Good wood to get familiar with the lathe

[Curtis Myers]

I'm an experienced wood worker but have not used a lathe much since high school (25 years ago).
What is a good wood to use to start learning to turn?
Material I have readily available - Pine, Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Tiger Maple, Yellow Hart, Paduak.
Would I be wasting my time or run into issues using inexpensive pine to learn the basics and get familiar with the lathe.

All the Best
Curtis

[Jim Seyfried]

Would I be wasting my time or run into issues using inexpensive pine to learn the basics and get familiar with the lathe.

All the Best
Curtis

Not at all. Some turners uses pine for practice or just to warm up, especially for spindle work. John Lucas and others have youtube videos of different 'exercises' for practice improving turning technique. Free wood is my favorite choice for practice turning. When you like what you are turning with the inexpensive stuff then break out some of your nicer wood. But, for me most of what I turn is from fallen trees. Do you have a chain saw or know where you can get a few pieces of fire wood?

[Jack Mincey]

Pine is OK to learn how to turn spindles on the lathe. Try to avoid pieces with knots if possible. If you get to where you can turn it clean for spindle work just about any hardwood will be much easier. As far as bowl turning I would recommend finding some green hardwood and using it since you should be able to find it for free. Learning should be done with the cheapest material one can find. Save the more expensive woods for after you have got the process down and want to make something nice. It doesn't take a lot of practice to get the basics down. Start with small turnings and work you way up slowly. I also recommend starting out with the lathe speed on the slow side. I still turn bowls with speed on the low side.
Happy Turning,
Jack

[Thom Sturgill]

I'll be a bit of a contrarian here... When you get to the point in practice - start with beads and coves on a pine board - that you are starting to be comfortable with the tools and want to make something real - even if just a handle - get some good wood. Not your most expensive, but some clean maple or cherry. They cut clean and finish nice. Even Poplar works well - I have made goblets from it, and club members have turned bowls from rainbow poplar.

The point being that you will be far happier with the result and more likely to continue if you use wood that gives a chance of success. I am not saying to start with that nice piece of figured tiger maple - as you should know from what we call flatwork - some woods just don't machine well....

'Life is too short to turn crappy wood' - John Jordan

[Bruce Lewane]

I found cherry to be a wonderful wood when I started out.
Very forgiving whether wet (dries pretty stable) or kiln dried (kind of dusty).
Easy sanding and finishing.
A couple of successes, early on, gets you hooked.

[Wes Ramsey]

I agree with the above, but I love to turn cherry. It's one of the best-smelling woods I've turned :)

The first pieces I turned were from the hardest, densest post oak I could find. Don't go that route. I would start with whatever you can find locally and free. You don't have a location listed, but there should be a club in your area you can hook up with. My club is all the time sending out emails for trees someone wants hauled off, and they are usually already on the ground and chunked up. You might also give a tree service a call and ask if they are cutting anything you could come get some chunks of.

[David Bassett]

The intro class I took recommended & used Poplar & Alder for (spindle) practice woods. At least here, the instructor thought they were good compromise between cheap & easy to turn. (Around here Douglas Fir is probably cheapest & easiest to get, but we were warned to avoid it as being very challenging to cut. From the description I think I should break some out *IF* I ever start feeling like I'm getting good. :-) )

[Steve Peterson]

(Around here Douglas Fir is probably cheapest & easiest to get, but we were warned to avoid it as being very challenging to cut. From the description I think I should break some out *IF* I ever start feeling like I'm getting good. :-) )

I sometimes use random cutoffs of Doug Fir just for fun. The soft summer grain and hard winter grain usually chips out in big chunks. It is definitely a challenge.

All of the choices mentioned by others (poplar, alder, etc.) have a much more uniform grain structure.

Steve

[Curtis Myers]

Thanks guys.
starting out with Pine then to Cherry for early success.

[Thomas Canfield]

Curtis,

I just submitted an application to do a demo at SWAT this year about learning to turn bowls using 2x6 lumber. I think that there is a lot to be learned turning the basic bowl shapes from the soft pine, yellow pine, or white wood, etc that can be construction site scraps or a 8' board from a box store. You can learn a lot about your sharpening, tool control, speed relationship, etc using the free or cheap wood. Adding a glue block will give you a larger piece. You are also limited on depth of bowl and that helps avoid the deep sharp corner that beginners often do at start. Free green wood is even better, but it will warp and crack. Find a turning club/mentors to work with you is always the best advise.

[Lee Reep]

My Woodcraft and Rockler, and the local wood store, periodically have cherry or maple 1-1/2" to 2" square stock, maybe 12" long, for a few dollars. Good for practice, and really good for tool handles.

[Reed Gray]

Use what is cheap. Poplar, soft maple, fire wood billets that don't have a lot of splits... Save the fancy stuff till you have some thing in particular you want to make. Cherry is rare out here. Find the nearest club too. Excellent source of wood, information, demonstrations, and mentors.

robo hippy

[George Troy Hurlburt]

When I first started over 30 years ago, I did no practice pcs. They were projects like little candle holders, small goblets,small boxes. small bowls,etc. I used hardwood. I have tried cedar, pine and redwood in the past and want nothing to do with it. I don't like cottonwood either, it stinks. I learned to turn on my Shopsmith from 1980(still have it) and went on from there. I did flat work.Some projects needed turned wood. Ok so I made those. Walnut quickly became my favorite and is readily available in Central KS. I have given many lessons, and demos,again we did no practice pieces we made projects, users can take home. You want to learn;do ten of an item. Between centers, do honey dippers, baby rattles, small bats, handles, candlesticks, baby chair spindles, etc. Projects, projects, projects, I can't emphasize enough. Others may think differently.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Maple tool handle stock from Bell Forest Products, 1.5x1.5x18 for cheap prices. It's all I use for newbies in my shop, I buy about 50 sticks at a time. I also teach them how to dye with steel wool and vinegar along with regular dyes and stains.