Remember Your First Turning:Here's Mine W/Pic

[Chris DiCiaccio]

This is my first turning piece. Scrap piece of poplar. This is all new to me. Just got the Rikon Mini Lathe and starting to learn. Never held a Turning Tool or sharpened one until this week, let alone used a lathe. Must admit, I believe I am going to enjoy learning.
292132921429215

[Michael Stafford]

Dang Chris, that is nice. My first piece was round sort of....I had more catches than I had smooth cut but it was round sort of....

You must have an eye for forms cause that is pretty intricate for a first turning. Yep, the lathe is great fun...........and expensive.......but fun.:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks good Chris. I hope I can do that good when I get there. So far just pens and this weekend hopefully my first bowl. Great work.

[Bob Noles]

Yeah.... uh huh.... sure.... right.....

If that's your first turning.... you need to be teaching :D

I think I need to smash my lathe and take up basket weaving :eek:

Some of us have to actually work at this and others it just comes natural.... me believes you are of the 2nd group.

Great job!

[Scott Donley]

Chris, yours is great compared to mine. Just could not make up my mind, candle holder? pen holder, lamp, wire holder ? I will make up my mind some day and finish it. It was a piece of 4X4 cedar fence post to start.

[Jim Becker]

Looks darn good to me, Chris!

[Glenn Hodges]

You have impressed me, it looks great.

[Jim Dunn]

Hey big Mike, how dare you blaspheme lathe work by associating the word "expensive" with turning.:eek::eek::eek: Here I had my wife convinced it was less costly than flat work and you had to spoil it all.:rolleyes::D Wait til she see's my credit card bill this month.:o

Oh and Chris, nice "first" turnings!

Jim

[Michael Stafford]

Chris, yours is great compared to mine. Just could not make up my mind, candle holder? pen holder, lamp, wire holder ? I will make up my mind some day and finish it. It was a piece of 4X4 cedar fence post to start.

Scott, I admire a man with the ability to turn multi-functional pieces. Most of the stuff I turn serves one purpose. If we can just figure out what that purpose is we will have it made.....:p :rolleyes: :D

[Carole Valentine]

The first thing I put on my lathe was a 1 1/2" x 12" piece of walnut. I proceeded to try, with some success, to turn a bunch of coves and beads, posted a pic for members of another forum who led me into this addiction, then tossed it behind the workbench. Can't find the pic anymore and the piece has long since been turned into small finials and other tiny stuff. Wish I had kept it. I still have my first bowl though.:D

[John Miliunas]

Sick! That's it, Chris. You're making me feel absolutely ill! :mad: First piece, huh? Sheeeeesh...I really, really do wish you folks would quit making me feel totally inept!!! :o My "first piece"? Hmmmm....I believe it went to the same place my second, third and fourth pieces went to: The fireplace!!! :D 'Course, if I want to look at how it should NOT be done, I still have plenty of those examples around! :D Great job, Chris. You're off to the races, I'd say!:) :cool:

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Well Chris, My first turning was a round cylinder that ended up about 1" in diameter and 4" long. It was almost even end to end. I started with a piece of wood 4" X 4" X 6". It was the foot for a slanted book rest for my father. It (the whole thing) looks awfull, but he used in his offices at bakeries around the country from 1956 till he retired. When he died in 1987, I got it back. It now holds my woodworking books and I hope someday to give it to my son. It's starting to get a little history, so might as well pass it on.

[Chris DiCiaccio]

Well Chris, My first turning was a round cylinder that ended up about 1" in diameter and 4" long. It was almost even end to end. I started with a piece of wood 4" X 4" X 6". It was the foot for a slanted book rest for my father. It (the whole thing) looks awfull, but he used in his offices at bakeries around the country from 1956 till he retired. When he died in 1987, I got it back. It now holds my woodworking books and I hope someday to give it to my son. It's starting to get a little history, so might as well pass it on.

That's very interesting. I don't blame you for keeping something like that. I'm sure you miss him. By the way, how are you liking your Rikon? So far, I am very satisfied with mine, course I haven't used it except for this vase. If it will hold up well, I will be satisfied, I really like all its features.

[Keith Burns]

Chris, you expect us to believe that is your "first" turning ? Hey guys I got a bridge I'll sell ya:D

[Jeremiah Jordan]

First turnings are like first girlfriends. You will never forget.

Jeremiah

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Chris,

That's quite a nice turning for your first one. The finish looks real nice as well.
The objective of my first turning, about 1958-59, was a reading lamp for my bedroom. I scrounged an old beat-up bowling pin from the local bowling alley for the blank. At least I knew I would be starting off round. The turning ended up as a some what smaller bowling pin, with less nicks and dings and the lamp did work. Can't say that I remember what became of it, could be in someones home, but I have my doubts.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Chris DiCiaccio]

Hi Chris,

That's quite a nice turning for your first one. The finish looks real nice as well.
The objective of my first turning, about 1958-59, was a reading lamp for my bedroom. I scrounged an old beat-up bowling pin from the local bowling alley for the blank. At least I knew I would be starting off round. The turning ended up as a some what smaller bowling pin, with less nicks and dings and the lamp did work. Can't say that I remember what became of it, could be in someones home, but I have my doubts.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

That's a lot of years of turning since way back then. I'm sure you have learned much since then. I haven't learned to sharpen all my tools (6 Piece sorby set) yet. Only used my roughing gouge, spindle gouge, parting tool, and skew. That skew is tricky, still trying to figure it out.

[Rich Stewart]

Here are my very first turnings. Most of these have since been turned into something else but I do have my VERY first spindle type turning, but i never took a peecher of it. It was a one inch dowel that now has some coves and beads on it.
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=169077#post169077


Hope y'all get a good giggle out of it. I do.

[Dale Thompson]

Chris,
I just took a cutting torch into my shop and turned my PM 3520 and Jet mini VS into pieces smaller than their original molecular structure. :mad: I hope that you are HAPPY! ;) :cool:

If those are your FIRST turnings, then I want to introduce you to my grandson. His name is Socrates and he thinks that he knows EVERYTHING! :) :D

Regardless, Chris, VERY nice work!! :D :eek: :)

Dale T.

[Corey Hallagan]

Cool nice job! I am hoping that my first turning will at least have some roundness to it somewhere!!

Corey

[Dale Thompson]

That skew is tricky, still trying to figure it out.

Chris,
Grind, carefully, the "Raffan Radius" on your skew and it will soon become your "best friend"! :)

Dale T.

[Randy Meijer]

.....Most of the stuff I turn serves one purpose. If we can just figure out what that purpose is we will have it made.....:p :rolleyes: :D

In my case the word "kindling" comes to mind!!:D

[Ron Mitchell]

Very Nice!!!
Keep up the good work

My first piece that I turned was a Purpleheart wood gavel
it was hard but I was hooked from that moment on:D

http://photobucket.com/albums/d54/remnantswoodshop/gavel.jpg

[John Hart]

Ok...Took me a while to find the pictures...but these are pics of pictures...sorry about the focus.

When I first got my lathe about 5 years ago, I had this delusion that I could just jump in and make a bat. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd attempts resulted in 3 tons of shavings and splinters.:eek: But I finally got one to turn out ok. I think this wood is maple. After I got the bat done, I decided to make it into a gift for Tom Hamilton, who is the announcer for the Cleveland Indians....So I inlayed an Ebony, Walnut, Redheart, Yellowheart, and Ivory Feather, then engraved a trademark, and a bunch of numbers that signified stuff...stupid stuff really :o

Anyway...after the bat, I couldn't seem to make anything without it cracking, so I gave it up..... Until last spring when I joined SMC.

Oh...BTW...Tom Hamilton sent me a nice handwritten note thanking me for the bat. (Can't find that either :o )

[Jesse Merino]

Chris, that is a niiiiice piece of work!!

Puts the junk I did to shame, but, I have no talent, just determination :)
Oh, determination is just another word for being bullheaded, stupid and not knowing the difference on when to quit...but, it keeps me out of the Wifes hair :)....Keep up the good work!...Jesse

[Chris DiCiaccio]

Hearing your comments on your first turnings and seeing the work you do now is very encouraging. It shows what can be done with determination and practice. Your investments in your craft have certainly paid you back in the ability to create great pieces. I'm working on my second piece, a simple awl handle, so I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. Hey, but at least I'm headed that way.

[Jeremiah Jordan]

I beleive some ball players are actaully using maple bats now. I would think that they could hold up way better than Ash. But for your first peice John, Nice.

Jeremiah