Switching hands while turning

[michael p williams]

Does anyone switch hands while turning?

[Tom Caldwell]

I switch fairly often. I'm a natural lefty but find that sometimes this puts me out of position to see the cut's progress. I've learned to adapt to a right handed world when necessary.

[Doug Wolf]

If you mean using your other than normal hand on the rest, the answer is yes. I'm right handed but turn left handed when turning a platter on the headstock side.

[Alan Trout]

I do all the time, but I have always been fairly ambidextrous.

Alan

[Robert Henrickson]

Although I didn't at first, I do it more and more. Makes things easier, especially on the headstock side of things like platters.

[David DeCristoforo]

Ambidexterity is a great asset is any area of woodworking.

[Bill Neddow]

I do it regularly. For one thing, it means you can direct ALL the shavings away from your face. It also makes a lot of cuts easy that used to be awkward when I was only turning right-handed.

[Eric Gourieux]

Yes. What Bill said.

[Marty Eargle]

Hardcore south paw here. The right hand borders on useless. I can use it to support my tools, but if I try to use it to guide or make good cuts...things get crazy.

[Baxter Smith]

Both ways though I am more comfortable/had more practice right handed on the tailstock side.

[Bill Wyko]

I'm one of those lucky few that are ambidextrous. I get the pleasure of not knowing which hand I should be using so it makes it easy to use either. Or sometimes it confuses me too. It's funny but its been proven that through out history, it has always been 11% of the population is lefty and 8% are ambidextrous. All you righties have it made in a right handed world.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Michael - I am right handed but when you remember that when turning you shift your body weight and don't use your arms... it becomes no big deal to switch hands. All you do is get the gouge/tool positioned for the proper cut and then you shift your weight - being right or left handed never really comes into play. At least - that is how i do it!

[Jason Ritchie]

I also switch hands when I do finishing cuts on a bowl while mounted in the chuck. I am normally right handed though and when I switch it does not feel as comfortable but as Steve said you shift your body to make the cuts so I think that makes it work.

[Jim Burr]

In real life, I have the curse of being 100% ambidextrous. Unless you are turning, it really sucks. Writing, baseball, eating, using a drill, painting...I can never decide what hand to use. Thank God for my wife..."Other hand sweetie" my brain kicks in and there we go...or I just change because. My son hates it...he's a Marine and can only shoot off one shoulder. Practice...you can do it!!

[Jay Rasmussen]

I'm one of those lucky few that are ambidextrous. I get the pleasure of not knowing which hand I should be using so it makes it easy to use either. Or sometimes it confuses me too. It's funny but its been proven that through out history, it has always been 11% of the population is lefty and 8% are ambidextrous. All you righties have it made in a right handed world.

I usually do the ID and OD at the same time. Not trying to brag but I’m in the top 1%. I’m working on sanding with my right foot in one fluid motion as I cut.

However, I do feel sorry for the rest of you mere mortals.

[ray hampton]

I'm one of those lucky few that are ambidextrous. I get the pleasure of not knowing which hand I should be using so it makes it easy to use either. Or sometimes it confuses me too. It's funny but its been proven that through out history, it has always been 11% of the population is lefty and 8% are ambidextrous. All you righties have it made in a right handed world.

what percent of the people would be southpaws if the schools did not force the students to conform

[Reed Gray]

Like Steve said, fine tool control comes from body movement, not arm movement. It you can practice that, having the handle in either hand is not difficult. It is more of a mental hurdle than a physical one. Well, at least for turning and sharpening.

robo hippy

[Rick Markham]

I'm ambidextrous, I use both depending on which is easier when squeezing into tight spaces. It makes it handy when your rough turning a big gnarly burl too, you can let one arm rest while the other one takes a beating. I was the kid that they didn't know which hand to teach me to write with because I colored with both hands ALL the time. Some things I do lefty, some things righty. I agree with Steve, turning is really about your body. Though it is awfully nice to be able to switch hands to do detail work, without thinking about it! :D As with anything repetition is your friend. The more you switch hands and use your less favored hand, the more comfortable you will be with it!

[Chris Studley]

I'm sure I could if I practiced, It seems that the hand holding the tool at the tool rest would provide some control, but am always nervous that the practice needed will burn through more wood or time(both limited for me) than I have.

Since I prefer bowls and bowl-like objects, I can't see how you would even turn left handed for those(maybe from the other side of the lathe)

Interesting topic though...

[Sid Matheny]

For someone just getting started turning that is a great question. I guess some folks don't but I would guess 99% of turners change hands but only when needed. I don't change hands just to be changing but when I can do the job better going from my normal righty to my left I don't think about it I just do it. Questions like this from new turners can help many other new turners because we just never think to tell them.

Sid

[Wally Dickerman]

Baseball players who are switch-hitters get paid more money.....

[Del Hollingsworth]

All the time. I'm awful with either hand.

[ray hampton]

what percent of doctors can operate with either hand ? I not trying to single the doctors out

[Jim Silva]

I turn with either hand. Of course, I have no idea what the hand orientation is for Left or Right handers so it's never been something I put a label to. I'm a natural lefty but with the exception of my circular saw have never used left handed tools. (I use my left hand to cut with right handed scissors and can't make a pair of LH scissors work to save my life lol.

I was teaching a beginner a few weeks ago and had him turning ambidextrously since I've always moved my body rather than arms to move the tool. He asked about whether LH or RH had an advantage. I told him that as a complete novice he was equally incompetent with either hand so he might as well learn to turn both ways. He laughed and is now turning with either hand as the work dictates.

[Harry Robinette]

I'm right handed and am useless with my left hand. When I started turning the man that was my mentor made me turn something with my left hand only every time we got together.He said if you can't turn with ether hand you'll always have to work harder for everything that you turn. I have always
appreciated this,I still can't do anything with my left hand but I CAN turn with it.

[Rob Price]

Similarly, they guy who showed me the ropes would take me through a series of cuts, and then make me switch hands and make the same cuts. It's become second nature for me now when spindle turning. Sometimes ill stop and cant even remember which grip is 'righty.' I don't switch as much doing bowls, but I'm not yet very good doing it even right handed at this point.

Someone asked about surgeons- they do practice tying knots with each hand- and esp with laparoscopic procedures one has to be ambidextrous.

[Greg Just]

I'm a lefty, but use both hands depending on required cut.

[Scott Lux]

All the time. I'm awful with either hand.

Same here. Made me chuckle with that one.

[Erik Johanson]

I have been forcing myself to learn how to do the basics both right handed (my dominant hand) and left handed for use during instruction and presentation. I just began teaching some of the basics of wood turning to my high school students and it really helps to be able to demonstrate the same cut with both hands so that both right handed and left handed students can see how it is done. My big lathe is also situated in such a way that if I cut everything right handed my students cannot see anything but my back, so I demonstrate everything on that lathe left handed.

[Reed Gray]

Jim,
Just a side note, left handed scissors are actually right handed ones with the handles made for the left hand. Blade orientation is not switched so when using 'left handed' scissors you have to look over the scissor blade from the wrong side. The blade on the under side needs to be towards your center when you cut. Took me a while to figure that one out. I do think there are some true 'left handed' ones out there, but they are rare. I guess with most turning tools there is no right of left handed tool.

robo hippy

[Eric Holmquist]

I switch hands as the task demands. While use of body motion greatly reduces off hand dexterity issues, it does not totally eliminate it for me.

[Lee Koepke]

Watching bill grumbines video, he switches hands for outside if bowls .... I tried it and it works.

[Richard Jones]

I switch hands as the need arises. Outside of bowls (when chucked), left side of beads when using a spindle gouge, etc. As has been said before, body movement is key.

R