Newbie alert!

[Erin Raasch]

Well, I hope all you dizzy folks are pleased with yourselves, you've gone and snagged another perfectly contented flatlander and sucked 'em into the vortex . . .

:D Just kidding, I've thrown myself in quite willingly. I've been lurking around here for awhile, but with all the strange noises I heard, I wasn't quite sure it was safe to come inside . . .

I've been planning a lathe purchase for quite some time; actually, I've been thinking about it for a long time, and seriously planning since last summer. I finally got me a big green HF model lathe and the entry-level HF tool set, along with the Woodcraft slow-speed grinder and the Wolverine jig. This past weekend we opened up the shop for the season and got things set up. I'm not precocious like some of the other "new" turners who hang out here, so I'm not going to post pictures of a NE hollow form with a lacquer finish you can see yourself in. I'm struggling through the Official Turning Primer, still on Chapter One, "Getting to Know Your Lathe." I badly need to study Chapter Two, "Making Friends with Your Grinder." Grinding is not my best thing. :(

But of course, if I wait till I get through the whole reading list, summer will be over and we'll be closing up shop again, so I had to start somewhere. I cut a 2x4 down to 2x2 and turned myself a Round Thing. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but my cat Isabelle recognized it immediately. That's right, you guessed it - it's a kitty massager!

Erin

[John Hart]

Hah! The Vortex is live and kickin'!!! Welcome Erin!! I'm afraid you're kitty is mistaken however.....That's a bonker if I ever saw one. Well done!!

[Paul Douglass]

Welcome Erin. You picked a great place to hang out. I am learning there a lot of great, willing teachers here.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Abyss Erin! Don't listen John, Erin........A bonker can be a kitty massager ........it's a matter of technique and application!

It's probably just as well that you jumped into the vortex on your own....the idiots here will push or pull you in otherwise!



HEY ANDY............We got another one!

[Chris Barton]

Hi Erin,

Welcome to the dark side. Your project is a perfect way to start. All spindle turning is either a bead, cove, or part and it looks like you captured them all in you practice piece. Keep up the good work and we expect to see a hollow form turning next week;) .

[David Fried]

Great idea! My cats like to use my leg maybe this is what I need. Welcome to the spiny side. I still remember your nice workbench, I'm sure you'll have a blast with the lathe!

[Steve Ash]

Hey Erin, I know what you mean about being a contented flatlander....but this spinny business does open up possibilities. I'm thinking about turning some table legs for a upcoming project later on.

Glad you are enjoying it! :)

[Cecil Arnold]

Welcome Erin. Most folks here are very nice and helpful, but watch out for that guy named Andy--he's especially nice regardless of what he says.

[Shelley Bolster]

Yippee and thank goodness you are here.......these guys need a project and I was afraid it was going to be me. :rolleyes: Now that the heat is off of me to get a lathe, I will look forward in seeing your progress Erin, you have made a great start. I hope you have fun but I have to tell you, a part of me hates to see another one gobbled up into the depths of the beast. Seem they come over here never to return to the land of flat.......please don't be a statistic. I will pray for your safe return. :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's useless to resist Shelley..........it won't hurt.......relax.....stare into the center of the vortex.........you'll like it...........it won't hurt.........


Shelley you really want a lathe............Shelley you really want a lathe...relax.....it won't hurt a bit!...........relax

[Ken Fitzgerald]

BTW Erin.......You are going about it in the right manner! Start our practicing as you are doing. After you really get comfortable with turning spindles......try a box or a goblet........The difference in those are turning endgrain which really isn't too difficult but is different. In the meantime....the sharpening......a light touch and don't go too fast.....lightly is the key word!

[Jerry Vander Till]

Erin,
Welcome to the dark side from someone who recently got sucked in as well. I haven't had much time to do spinny stuff lately, but that'll change soon. I too have to figure out chapter two so I can move onto chapter three, making a bowl out of green spinny stock!

Great start on the slide down the vortex, but don't confuse the kitty massager with a bonker and end up with a kitty bonker:eek:

[Bart Leetch]

Looks great but are you sure you didn't hand carve that bonker I sure don't see picture af a lathe & tools anywhere in this post.:eek: :D

[John Hart]

......Now that the heat is off of me to get a lathe.....

What a fanciful illusion you've created for yourself Shelley. I see you kinda like it over here. Perhaps the circular forces are tugging ever so gently.....ever so gently...;)

[Tyler Howell]

OOOOh Nooooo!! Not you too Erin:eek: :(
I thought you were a confirmed Neander:confused: It's a treddle lathe right:confused:
It's just a phase it will pass...... I mean look at the people in this place.:eek:

[Corey Hallagan]

Fist welcome to the Turners forum and secondly congrats on the new lathe and thirdly, nice job on the uh.... "Bonkerasauger". Turning spindles like that is good practice!!

Corey

[Travis Stinson]

Welcome to the fun side Erin!:D
You're off to a great start. Pay no attention to those crys from the past, they know it's fruitless.:eek:

And Shelley, you're not getting off that easy.;)

[Keith Burns]

HOT DANG, ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST !!!!!!

Welcome to the dark side Erin, glad to see you ignored Tyler:D

[Pete Jordan]

Erin,

It looks like you have a great start!

keep turnin

Pete

[Andy Hoyt]

Shelley - As a collective, we routinely multi-task. We're also broken up into elite undercover squads. Oops, pardon me.

Tango Niner - The fat man walks at dawn.

Sierra One - Breadsticks by the bushel

Bravo Four Seven - Eyebrows are forever

Okay, I'm back

Erin - Welcome. Don't listen to "those" guys, "we're" all nuts. You're already on Chapter Two! I'm still trying to understand the frontispiece. Nice first turning. I actually think it looks more like a foot massager thingie.

[Jim Dunn]

Erin as a baby boomer too I welcome you to the fun stuff. Had I have known how much fun this was I'd have sold my table saw and invested in a nice grinder jig.

[Erin Raasch]

Wow! Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.

John - I really thought it was a bonker - I had it sitting on my desk, and when the furry kid jumped up and walked in front of my monitor, I made like I was going to bonk 'er with it. She let me know, in no uncertain terms, that this was exactly what she has been looking for, for a good face rub. And who am I to argue with the Master of the House?

Steve - actually, my perceived need for a lathe arose when I acquired some great old, but handle-less, chisels, and when I needed some wooden drawer pulls for a hand-tool cabinet I made. I started thinking that it sure would be handy to be able to make them myself. It certainly does open up lots of possibilities.

Shelley - I'm determined not to neglect all those flat projects I've got lined up - but we all know where those good intentions lead. I'm kind of hoping that hubby Scott takes an interest in turning, so that I have to give him some lathe time. Yes, these guys are pretty . . . um, how shall I say this? . . . enthusiastic - I doubt they'll give up on you that easily. :o

Chris - I've captured some beads and coves, my next challenge is to have them turn out the size and shape I intend them to - though the beauty of turning is that many pieces allow for a fair amount of designing on the fly. :) Don't know about next week for that hollow form - maybe the week after.

Tyler - don't worry, now that I've got the green monster set up, my next project is to get all my plane irons sharpened up and ready to put to work! And that spinny thing will come in handy for making a drawer pull for my neander coffee grinder! Guess I can swing both ways, eh? :p

I really am just getting to know my lathe, and am trying to get a feel for the various tools, different types of wood, etc. I've had a couple of very brief lessons in the last several months, but it's far different being on my own than having someone at my elbow guiding me through it. I know that I'm going to need some additional tools and other accessories, but I don't want to go throwing money in all directions without really knowing what's going to serve me the best. I have a hunch there'll be more bonkers than hollow forms for me in the near future, but that's okay - by the time I'm ready to move on, they're going to be the best darn bonkers you can imagine!

Erin

[Barry Stratton]

Welcome Erin, from another new turner. This group is GREAT and answers every question you may have.

And ignore that guy from Minnesota, he's just resisting getting a lathe. If he doesn't have one by next year, I'll have to move down there and personally take him shopping for one.........

[Mark Cothren]

Welcome Erin! Look forward to seeing some of your work.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Yippee and thank goodness you are here.......these guys need a project and I was afraid it was going to be me. :rolleyes: Now that the heat is off of me to get a lathe...

No no no no no... Erin already has one, so the heat's still on Shelly.


Welcome Erin to the spinny side. Nice work getting started. Keep'em coming.

Ernie

[Jim Becker]

Erin!! Welcome to the addiction!! :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Erin welcome to the abyss. I am fairly new myself so crank up that lathe as Ken said. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Shelley you may as well not fight it. You are that slippery slope and I do mean slippery. Oh, Oh I can feel the heat being turned up. :eek: :p

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Welcome Erin, make the grinder your friend, as sharp tools rule!

BTW, excuse my ignorance, but why the "Shut down the shop for the year" talk, is this a summer home?

lathes don't take up that much space, especially one of them mini lathes, you could take it home with you...? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:;) :D

Cheers!

[Erin Raasch]

BTW, excuse my ignorance, but why the "Shut down the shop for the year" talk, is this a summer home?


Stu,

It's an unheated garage shop in Wisconsin - no realistic way to heat it without major renovations - so we have about 6 or 7 months during which we can actually use it as a shop. And call me unreasonable, but my car needs a place to live in the winter - I DO NOT like scraping ice and snow at 6:30 AM! (or any other time of day, for that matter)

Erin

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Welcome to the Creek Erin, you're going to like dangling your feet in the cool water. As for your "kitty massager...bonker...foot massager thingie", way to go! I really like the way the grain of the wood stands out. Remember, fun is the name of the game. By the way, if you figure out what the heck Andy is talking about half the time please let me know. I'll sign up for lessons from you. This is a good group and I've been learning a lot from each of these guys(ladies included).

[tod evans]

What a fanciful illusion you've created for yourself Shelley. I see you kinda like it over here. Perhaps the circular forces are tugging ever so gently.....ever so gently...;)

ever so gently? like a 2x4 between the eyes! just get a lathe and spin something shelley, round stuff compliments flat work, as does carving and veneer work, but to get all these jokers off your back just buck-up....02 tod

[John Miliunas]

Awright Erin!!! Haven't "seen" much of you 'round (pun intended!:D ) these parts lately and what a great way to make an appearance! :) Congrats on the new spinny thing, welcome to the spinny side and, if I can give you (and/or your hubby!) a hand with "in person" tips/tricks, let me know, as you guys are on my way home from work!!! :) Or, you're most certainly welcome to stop out to my shop, as well! (I've already seen yours, remember???!) :) Have fun with that! :) :cool:

[Steve Ash]

if I can give you a hand with "in person" tips/tricks, let me know

If a certain Michigander happened to venture to cheesehead land does that offer stand? Should that Michigander bring along some wood, or (wood) beer and brats suffice?:D

[John Miliunas]

If a certain Michigander happened to venture to cheesehead land does that offer stand? Should that Michigander bring along some wood, or (wood) beer and brats suffice?:D

Just bring your own self! We'll have plenty of the rest!!! :D :D :D :cool:

[George Conklin]

Hi Erin,
Great idea for a new contest. Kitty Bonk,,, ooops I mean kitty Massagers.:D