What got you interested in woodturning?

[Dennis Peacock]

Just curious I guess. :rolleyes: :) As well as trying to stir up a little more "community" amongst us.

So.....what got YOU interested in turning wood???? :confused:

My first time at using a lathe was in high school shop class. I turned a white oak "night stick" that I still have today. Let's see now....that was just about 100 years ago....seems like any way. ;)

I purchased my very first lathe in 1995 and it was a Sears round tube lathe and spun wood around and around and I'd stick a "dull" turning tool into and make sawdust. :rolleyes: :o Shoot, I didn't know no better and for sure didn't know how to sharpen all those funny shaped tools I had. (they were standard carbon steel and wouldn't hold an edge for nuttin'.)

My next lathe purchase was a Jet 1236 which I used a good bit and even done the "lathe walk dance" with it from time to time. Did you know that if you mount a 40 pound chunk of wood to a small lathe like that that it will walk enough around your shop to unplug itsself!!!??? Been there and done that more times that I care to admit. I turned MANY pens on this lathe and sent almost 300 of them to the troops as part of the Freedom Pens Project held here at SMC. I learned to turn kids spinning tops on this lathe as well as some of my very first bowls. OH!!! I did learn what tools I needed to sharpen all those funny shaped tools and I did collect a few HSS turning tools that cut wood MUCH better than my old tools I had with my first lathe.

I quickly out grew the Jet 1236 and began a several month research project on what lathe to buy next for my last and final lathe. I talked to several folks and got pointers from folks here on SMC and decided on the Powermatic 3520A. I finally jumped off the bandwagon and ordered the lathe and when it arrived at the shipping termial, I hooked up my trailer, loaded up the family, and went 35 miles to the shipping terminal to pick it up. Did I happen to mention that this lathe was a mere 750 pounds crated!!!!! Well, got it home on the trailer, backed it up to the shop door and got a buddy of mine from work to help me "unload" the lathe. We darn near dropped it on ourselves while unloading it by tilting it a bit too far over while trying to get it off the tail end of the trailer. :eek: Good thing we both had weak minds and strong backs!!!

Anyway....Ken Salisbury is the person that got me hooked on turning pens and small items like that and it's all SMC's fault for getting me hooked on turning bowls, platters, and goblets. I'm soon going to venture deeper into the hollow form territory to see how I can do with hollow forms.

So....that's the "skinny" on a fat guys life story of turning and getting hooked on the spinny thang.

So what about you?????

[Cory Martin]

I was just thinking about this yesterday after visiting my grandmother. Over the past couple of years since purchasing our home my wife has been kind enough to let me buy several woodworking tools, I was kind enough to let her quit her job to stay home with the kids. I'm not sure who got the better deal but we are both happy. Anyway last year after completing a couple of sideboards I decided I needed a lathe to be able to create more unique pieces as far as the legs go. Around the same time a guy at work had an accident of sorts with his lathe and wanted to sell it. A jet 1442 and a vega 36'' duplicator for $700...... I'll be there this afternoon I told him and went and picked it up. Since the I have been slowly cathing on and recently finished my first bowl. (I promise a pic as soon as I figure out how). I guess the reason this is all so special to me is that my grandfather died when I was very young and I have very few memories of him. But I can always remember him in his workshop and my mother talking about how he wished he had learned how to turn on a lathe.

Best Regards
Cory:)

[Shane Whitlock]

This should be a fun post to read :D Great idea!

I have always loved working with wood. My dad started me at a young age and I have done the same with my son. Besides working with wood some of my other hobbies are photography, copper smithing, blacksmithing and restoring vintage woodworking machines.

One of my first projects was a 1950's Craftsman 8" tablesaw, stripped to the bare metal and completely rebuilt. (before and after pics)

64863 64860

Some of my many other restros are a 1800's scroll saw, completely made of wood, a 1931 Delta bandsaw and my last project a 1936 Walker Turner LS540 Lathe ... also stripped to the bare metal, bondoed, primed, painted, new bearings, built a stand for it, etc...

64862 64861

I finished rebuilding the lathe about 5 months ago and started turning on it. I was instantly hooked and haven't done a restoration project since, or pretty much anything else for that matter :rolleyes:

The WT is a great lathe but I out-grew it fast and upgrade to my current lathe, a Jet 1642 :D Hopefully someday, I will be turning on a big Oneway or Robust :D

Well thats my story and I'm sticking to it ...

Happy Turning,
Shane Whitlock

[Ron Raymond]

Our Cub Scout District website had a flyer from the local Woodcraft store offering classes for youth groups like Scouts. I called and talked to the owner about the various projects they had available. Toolbox...been there. Birdhouse...done that. Penturning...hmmm!!! Anyone that knows elementary school kids knows how fascinated they are with just about any kind of writing instrument. My son and I had so much fun, we asked Santa to bring us a Rikon for Christmas and he came through!

Like so many of you, life's priorities often put turning way down the to-do list, so I don't get to spend nearly as much time on the lathe as I'd like. Still doing mostly small stuff like pens and bottle stoppers, but having tons of fun and will hopefully have time this summer to get into other projects. I like these little projects 'cause I can go out in the garage and come back in an hour with a finished item...usually something that makes a nice little gift for someone I care about.

My Dad passed away several years ago, and we had a very good relationship. After he retired, he was always looking for some sort of craft to keep him busy and maybe make a little money. He tried a bunch of stuff, but finally settled on making mailboxes in the shape of various vehicles...a '57 Chevy, tractor, pickup truck, etc. He was so proud when his mail carrier commissioned him to make one in the shape of a mailtruck!

Anytime I'm in the garage playing/working on something, I honestly feel his presence. It seems like Dad is right there looking over my shoulder. It's almost like he's still encouraging, advising, and yes...nagging if I do something the least little bit unsafe..."Son, you'd better turn that lathe off before you move the toolrest"! Whenever I finish something and hold it up to inspect, I imagine Dad is looking down from above...with a smile on his face.

[Nancy Laird]

Well, Dennis, you struck a nerve.

I became interested in woodworking in self-defense...very soon after hubby and I married, I realized that if I wanted to spend any quality time with him, I'd have to do it in the shop (garage), as that was where he spent a LOT of time. I started helping him out with small stuff and moved on up the chain to the point that we were working together on just about everything, but it was all that dirty word called flatwork. Then we moved to NM, and when his father passed away, we inherited all of Dad's tools, including a 50s-era Atlas lathe. It sat in the corner of the shop, unused, but it was there, looming over everything and crying from inattention.

Then, several years ago, one of hubby's co-workers was at a craft show selling his turned pens and pencils; I admired; I fondled; I bought a set for a gift. I asked him to teach me how to turn...no soap, he has a job and a very ill wife and little time for his own stuff, much less teaching. So I let it slide. But I kept looking at turned pieces at other craft fairs and shows and buying a few select pieces here and there.

I started exhibiting at craft fairs a couple of years ago, and early last summer had a "revelation" that maybe, just maybe, I could sell pens in my booth. Hubby bought a midi-lathe--which languished in the shop for a few months while we concentrated on some other things, then we decided to jump into it with both feet. We bought mandrels and bushings, we bought kits and blanks, we bought turning tools and smocks and face shields. Hubby turned the first pen, I turned my first pen, and we were off! Since that little inauspicious start, we have probably turned 150 or so pens, selling them at the craft fairs during the pre-Christmas season, selling to friends for Christmas gifts, giving to family for gifts. Even got one order from one person for 50 pens - with boxes - for his company Christmas gifts.

In the meantime, I got hooked on this turning forum and started looking at all of the wonderful work that is being done by the people here whom I call "masters"--and I have fallen into the vortex big-time. I also spent a BUNCH of money on the auction, and have since bought another piece from another Creeker (gloat pictures coming later today). I'm now turning bottle stoppers - baby steps, baby steps - and when I feel that I'm comfortable with those, I'm going to move on into bigger and (hopefully) better things. Weed pots, bowls, vases--watch out!! I've bought turning stock from John Hart that is sitting on the shelf calling my name. A couple of others have given me turning stock (thanks Dennis, Daddy, and Ed). I've bought pen blanks and stopper blanks. Some have given me pen blanks and stopper blanks (thanks Dennis and Ken and Scott), and others have given me encouragement and nudging and nagging (thanks Ken and Chris), and now all I need is the time to get to the lathe and, as someone on here says all the time, "get 'er done!!"

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Nancy

[Curt Fuller]

Because my wife is a watercolor artist she has dragged me along to art shows and art festivals for years. In the summer of 2002 we were at the Salt Lake Art Festival with her brother and his wife and there was a Rex Burningham display of his incredible woodturnings. I casually mentioned that I would like to try turning wood sometime. Well, my wife's brother is one of these guys that has more toys than he can ever dream of having time to use and he said he had a lathe that he had never taken out of the box. The next day he dropped it off in my driveway. It was a Ridgid tube lathe, brand new and still packed in grease, that he'd had for at least 10 years. He couldn't even remember why he bought it. I put it together and then thought "now what?'. I didn't have any tools so I sharpened an old screw driver and put a piece of fir 2x2 between centers and made my first dust, you don't get shavings using a screwdriver. Then I got a cheap little 3 piece tool set from Harbor Freight, then a set of 7 or 8 tools from Sears, and finally started collecting others one at a time. I put a lot of miles on that Ridgid lathe and then by coincidence met Clead Christiansen who is a local professional turner that organized a club that meets in his shop. He sold me one of his Oliver lathes, a 159, and I'm in the process of trying to wear it out now. It's about my same age and it's holding out better than me so it will probably out live me. The Ridgid is back in my brother-in-laws shop and he's finally starting to get interested in using it. So it's pulling another guy into the abyss.
The folks here on SMC along with some of the other turning websites have had a huge impact on me. They've shared their skills and knowlege, provided inspiration, been good for some laughs, and ignited some great thought provoking discussions. And someday I hope to run into Rex Burningham again and buy him a beer.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

The short story...
Got married. After buying a home, had no money for furniture. Bought a cheap table saw and started making furniture. Twenty years later, didn't need anymore furniture. Started playing with the lathe. Had a shop full of tools, so I quickly gravitated towards segmented work. As they say, the rest is history.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great topic Dennis. I have been woodworking for about 25 yrs. My granddad who has passed on and my dad mentored me along. My granddad was a great furniture maker and his only power tool was a table saw. He did everything with hand tools. I have made several pieces of furniture. I made a wooden wagon for the grandson, rocking horse for him, several birdhouses and bird feeders. I had tried woodturning on my brothers lathe but just didn't seem to make it work. 25 yrs later I found this site and was browsing one night. Decided to join. The first two turnings I saw were Jim Ketrons and Travis Stinsons. I just looked at those I don't know seemed like a half hour. I decided I wanted to give it a try again.

So I looked at the big bay and found a Delta midi. I got the bid for $125 or $150 with the bed extension. I figured I wouldn't get hurt if I didn't like it. I got video's, books, tools, chuck, etc. Once I finally figured out to buy a sharpening jig it suddenly became fun. Turning was actually fairly easy and fun with sharp tools. It wasn't long and I was hooked bad.:eek: I then bought a C-man Pro 15" and in the mean time sold the Delta for $150. I decided I wanted another small lathe so bought the Rikon which I am very happy with. 1 1/2 yrs later thinking about retiring in a couple of yrs. decided to get a real good lathe and hopefully my final one while I could afford it. I bought the Nova DVR XP which fit my shop. I was going to sell the C-man to a friend but decided to keep it.:p So I do most my turning now on the Nova and I leave the C-man setup just for the monster HF tool and doing HF's that way I don't have to tear it down every time.

I have added some (note: lots of) tools, gotta have more chucks and then after watching everyone make those HF's decided to get a monster captured system. I still can't decide which I like to do the most. I just like turning them all. I guess my favorite to turn are Christmas ornaments, lidded boxes, miniture birdhouse ornaments and HF's.

So 1 1/2 yrs. later I love turning, I am still learning (note: have a long way to go and lots more to learn), still having fun and hopefully will be able to do this for a long time to come. :D:D

Thats my story and I am sticking to it.:cool::rolleyes:;)

[Patrick Taylor]

This is fun to hear everyone's story... Mine's short, so here's how it goes:

As a child I remember my father carving beautiful swans, then being too busy to do more, then complaining later in life that he wishes he'd dome more woodworking.

Music was my passion for many years, but after getting married and having 2 kids, that doesn't leave a lot of time for rehearsal! My wife picked up knitting a few years back and literally can not stop. (her very own vortex... and you though our wood stashes are bad, you should see her yarn stash!) After getting tired of me watching her knit, she declared "You need a new hobby. Why not try woodturning?"

That was last fall (2006), so at Xmas-time I got a Jet mini, a chuck, some tools, a chainsaw, etc. I was starting from scratch since I had no existing woodshop. I set up shop in half of the garage, on the condition that I would build or buy a bigger shop in the backyard before too long. ;)

So here I am, 5 months into the vortex, ready for my "lifetime lathe" (probably mustard) and scoping out large shed kits for the backyard. How many guys can say that their wife started them woodturning and told them "I've got no problem with you getting a bigger lathe, as long as you first get a bigger shop to put it in!" :D

[Gary Herrmann]

My father made a lot of the furniture in our house. It was a hobby for him as well, but I particularly remember the beautiful china cabinet he made for my mom out of walnut.

A couple years ago, I had my third knee surgery and thought it was time to find a hobby outside of sports. Woodworking had been in the back of my mind for a while, and I had been renovating our house, so it seemed like a good fit.

Its been very enjoyable. The turning thing tho, thats a bit of a mystery to me. It just looked like fun. Now my wife says I need a 12 step program...

[Steve Schlumpf]

March of 2004 a good friend of my wife's called and said that they were cleaning out the garage. Her husband had an old lathe that his uncle had given him years ago but he never had time to learn how to turn. They decided to get rid of it and knew that I was into woodworking and asked if I would want it.

Last time I had turned was in seventh grade but I remembered it being fun. Went over and picked up the lathe - a 1954 mono-tube Craftsman - and hauled it home. I like working on tools and that is a good thing as the lathe had sat for at least 30 years if not more and was totally inop.

Once the lathe was in 'operational' condition (what the heck did I know) I decided to throw a chunk of birch on it and see how well it worked. The birch was about 10" diameter and 16" long - fresh from the yard, bark and all. Turned the lathe on and the 'log' turned really Really REALLY fast - came off the lathe - smacked the wall in back of it and put a big gash in the paneling!!! :eek: Huh... That don't seem right!

About two weeks later - after my Harbor Freight chiesels had arrived I decided to try again. Put on a much smaller piece of wood and decided to try a different belt position. Wow - It Worked! Found that the first time I had the lathe on - it was on it's highest speed - about 3600 rpm - and for some reason the birch couldn't hang on! :rolleyes:

Have learned a lot since then and have started the never-ending process of tool/lathe upgrades. I now turn on a Jet 1642 and life is good - but I've started to eye some of these hollowing rigs......

Turning is actually addicting and I find all the flatwork I used to love to do takes a backseat to any turning projects that I can think up and I spend a lot of time thinking up new projects! :D

[Tom Keen]

Im very new to turning. Started in Jan of this year. I grew up around woodworking. My grandfather and Dad was/are excellent woodworkers. Large and small they could do everything. Dad (83) still does projects around the house.

Im mildly dyslexic and can't draw or cut a straight line over 6 inches long. Fine woodworking has been a very frustrating experience, so Ive stuck to house and farm related carpentry.

A series of events: I moved to my fiance's farm. We decided to harvest a lot of trees from our woods (what to do with the leavings?) and my close friend, Jak, got interested in wood turning. Jak and I visted one of our neighbors who has been turning for years and got a afternoon's demonstration. I hadnt touched a tool and was hooked on the spot. The lovely Karen said the magic words.. "put it on a credit card and dont worry about it".

You know the rest...I bought an inexpensive lathe, some tools, and now.. Im ordering a Jet 1642 Monday, Tuesday they start building a new garage with an extra bay for a new shop (which Im already trying to figure out how to heat), Ive mulched every tree within 200 yards of the house with shavings, and decided I really need to order on of those one inch bowl gouges..

But it's fun and gives me the creative outlet Ive been looking for..who knows where it will take me.

Tom

[James Upshaw]

I visited a Woodcraft store, just out of curiosity, rented the Del Stubbs video , and I was hooked.

[colin gregg]

i saw my mate make some pens and other stuff then i said can i have a go , that was it i was hooked too.

[Bill Wyko]

Walked into Woodworkers To get something. Saw a guy turning a candle holder. Dick, the manager said the jet mini was on sale for 199.00 and it was a good cheap hobby:confused: . He also recomended the book about Ray Allan and a customer recomended the book by Malcolm Tibbetts. I turned a couple solid pieces then read the books and started segmenting. Here we are 10k plus for tools and workshop 6 months later. :eek: Haven't made a dime at it yet.:(

[Andy Hoyt]

First lathe I ever saw in person was a Mayo.

Need I say more?

[Jude Kingery]

That's fun reading through how everyone got started!!! I was a kid when my Dad set up a lathe in the shop (shop was fully equipped with radial arm saw, table saw, industrial drill press, grinder, torch, electric welder, etc) and we were welcome to use anything in the shop we liked; Dad was great to work with - always just encouraged us, never really worried much about safety really, just "use good sense, you'll be fine, watch your fingers." So I was maybe 8 or 9 years old the first time I turned something on his Wood Wizard, a little bench lathe made in maybe 1938. He got it used.

Turned my last bowl, cup and handle when I was probably 15 and went to work full time, finished school, college, had a 30 year career. About 9 years ago or so my brother asked me if I wanted Dad's little lathe. Said he wasn't using it and I said sure!!! So the Wood Wizard came to Texas from Colorado and my husband built an incredibly sturdy bench for it. Set it up just like Dad had it when we were kids. Mounted a motor for it, got a new belt. So I turned a few things on it and really enjoyed it. Started looking around about 5-6 years ago for a big lathe and did a lot of research. Decided on a VB-36. Have REALLY enjoyed both lathes!!! I have one wood turning/piano lessons student and he uses the little Wood Wizard. He's made three things now and wants to get his Scout badge in woodworking. He's doing very well, is 10 years old. Truth be known I think he likes the wood turning lessons better than his piano lessons, ha! But he's doing well at both.

When I semi-retired 3 years ago, I have been fortunate to have lots of time when I'm not substitute teaching, for turning! So now we keep both lathes fairly busy. My husband has turned some on the big lathe. We've made quite a few bowls for gifts for family and friends which is very personally satisfying. And then I've sold quite a few bowls and candle sticks through a gallery a friend owns. So it's great fun!!!

And yep, as has been mentioned by several folks - thanks, Dad! What a great guy, miss him dearly, but what a great Dad he was. Enjoyed reading everyone's posts in this thread!!! Thanks, guys and girls!

Jude

[Dennis Peacock]

Great posts and stories here folks.....keep'em comin'. :D

[Joe Melton]

I thought I would make pens and quit my day job. I'm not quite there yet.
Joe

[Dennis Peacock]

I thought I would make pens and quit my day job. I'm not quite there yet.
Joe

LOL!!!!!!! Neither am I Joe....neither am I. :)

[Don Snethen]

Dennis,

Like you it all started in about the eighth grade shop class. I made a smoking stand (to hold an ash tray) on the lathe from glued-up Tennessee cedar. It was spindle turning. I did no more turning then until seven years ago when I turned my first bowl and my first pens. Been hooked ever since and am on my fourth lathe now.

Don

[dennis kranz]

I'm just getting started in this turning stuff. I had been doing a lot of scroll saw items for the last 5 years. Thought I would expand what I was doing. You know work the two of them together. Now if I could remember where I put the scroll saw.
Dennis

[Jonathon Spafford]

Almost four years ago, I believe, is when I started! I had gotten into carving golf balls. If you cut open a golfball, most of them have a rubber core that you can carve... so I had a book and was carving faces in the golfballs. I had originally been cutting these open with a hacksaw, but it was a pain and it took a while, so for Christmas my dad bought me a mini lathe to cut them open with. The first thing I did was take the lathe into the garage, stick a square piece of wood onto the lathe, position the rest around six inches away from the piece, and stick a skew chisel point first into the wood (*insert loud bang here). Well, shortly after, I got Richard Raffan's Turning Wood book and basically taught myself to turn... I really started to progress when I started to get around other turners and started going to seminars! Anyway, I'm not the best, but I have fun! Great hobby!

[Benjamin Dahl]

new to turning. took a pen turning class at highland hardware in January '07. bought a rikon mini a week later and have been turning on it since. still enjoy flatwork and don't see myself giving that up but looking to spend more time turning and will probably buy a larger lathe this year. really enjoy this site, though I find it is a little too addictive as there are so many excellent pieces being displayed.
Ben

[Brian Myers]

Sounds like most people here got their first taste early in life. If you would have asked me in high school if I would ever want a lathe the answer would have been a solid NO! All I thought a lathe was used for was turning spindles for furniture - BORING thought for a teen. Summer of 2005 I stumbled across Woodturners Resource on the net. I searched the internet further for turning and saw so much, that I knew I wanted to trt it. In October 05 I scraped together enough cash to buy my HF lathes and tools. It has been a steady and more expensive downhill spiral from there.:eek: Does the lusting for better, larger and more expensive tools ever stop?:eek::eek::eek::eek::(

[Nancy Laird]

... really enjoy this site, though I find it is a little too addictive as there are so many excellent pieces being displayed.
Ben

Ben, you haven't seen addictive yet! Wait until you get off pens and start turning bottle stoppers, then move on up to other things. I haven't gotten past the stoppers yet, but I'm already making a list of things I want to do, have a pile of turning blanks calling my name, and that doesn't even count the 200 or so pen blanks I have sitting there.:eek:

Time is the enemy as far as I'm concerned. Not enough of it, and it goes too fast. I need sleep too.

Nancy

[Curt Fuller]

Dennis, this was a great idea to get everyone out of the closet and talking about their addiction. You learn a lot about folks by reading what makes them tick.

[Dennis Peacock]

Dennis, this was a great idea to get everyone out of the closet and talking about their addiction. You learn a lot about folks by reading what makes them tick.

Curt,

It's all about "community". It takes ALL of us to build a good strong community. The turners used to be a great family. It's time to put it back in place as a GREAT Family. This is just a start. ;)

[Kim Ford]

I grew up in a construction family family. I remember going to my dad's commercial cabinet shop when I came home from kindergarten. Both of my grandfathers and most of my uncles were carpenters and wood working was what we did. Not one of the whole bunch had ever used a lathe, nor did they want to; it was slow, and they just ordered spindles for what they needed. I had a shop class in 7th grade and turned a couple of spindles and thought this is okay but it’s only two dimensional and all you do is sand to get them smooth.

In 1990 I went to an estate sale and there was this 12” Rockwell/Delta with all the tooling, including a cheap set of tools, but what interested me was a set of 6 Sorby 2 x 3/8”scrapers and a book by Peter Child that went with the deal. I really wasn’t very interested but looking at those bowl scrapers I thought, wow, this are really made to do something. I was paging through Child’s book when the widow made me a deal for the whole lot for $300. We lived on Whidbey Island at the time, out in Puget Sound and I thought I would give it a try. So I put in a 2x2 between centers, tore the grain up pretty bad and thought; well now I have a lathe and all I need is a lot of sandpaper. It sat for a couple of months until one day my brother gave me as a present “Turning Wood” by Richard Raffan. Life changed. I had no idea you could turn green wood from a log and that when you got done you actually had a bowl. It was a Sunday afternoon, we heated by wood in those days and I had spent all of previous day cutting rounds for the fire wood pile. We lived in the middle of the forest and trees of all varieties were endless, so I walked out to the firewood pile, found a madrone round, pulled out my chainsaw, and into the vortex I fell. I only had those scrapers which were sharp and burnished from the previous owner and I made a 7” by ¼” wall reverse curve bowl finishing it with only half a sheet of sandpaper. I stuck it in the microwave, dried it out and I still have it. After that I got a 3/8” Sorby bowl gouge and just didn’t stop. I turned aggressively to the limits of the lathe for 5 years and gave away most of my work. The last piece before I sold the lathe was a elm log that had to have weighed 60 pounds, I mounded it on the outboard side and I followed the lathe around the room to try to get it round. I decided my next lathe would have variable speed and have a little more mass.

A ten plus year sabbatical followed. We put two kids through college, moved to Wisconsin and bought a farm. All the time I was looking for my next lathe. I found it this year and back in it I am. The lathe is an Oliver pattern makers lathe, it weighs about 2,600 lbs, and I put a VFD on the motor. This one seems to stay put.

[Lisa Gilbert]

It's my husband's fault. He loves woodworking (when he has time) and wanted me out in the shop with him (and equally addicted), so he suggested son #1 and I take a pen turning class. We both loved it and came home begging for a lathe, which we received for Christmas. The boy is far more adventurous than his mama (he doesn't mind watching things explode), but we're both having lots of fun. I home school our four children, which doesn't leave me lots of free time, and I'm a fair-weather turner (when it's cold, I knit!), and we haven't had much fair weather since Christmas (now it's been 13 days since our latest foot of snow), so I haven't progressed much beyond pens and rolling pins, but I'm looking forward to learning much more this summer. I have several cords of blanks stacked in the back yard waiting for me (my husband prefers to call them firewood, but if I write "Turn it, don't burn it" on a log, he respects my wishes -- they usually end up firewood when I'm done with them anyway:rolleyes: ).

[Chas Jones]

Hope you don't mind but I submitted this to a UK forum a couple of months back and I can't think of a better way of putting it.

With me it was a spur of the moment thing at the end of a rather traumatic few months of family stress involving my 98 yr.old mother.

All my life I have been in the situation where if you wanted something you just set to and made or built it, it was the norm in our family, be it a new garage, barn door, gate, new house extension, kitchen cupboard, driveway etc. personal labour is cheap.

Having retired early and spent 10 years or so generally extending, building, pathing, etc. the living space was DIYed to the limit and I was getting more than a little tired of being a good neighbour to one and all.

I had bought one or two attractive but functional pieces of turning whilst out and about and one day whilst collecting my thoughts when the trauma subsided I looked at one of the pieces and thought, well if he could do it, surely I could.

This resulted in the purchase of a cheap lathe, followed by the more than equal expenditure of essential bits and pieces to get started.

Then came the horrible thought that I had no idea what to make, lets face it the table lamp made at school is still around somewhere and you can only absorb so many bowls etc..

For a few weeks due to other commitments "the lathe” sat in all it’s glory with the odd bit of wood mangled nearby and a reluctance to admit that it was a bit intimidating, which was daft really as I was making micrometer grade tools in my teens using far more sophisticated machines.

Then it happened, a piece of spalted beech that had been given to me was mounted and an hour or so latter This was the result

The unstinting encouragement from members of the UK forum for my amateurish outpourings proved a lifeline, to say our lives have been transformed is not an exaggeration, we have travelled to areas of the British Isles we would not have contemplated, met interesting people in the UK and abroad and made friends anew, got involved with numerous projects and have a full calendar for months ahead as a result, sometimes of a tenuous nature, but nearly always because I started turning.
_________________

[Jim Becker]

My first experience...a pen turning class at the then-local Woodcraft by Bill Grumbine...planted the seed. A few years later, I bought an HFT 34706 lathe and fell down the slippery slope. And then there was the OneWay 1018 with all the trimmings. Followed, of course, by the Stubby 750. And quite a few really interesting turnings along the way. I only wish I had more time to turn...it brings me great enjoyment.

[Barry Stratton]

Good thread Dennis!

My answer it is simple - You folks here at the Creek did. Seeing the amazing stuff you post everyday made me think I could do it. The bombing of "Fitz" a year and 1/2 ago pushed me into the vortex. I ordered up a Jet mini Vs and proceded to make chips, chunks, curls, and dust. I haven't at all for quite awhile, but I guess moving and retirning will do that to a person. I hope to have my "new" shop up and running in July, complete with a new, BIG mustard monster......:D

[Mark Patoka]

I was sucked into the vortex a few years ago when my wife wanted me to build her an end table with a turned leg. New project = new tool so picked up a Jet mini with extension bed and completed the table.

I had been admiring all the fine bowls and other turned projects that were being posted here and back on the Pond so I had to try my hand at that. Then along came the Freedom Pens Project and that got me hooked on turning pens and I was able to contribute a number to that cause. That led me to start selling pens to help support this part of my hobby.

Since then woodturning has "required" me to purchase a chainsaw, used bandsaw, videos, tools, a bigger lathe.... It never ends.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Blame my beginning on turkeys.... I decided I'd learn how to turkey hunt. Knowing nothing, I got a few pointers and sat out a few early mornings listening to the gobbles while 'playing' with a pot call. Boredom set in (sort of) so I whittled a striker as I waited for the elusive tom. Lo and behold! I called in a bird with the ugliest striker imaginable! So, figured if I could whittle a striker I could learn to turn pots on a lathe. I got equipment and tool suggestions from other call makers. Then the TERROR! Turning on the lathe! I just knew I'd kill myself with something flying off the lathe. I grew up in a family where we were lucky to have an electric hand drill. Of course I wasn't supposed to use it, since I was 'just' a girl. To shorten the story.... I finally got my first pot turned (so ugly it would of scared off a turkey!) Then a second... They improved enough to the point I can actually pay for my 'hobby' now. Seeing all the fantastic things you all make has been inspiring (and frustrating :eek: ) One day I'll run across someone local that can point me in a better direction than just trying to learn on my own.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Iwas as happy as a tornado in a trailer park[not my original saying] doing flat work in my woodshop.one day my son-in-law asked me if I wanted his lathe. He had been rear-ended in his truck and later had bone cancer which was terminal. I said yes. It is a delta vs 45-701 500 to 2000 vs.I turned about 500 pens on it. Later bought a jet mini.then later bought a PM3520b. Add to that over 50 turning toolsThen added 2 sharpening jigs--- anybody found a cure for this addiction? I need one badly. Max

[Nancy Laird]

No, Max, there is no cure or 12-step program or rehab. See this thread for the opinions of the turners here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=53739

I think everyone had a good laugh over this one.

Nancy

[Joseph Peacock]

Well I was waching my dad turn some, and I though it would cool to do that and I tryed and it was fun. So I got hooked on woodturning, and that's my story.;) :D :cool:

[Keith Burns]

This has been a great read everybody ! I can't remember exactly when I started turning but it has been a number of years ago. I, like others was doing "flatworK" and as is my custom, when traveling I stoped at a tool store in Arkansas. There set a cheap import lathe for about a $100.00. I said to myself " Self, you can turn things of beauty". Boy was I WRONG !! Truthfully, turning has been and continues to be a passion with me and I learn something new every time I turn my lathe on.

[Mark Pruitt]

Initial interest--HS shop class, where the teacher commented one day about wanting to add a lathe. I grunted, "Mmmm, lathe. Me want one." Teacher couldn't get one. Interest died.

Second try--ShopSmith demo in a shopping mall. Watched the demonstrator turn a couple of small pieces and thought to myself, "Mmmm, lathe. Me want one." Not enough space in apartment, too many other things happening. Interest died again.

And then on the third day.....

Standing in shop, idle for a moment after gluing up a couple of flatwork pieces, looked at lathe standing at back of shop, and said to myself, "Mmmmm, lathe. There sit one." Picked up a block of wood, spent the next 6 hours or so turning a bowl. Interest peaked, sucked helplessly into Vortex.

BTW, that was one year ago today. 5/21/06. I wonder if the LOML will fix me an anniversary dinner tonight.....:rolleyes:

[Don Orr]

I never got to turn in shop class as a kid and my Father was not a woodworker. I took a pen turning class with our local woodworking club and was hooked. Well 5 lathes later, loads of tools, tons of wood, and a whole new shop (spent my inheritance on it) I'm really still getting started. I have been turning for over 6 years but have so much to learn and try yet.

This has been a fun thread:D .

[Ron Ainge]

Well my story did not start in school; I was too busy chasing the other sex at that time. It started about 4 years ago when I went to an auction of school equipment. There were four lathes there and I though to myself that if I got one of them I could probably sell it and make some money out of the deal. Well I bought one of the lathes and took it home. I cleaned it up and a few weeks later we had a yard sale, I put the lathe out in the sale and no one even looked at it. The lathe set in my garage for another six months before I decided that I would buy some Harbor Freight tools and give it a try. Well I now own that lathe and two others plus more chucks, gouges and other equipment for the lathe than I care to admit. I have been fortunate enough to have a very fine wood turner as a friend and he does a demo at the local Woodcraft store every Thursday night so I get weekly lessons and love it. I have had the great honor of being elected as the treasure of the local woodturning club this year and I have for the past two year done demos for the club at the woodworkers show in Denver, Co.. Each of the past two summers my mentor and two other fellow turners have had the JOY of making spinning tops and allowing the kid paint them at a local festival that they have in this area. Last year we gave away 1100 tops to the kids, many of them told us that they had been there the last year and they wanted another top this year. I don't know who had the most fun the four of us old geezers or the kids that painter the tops. I am sure glad that no one bought that lathe when I had it in that yard sale...:D :D :D

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

I started turning when I met Bill Grumbine in Easton Pa. I used to go over to Easton while on numerous business trips to Morristown NJ. Bill would invite me to his home and I would enjoy many fine evenings sharing thoughts about wood etc back then. I made good friends with other woodworkers during some of those trips like Colonel George Dart, John Renzetti and John Aniano.....the old BP days..

I turned some furniture parts and I was hooked, sort of...

Since then I have met You Dennis and many other woodworkers...furniture makers and turners...I've even been to Arizona and visited with Wally DIckerman, Saw the world famous beading tool as well...kind people who are willing to share, be friends and enjoy helping:)

[Chris LaPine]

My first introduction was in Grade 7 shop where I made a small table which I still have. The wood working bug stayed with me even though my career went into electronics. As the years have passed the passion was nutured and the tool base slowly grew with the full intention of spending my retirement years in the shop. I bought a lathe (Craftex) a few years back and played around a bit, but now the turning bug is much stronger and I hope to produce some work this year.
Chris