Best wood for a beginner (yes, I’m crazy)

My wife bought our grandson a very small, low power lathe for his fifth birthday. We live on the same property and the thing will live in my shop. He won’t use it without supervision. I have some doubts about this enterprise but who knows?

https://www.mindware.orientaltrading...-a2-45021.fltr

It comes with a few dowel rods for turning but I’m guessing (hoping) that he will burn through those and want more. What is the best wood for this?
The motor has very low power but the provided tool is very small. No rainforest wood. I don’t want to mess with dust collection so low toxicity.

I have a Glendo Accufinish which will make sharpening very safe. It’s a very low speed diamond disk so no heat.

to start out, money isn’t really an issue. The blanks are about 1” diameter and 5” long.

If he really takes to it, I have a Sherline metal lathe that I can adapt for wood turning.

I'd guess some of the standard lightweight "white wood" dowels from the big box store would be a good match for this little tool. Around me, dowels are offered in two species: generic white wood (probably some sort of poplar?) and then oak. The oak will not turn well on that lathe, but the poplar might? I'm guessing that's what the wood that came with this tool is.

Many years ago when I got my midi lathe, I laminated 4/4 pine to get about 3×3 blanks. You could just buy a 8' 4x4 at HD and cut it to 12" lengths. For smaller spindle projects, rip some 2x to 2x2. You could cut 2x8 into lengths and cut rounds on a bandsaw to do some face turning.

What age is the grandson?

Dry pine 2x4s cut into squares are great for practice. Soft maple is good for making things. A favorite is cherry.

The toxicity of the wood is probably not as important as the fine dust from any wood which can cause long term lung damage and trigger allergies. Fine dust can come from both turning and sanding. A good dist mask or respirator can help a lot. I use one even with a good dust collector running.

Five years old.

there’s no provision for face turning with this lathe. If we graduate to the sherline, I have both three and four jaw chucks.

I suspect “rounding” square stock on this device is not within its capabilities. I would stick to dowels. Basswood is very soft and perhaps find a friend with a lathe, or use your metal lathe, to fashion round stock from basswood, soft maple or cherry.

I had my son turning when he was 8, five would have been pushing it. Sharp knives are involved. He had fun with a small roughing gouge.

Poplar is great, cuts well and is cheap. A round tree branch would also be a good choice, turning green wood is a lot easier and it comes round, for free.

I have turned several spinning tops and while still attached to the lathe, let my 6 year-old son color them with markers as they spin at low speeds. Haven’t let him use a gouge yet, but let us know how it goes.
Tom

I would focus less on what's easiest to turn and more on what will make him want to use it. For example, if you were to take a branch from a tree and have him go from branch to something that he likes, say a toy or something else might be better than taking a round piece of wood and making it a different shape of round. When I was around that age things like rock tumblers fascinated me. In went a stone I picked off the ground and out came a polished rock. It was like the ground was full of gold just waiting for me. A good pair of loppers should be able to quickly make plenty of blanks. What types of trees grow around you?

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Originally Posted by Roger Feeley

Five years old.

there’s no provision for face turning with this lathe. If we graduate to the sherline, I have both three and four jaw chucks.

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Three jaw machinist chucks don't hold wood well and can be dangerous.
Unlike four jaw scroll chucks for woodturning four jaw machinist chucks with independent adjustment on each jaw are difficult to use. In addition, the jaws are not made to grip wood as well.

I've had several 5 to 10-year olds at the lathe. I let them mark out the piece, help me hold the tool for some cuts, do some sanding, and cut off the spindle with a little saw, help apply finish.

A popular and easy project is to make some little christmas trees. I use a light-colored wood like white pine or soft maple. I do the turning and sanding, they color with markers as the lathe turns slowly in reverse or turned by hand. They are so excited to put these on the tree and to give as presents.

Attachment 445330 Attachment 445331 Attachment 445332

When they are a little older I let them do more.

Attachment 445335

It is nice to always have a simple project to work on and use a fast-drying finish so they can go home with something. It's important to keep the sessions short for younger kids.

JKJ

That has a sewing machine motor on it. I'd suggest rigid pink foam to start with.

Hmmm.... we do have two holly trees. Maybe they need some pruning.

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Originally Posted by Alex Zeller

I would focus less on what's easiest to turn and more on what will make him want to use it. For example, if you were to take a branch from a tree and have him go from branch to something that he likes, say a toy or something else might be better than taking a round piece of wood and making it a different shape of round. When I was around that age things like rock tumblers fascinated me. In went a stone I picked off the ground and out came a polished rock. It was like the ground was full of gold just waiting for me. A good pair of loppers should be able to quickly make plenty of blanks. What types of trees grow around you?

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My Grandson will be 5 in January. If you asked him what he wanted to make, he would say Spiderman. A 5 year old will not be capable of making toys. Someone is going to have to actually hold his hand and really just make the part with his hand on it. It is if as you say, make something besides a round piece of wood. I really don't think a 5 year old will be able to do the subtle motions required to do anything but stall the tiny motor on that thing with wood in it.

I think my now teenage grandsons were 5 and 7 when they started on the lathe. If I had photos they would look a lot like John's. We made a small platform so they would be tall enough, and I stood behind them. At first they just add hands on the tool and I did most of the turning. We made pens, snowmen, and similar spindle turnings. Painting was always enjoyable for them. Something about holding a paint brush to a spinning piece of wood seemed like magic. For many years the boys made Christmas gifts for their teachers and parents. My wife took lots of photos and made cards that showed the teacher how the piece was made. They were very well received. The youngest got into drilling and thought turning the handwheel on the end of the lathe was great fun. We made a lot of simple boxes with interior dimensions the same as my largest bit. Sometimes things got refined or better sanded after they went home. I am glad to see you introducing kids to turning. We should all teach a youngster not and then. Keeps us young and we learn something from each of them.