious that you're a natural at this turning stuff... Must me some kind of strange carryover from the neander side of wood destruction. I'll be keeping an eye out for you...;):D

[Harry Robinette]

welcome to the Vortex, You have a need to count your money anymore cause you wont have any to count.The Vortex is wonderful.

[Roland Martin]

Welcome to the round side of SMC, Joe. This is about as addictive as it gets. Nice "bonker" by the way. Nothing to fear about the vortex, all you need is the best lathe you can afford, a couple of 4-jaw chucks, a vacuum chuck, bowl steady, bowl gouges, detail gouges, scrapers, skew chisels, live centers, spur drives, slow speed 8" grinder and Wolverine setup, good lighting, face plates, various tool rests, face shield, finishing supplies, etc., etc...............:D:eek: And if you want to get into hollow forms, well, you'll need.............................................. ............. Really though, the vortex doesn't pull as bad as some people warn, you'll be perfectly comfortable in taking your time to accumulate these toys. ;)
Again, welcome and have fun but be safe!

[Joe Cunningham]

Even new terms to learn, bonker, vortex, etc! Thanks for the welcome and nice comments on the bonker. I owe a lot to my great instructor at the CT Valley School of Woodworking, Corey Anderson (president of central ct turners). I've been practicing spindle turning every night with some of my thick 'scraps' from my guitar building. So far, so good, each night it seems like my beads (my problem area for spindle turning) are getting better.

With my hand tool habit, I already have a few things covered like the grinder, but I am planning on getting the Wolverine setup. They use that at the school and I sharpened my gouges using it, and it sure seemed to make things easy, certainly magnitudes easier than getting a properly sharpened plane blade when I first started.

I just paid off my car, so, I guess I'll have that much extra in my monthly budget. Just in time. :D