New to woodturning

[Kristin Forbes]

I'm relatively new to wood turning. I've taken 2 classes in wood turning. Lures and Pens. I'm pretty sure I'm hooked. I'm not new to wood working as I do a lot of CNC and other misc stuff but I'm not familiar at all with lathes. Is it something I can buy and learn on my own through practice and you tube or should I just continue to take classes until I hone my skills? Just looking for opinions or recommendations.

[Dwight Rutherford]

I think the best way to learn woodturning is to find a nearby club. A club will have a mentoring program that will give you hands on help with a mentor. To find a club, search " woodturning club, your city, state".

[Kristin Forbes]

I've definitely looked into that. Unfortunately my local club has a summer hiatus until October, no meetings or mentoring. But I'm definitely joining up when they start back up.

[John K Jordan]

I'm relatively new to wood turning. I've taken 2 classes in wood turning. Lures and Pens. I'm pretty sure I'm hooked. I'm not new to wood working as I do a lot of CNC and other misc stuff but I'm not familiar at all with lathes. Is it something I can buy and learn on my own through practice and you tube or should I just continue to take classes until I hone my skills? Just looking for opinions or recommendations.

I agree with Dwight, a club is extremely valuable. If you list where you live in your profile someone may know of resources in your area. Both of the clubs I attend have people willing to help. I often have new wood turners in my shop, for example, these two vet students at their second lesson (1st lesson is an intro to spindle turning and the skew chisel):

365936 365937

You can learn so much from watching and asking questions and getting feedback. That said, I learned woodturning primarily from books, especially two: Fundamentals of Woodturning by Mike Darlow and Turning Wood by Richard Raffan. I have many others, but I like these two so much I keep extra copies to loan to new turners. To me books are SO much more complete and useful than videos or even full DVDs produced by the same person who wrote the book.

YouTube is great and awful. There are many good turners and videos and maybe more horrible videos that teach bad technique and unsafe practices. AAW (American Association of Woodturners) has a growing compilation of videos they have checked for quality and safety issues. http://aawvideosource.org/ and click "Continue to Library" to the right. The web page and user interface leaves a lot to be desired but the videos are good. The AAW is good to join as well an has a lot of resources.

Do you have a lathe now? Most woodturners, including me, buy the wrong lathe at first then upgrade it later. The problem is when starting out no one knows enough about what they want to do and the best way to approach it. For that reason, taking more classes and attending lots of demos is a good way to start.

If you happen to live near East TN or find your self driving through, I'm not far from Knoxville. I have multiple lathes and a shop with heat and air. :) I have plenty of wood. Cost for sessions and lessons is zero. (I do this for fun!) I have a few (very few) photo in an album here if you are interested to see a few things I like to turn.

Above all, don't hesitate to ask any question here! This web site (and others) has a critical mass of experience, creativity, and helpful people. :)

JKJ

[John Keeton]

Is it something I can buy and learn on my own through practice...?The short answer is yes. I am self taught, did not join a club until I had already developed fairly good skills and I did not take any lessons. However, that was simply a result of me not knowing anyone that turned and being unaware of the existence of a club in a nearby city. No doubt, the process may have been quicker had I approached it differently. I will say that the mistakes I made were all valuable and the lessons learned along the way "stuck" perhaps better than they would had I not experienced those mistakes.

Eight years ago I bought my first lathe simply to do a set of legs for a table I was building. I turned a prototype leg and then successfully turned the table legs. As it "turns out" that was the last piece of furniture I built until recently! Turning can be an incurable disease.

I do feel woodturning comes to some folks easier than it does for others. I had half a century of woodworking history that included a lot of hand tool use. I also had a background with art, generally, and none of that shouldn't be taken for granted. Without knowing your background or your innate skill set, it is hard to say how it will go for you.

[Don Jarvie]

Get a lathe and start turning. A good MIDI lathe is reasonably priced and you can get a good set of starter tool from Penn State. Like John I'm self taught and the best way to learn is start making things and learn as you go.

[Kristin Forbes]

I agree with Dwight, a club is extremely valuable. If you list where you live in your profile someone may know of resources in your area. Both of the clubs I attend have people willing to help. I often have new wood turners in my shop, for example, these two vet students at their second lesson (1st lesson is an intro to spindle turning and the skew chisel):

365936 365937

You can learn so much from watching and asking questions and getting feedback. That said, I learned woodturning primarily from books, especially two: Fundamentals of Woodturning by Mike Darlow and Turning Wood by Richard Raffan. I have many others, but I like these two so much I keep extra copies to loan to new turners. To me books are SO much more complete and useful than videos or even full DVDs produced by the same person who wrote the book.

YouTube is great and awful. There are many good turners and videos and maybe more horrible videos that teach bad technique and unsafe practices. AAW (American Association of Woodturners) has a growing compilation of videos they have checked for quality and safety issues. http://aawvideosource.org/ and click "Continue to Library" to the right. The web page and user interface leaves a lot to be desired but the videos are good. The AAW is good to join as well an has a lot of resources.

Do you have a lathe now? Most woodturners, including me, buy the wrong lathe at first then upgrade it later. The problem is when starting out no one knows enough about what they want to do and the best way to approach it. For that reason, taking more classes and attending lots of demos is a good way to start.

If you happen to live near East TN or find your self driving through, I'm not far from Knoxville. I have multiple lathes and a shop with heat and air. :) I have plenty of wood. Cost for sessions and lessons is zero. (I do this for fun!) I have a few (very few) photo in an album here if you are interested to see a few things I like to turn.

Above all, don't hesitate to ask any question here! This web site (and others) has a critical mass of experience, creativity, and helpful people. :)

JKJ

Thank you for the info. I'll definitely look up those books and AAW website. I am located in Columbus Ohio.

[Stan Calow]

Mostly taught from books and some videos. What is hard to learn that way is safety. That is where hands-on instruction and lessons at the beginning would help.

[Kristin Forbes]

Mostly taught from books and some videos. What is hard to learn that way is safety. That is where hands-on instruction and lessons at the beginning would help.


That's always the most important part. That's why I'm worried about learning on my own.

[John K Jordan]

That's always the most important part. That's why I'm worried about learning on my own.

I'm not convinced that safety is hard to learn from books. Most of the books I have, especially the better ones, are careful to include information on working safely at the lathe - speeds, stance, protective gear, appropriate tools and cuts.

I learned almost everything from books and experimenting before I found a club. It was a long time before I took a course or saw an expert demo.

One think I've said repeatedly and for a reason - there are big advantages to learning spindle turning first before starting on bowls. Many expert turners agree. Raffan, Darlow, Kieth Rowley, Jimmy Clewes, and Frank Penta have all said this in works or in print. Spindle turning will teach you the fine tool control that will let you turn anything, including bowls and platters of any size. It doesn't work the other way. I know some good bowl turners who could turn a thin spindle if they had to.

When I teach beginners the first tool in their hands is the skew chisel. It usually only takes about 20 minutes before they are planing cylinders, then start on v-grooves. Compare that to the "jokes" often told by turners that the skew is only good for opening paint cans, as a negative rake scraper, or for grinding into something else. I'm convinced the skew is the absolute best tool for learning the relationship of the bevel and edge to the cut. I give them a prepared cylinder and then turn the lathe by hand until they can feel what makes it cut and what it takes to control the cut. Very simple, actually. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I have a brother not far from Columbus (Marysville). He wants to come for a couple of days for an introductory lathe lesson and his wife for the cooking. (My Lovely Bride is the best cook in the SouthEast!) Road trip, car pool, turning lessons - I can easily accommodate two or three!

JKJ

[Brad Barnhart]

i agree. I'm a scroll sawyer as a rule, & self taught wood worker. I started reading books while I was still driving OTR. My loving bride decided I needed a hobby after my sawbones told me if I didn't quit eatin', sleepin', thinkin, & livin' trucks, they were goin' to drop me in a deep hole! So, she decided i needed to take up woodworking.

I'd never been around it. Bein' in the trucking business all my life, I had to learn from the start. tools, wood, finish, blades, etc. It took near 6 months of reading before i even bought anything. My first tools were a RAS, TS, router & a few bits, a palm sander, drill & a few bits, & single speed scroll saw, all used. I finally jumped in & just kept at it. That was 26 years ago.

Two years ago, I started doin' a little turning to go along with some of my scroll projects. I picked up a used HF lathe, a few tools, read some more books, & started turning. It's addicting & alot of fun. I don't get the time I'd like to have to turn because my scroll saw keeps me busy. There are no clubs within a 100 miles of here. One turner here in town that does it occasionally. So, I'm self taught there, too. I just replaced the old HF lathe w/a new HF lathe last year. Like i said, I don't do enough to justify a big fancy one. In my honest opinion, I believe the only way to learn it is to read, read, read, then ask questions & hands on. We have multiple levels of turners here, with numerous types of lathes, tools & styles of turning. Extremely valuable information to be had here! Jump in, get your feet wet, & start learnin'!

[Jay Mullins]

A condensed version of the above advise, is read the recomended books, watch you-tube , ask questions on web-sites like this one, get a lathe and start turning. It's like learning to swim, you can read all the books and watch you-tubes but until you get in the water, you'll never learn to swim.

Jay Mullins

" A bird can fly, but a fly can't bird."

[Bill Jobe]

Welcome to the forum, Kristin. I'm also a beginner, though I have a couple or 3 years on you, and have found the members here want to help you any way they can. Great bunch of folks.
Good luck with your wood turning journey.

[Bill Blasic]

Kristen if I were you I would take another lesson or two until September when you join the club in your area. If you decide turning is what you want to do there hopefully will be folks in the club that will gladly show you the ropes and show you their shops and equipment. They do not call woodturning a vortex for no reason, it sucks you in. A little advice is to buy the best lathe you can afford (even if you have to spend a couple hundred more than you initially plan). Do not buy a set of tools, get a good 1/2" bowl gouge and learn how to use it. A sharpening system and a decent grinder are a requirement as is a decent chuck (there are a lot of good chucks out there). There will usually be a face plate with the lathe and that is a good starting point to hold your pieces to start. After you join the club take advantage of every opportunity they offer to learn. The Central Ohio Woodturners in your area have 7 mentors listed on their website and I would try calling one or all and see about getting together with one or two before the first meeting in September (second Tuesday of the month). Wish you luck as this woodturning thing is really great!

[John K Jordan]

...It's like learning to swim, you can read all the books and watch you-tubes but until you get in the water, you'll never learn to swim.


Jay, that's an excellent point. When I started I kept the book and a chair at the lathe. My method was: Read one section. Try. Repeat as needed.

Then I would read what a different author wrote about the same thing and try that if different.

I used the same method over the years for learning Photoshop, 3D graphics, computer programming, chip carving, etc.

One thing we sometimes skip is the practice. I read something like this for learning spindle turning:
- Rough and plane a cylinder from a 2x2 or so. (A piece cut from a pine 2x4 is perfect.)
- Cut grooves with a skew.
- Turn beads and coves.
- Turn those away.
- Repeat.
After you do about 10 of these you will start to get the hang of it! We usually want to move on quickly. I understand before woodturning education became artisan-based, such repetitive practice was required by industrial arts schools here (and apprenticeship programs across the Atlantic).

JKJ

[Bill Jobe]

I went with the suggestion to start with a skew. After a time I found it to be very useful and it's still one of my favorite tools.
A guy once told me when I bought my first bike about 25 years ago: there are only two kinds of riders. The ones that are going to go down and the ones that have gone down and will go down again.
I good face shield is a must. If your venture is anything like mine your lathe will toss a piece.

[Don Jarvie]

You said you took some classes so practice what you learned. The class most likely showed you how to chuck up wood and showed some basics. You don't need a big lathe. A good Midi will get you going and go from there. I started with a Craftsman, Thea Jet Midi and now a PM 3520.

[Kristin Forbes]

Kristen if I were you I would take another lesson or two until September when you join the club in your area. If you decide turning is what you want to do there hopefully will be folks in the club that will gladly show you the ropes and show you their shops and equipment. They do not call woodturning a vortex for no reason, it sucks you in. A little advice is to buy the best lathe you can afford (even if you have to spend a couple hundred more than you initially plan). Do not buy a set of tools, get a good 1/2" bowl gouge and learn how to use it. A sharpening system and a decent grinder are a requirement as is a decent chuck (there are a lot of good chucks out there). There will usually be a face plate with the lathe and that is a good starting point to hold your pieces to start. After you join the club take advantage of every opportunity they offer to learn. The Central Ohio Woodturners in your area have 7 mentors listed on their website and I would try calling one or all and see about getting together with one or two before the first meeting in September (second Tuesday of the month). Wish you luck as this woodturning thing is really great!

I'm definitely continuing to take classes. I really enjoy it. Thank you everyone who replied. Everyone's opinions are very helpful and I look forward to posting tons of questions in the future:)

[Steve Moss]

Hi Kristin,

I'm reading this all with great interest. I just started wood working in January, and like you took a class. I really enjoyed the training. I did buy a Jet 1221 and some carbide tools and a parting tool. It's just too far from me to class to wait a week before doing more. There're a couple of good turning clubs in my area but they are both an hour away and all their classes for the year are full up. So I've been watching every video on turning I can, and asking question in a chat room on another site.

Best of luck learning and turning.

Steve

[John K Jordan]

Hi Kristin,
I'm reading this all with great interest. I just started wood working in January, and like you took a class. I really enjoyed the training. I did buy a Jet 1221 and some carbide tools and a parting tool. It's just too far from me to class to wait a week before doing more. There're a couple of good turning clubs in my area but they are both an hour away and all their classes for the year are full up. So I've been watching every video on turning I can, and asking question in a chat room on another site.


Steve,

Before I found a club, took a class, or even watched a video I learned the basics of woodturning from some good books, as I mentioned. These taught me all about wood as related to woodturning, what tools to get and how to use them, and different ways to do things (so valuable). They have good photos, diagrams, and suggested lessons. I think books can better teach the "why" of turning than a video or even a class. I used several books at first and tried each author's suggestions to compare. Specifically:

Turning Wood by Richard Raffan. https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Wood-Richard-Raffan-ebook/dp/B00Y1COH2K This is an excellent book by a non-nonsense expert. (Richard is a long-time production turner.) I met Richard much later and his demo was as practical as his writing. Very clear instructions. He has other excellent books on more specific things such as turning lidded boxes, bowls, etc.

Fundamentals of Woodturning by Mike Darlow. https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Woodturning-Mike-Darlow/dp/1558217193 Mike has some amazing photography. He is much more technical than most authors and a couple of his charts and diagrams intimidate some people. I found them fascinating but they can be skipped without missing much. Mike is extremely well organized and has clear instructions and well thought out exercises. This book will teach as much as you want to know about basic things like the dynamics of the cutting edge - understanding the basics can translate directly into the fine tool control that will let you turn anything. Some people think Mike is a little goofy but that doesn't get in the way of his genius. I think I have and read every book Darlow has written!

Woodturning: A Foundation Course by Keith Rowley. https://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-Foundation-Course-Keith-Rowley/dp/1784940631 This is an older book and not as slick as the others. However, Keith is quite thorough and I consider this at minimum an excellent supplement to all other kinds of instruction - other books, in personal instructor, or by video.

One more book I am SO glad I read at the beginning. This book has helped me more than anything else to understand wood, the structure, and how it behaves with the change in moisture. To this day I meet people, even instructors, who obviously do not understand these basics. I once attended a demo by an "expert" on turning green wood - his ignorance of wood was, frankly, embarrassing. There are many ways to learn about wood but this is the best I've found:

Understanding Wood by R. Bruce Hoadley. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Craftsmans-Guide-Technology Hoadley is not only a wood expert but a craftsman - he knows wood both from the technical perspective and from personal experience of working with it. I highly recommend reading it, even if borrowed. I refer to my copy a lot. His companion book, Identifying Wood is probably my most-used reference book. I've used it so much the pages are falling out!

One more useful book if you like to turn green wood: Turning Green Wood by Michael O'Donnell. https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Green-Wood-Michael-ODonnell/dp/1861080891

I see you mentioned starting with some carbide tools. The next step is a good spindle gouge and maybe a bowl gouge. I also recommend a skew chisel but some people disagree! :) (Depends on your long-term goals)

Also, the drive to a club might be worth it occasionally. There are turners who drive an hour and a half to our club. I and several others also drive about two hours to another club every month - a bit easier since we can carpool. To me it is well worth it to get to know the people and see the creative things they are doing, watch a demo on something I may not have even considered turning, and ask questions.

JKJ

[Randy Heinemann]

I have only been turning for about 8 months and learn best by doing. However, I luckily found a 4-hour class which was taught by someone who was a great teacher and really just taught me basics; of course, some of it safety related. After the first class, I actually took the same class a second time to help me correct anything I was doing wrong since I didn't always get results that satisfied me. While I haven't turned any complicated bowls, I feel I have enough from these two relatively short classes to develop on my own as time allows. The same guy who ran the class also has a woodturners group that meets once a month and the people that attend are always very helpful and patient when I ask questions. For me, it helped to take a class (small is best) to get basics and then take those basics and just turn bowls. I feel I've been able to take these basics and refine my technique. The problem is finding someone who knows the basics and is also a great teacher. Most of the long-time turners on this forum seem to be like that. At least they have always answered my questions in a helpful and patient way.