Beginning Wood Turning

[Kenny Southerland]

Hello wood turners,
My daughter has now told me multiple times that she would like to learn wood turning, so I've decided to take her seriously. While I've been doing wood working for about 5 years turning has never been my thing up to now. I was recently able to get a Jet mini lathe on marketplace for $200 (Score!), and I am wanting to know what else I need to get.

We are planning to hold onto the lathe until Christmas and give it to her then. I don't want to go overboard (ok, I totally will), but I don't want to give her a present and then have to buy a whole lot more to use it; if I have to buy things I would rather buy them over time between now and Christmas and give her everything in one big package.

So far she has expressed interest in rings, bowls, and handled items like pizza cutters and bottle openers. She especially likes the items that have wood and epoxy (acrylic?) mixed together which would allow her to be more creative and make original looking items.

So my questions:

• What else should a beginner have to start off?
• Safety equipment? All I know I need is a good face shield.
• I know I'll need plenty of turning chisels, but there are so many different kinds I don't know what to start with
  
  • HHS or carbide?
  • Angles?
  • Is there a good beginner set?
  
  
• The lathe came with a basic chuck and a spindle, should I look at investing in other chucks, etc?
• What are some good beginner projects that will help us learn what we are doing?
• Other general advise you would give beginners?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Brian Brown]

There are many here that can answer your actual questions above, and this is not really what you asked, but I thought I would mention that Craft Supplies USA has a few turning tools in their clearance bin for 25% off. In addition, they have an additional 15% off all clearance items, until Aug 8. Also. if you buy 3 or more turning tools at CS, you get 10 % off all the tools. Not sure if this is correct, but that seems to me to be 25% + 10% for 3, and 15% more off the whole purchase. Didn't do the math, but that should be about 46ish % off. Maybe this can help you stretch your turning dollar.

[Kenny Southerland]

Wow! Thanks!

[Richard Coers]

Get her in a class or find a mentor at a local AAW chapter. You absolutely don't want to buy "plenty" of chisels. Carbide vs HSS can become a wild discussion all by itself. I'm a person that cares more for the craft than making stuff. I feel a lot of satisfaction just doing it correctly, so HSS is always my recommendation. Every person I know that owns a carbide tool also talks about how they can hone them. My main beef with carbide is that you have no bevel to lean on to make a fare curve. It's just about shoving a piece of carbide into the wood and wiggle it around. When I see beginners work, I can tell you exactly which tool they used. Carbide always has tear out and tracks where the cutter moved around making the scraping motion. I've been turning for 37 years now, so please give my advice some consideration. You will get plenty of people telling you I don't know what I am talking about, but they've never sat thru one of my demos either.

[John Keeton]

Richard speaks truth on the carbide tools, with the exception of Hunter Tools. But, I wouldn’t suggest those for a rank beginner. You really don’t yet know if turning will “stick”, so I wouldn’t go overboard unless you are going to turn as well. Like many hobbies/crafts, there is a fair amount of attrition.

You will need a sharpening system and that will cost more than you paid for the lathe. Dull tools is one of the quickest ways to discourage a new turner. I would not buy another chuck yet. Everyone has their own idea of core tools, but generally a 3/8” spindle gouge, 1/2” bowl gouge, parting tool and skew are a good start.

[Edward Weber]

I agree with the other on HSS tools.
Learning with HSS tools is more than just a choice between the two, it teaches you tool presentation and how to understand grain direction, which are crucial in wood turning.
Lathe
Basic tools
Sharpening system
practice stock
Maybe a few inexpensive kits to get started.
You may want to start with spindle projects and save the expense of a chuck for now.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Classes or tutoring lessons with a seasoned teacher would be my advice. I don't have any carbide tools. When I started they weren't available. I agree with Richard and John about tools.

[Kenny Southerland]

Thanks, Richard. I'll keep all that in mind.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I’m going to wade in where angels fear to tread, but I am no angel! If your daughter is wishing to do turning as a hobby and for fun then keep her away from traditional tools. Carbide tools are simple, easy to learn, require minimal investment and provide nearly instant gratification. If she is somewhat mechanically adept with a couple of hours of instruction on carbide tools she will be off having fun and actually making stuff, and progressing quickly.To become somewhat proficient with traditional tools requires hours (read that as many, many hours) of practice. And the need to learn the art of sharpening, with its attendant costs and frustrations.
Three years ago I purchased a sharpening system bought some good T tools and a course on using them, mainly because at my age I needed to learn something new. What a PITA! It was like going from an automatic back to a balky stick shift. Now after lots of hours of practice I’m somewhat able to use them cleanly and safely. Oh yes all the whining about not as smooth surfaces with carbide is correct. More sanding is required (the 80grit gouge) but a small price to pay for ease of learning and having an enjoyable experience quickly.
I practiced dentistry as an enjoyable career and watched the changes, from gold, to porcelain, to ceramic; from silver amalgam to white composite filling, etc. Every advancement was met with “that’s not the way we learned it”. I’m sad to say but sometimes the complaints about carbide tools seem to fall into the same category. “This is how I learned it, and everybody else should too!”

[John Keeton]

Bernie, you sure know how to start a debate! 😀😀😀 I will enjoy the banter, but won’t wade in.

[Reed Gray]

Well, best bet for 'learning experience' would be to find the nearest AAW club. They come with monthly meetings and demonstrations, and were for me when I began, my biggest learning spot. As for tools, well, there is no end to what you can 'need'. Carbide tools do have their place, and I am unusual in that I use scrapers for almost all of my roughing work, and that is what most of the carbide tools are. The Hunter carbide tools are made for cutting similar to what gouges can do. Most beginner 'tool sets' have several tools that you will not ever use. Oh, another thing about clubs is that they come with mentors, and used equipment sales too....

I do have a bunch of videos up on You Tube, mostly about bowl turning.

robo hippy

[Russell Neyman]

Well, best bet for 'learning experience' would be to find the nearest AAW club.... Carbide tools do have their place, and I am unusual in that I use scrapers for almost all of my roughing work, and that is what most of the carbide tools are.... Most beginner 'tool sets' have several tools that you will not ever use.

I couldn't agree more, Reed. I have a thread running parallel to this one about a "Beginner's Tool List" that attempts to tackle the topic. I, too, use a great many scrapers with good success, and understand there are those Old School Purists who have distain for them.

[Bernie Kopfer]

The very sound advice being given here is that the learning experience is: much easier, faster, and safer with instruction from an experienced teacher. Finding a "carbide tool" teacher will probably be more difficult compared to locating "traditional tool" instructors. Try the clubs, there might be a C turner lurking in the closet.😀
But again it all depends on the long term goals of the beginner turner. Planning on museum quality turnings? That will take a few years. Planning on fun utility type turnings? That can happen in a few hours. Learning how to drive a car with an automatic is a good safe place to start. Then if one wants to drive a stick shift it is much easier to learn.

[Bernie Kopfer]

Kenny, you do not state how old your daughter is nor approximate physical size. You asked for a tool recommendation, I would suggest that you look at Simple Woodturning Tools. They are USA made, well liked, and great quality for the $$. Mid size if your daughter is small and you can upsize when needed.
Staying away from the cheap Asian knockoffs, probably goes without saying. Three carbide tools and a parting tool and she is ready to go.

[George Yetka]

Pen kits, bottle stoppers are an easy start.
Each of these kits require a little tooling.
-A bottle stopper mandrel, a drill bit, a tap, and some stoppers is all you need for bottle stoppers and a few other projects.
-CA glue kit for finish is cheap and useful in other places item This can be replaced with a simple finish.
-basic sandpaper and micro mesh for finishing
-I mentioned in another post starting with a cheep set of tools then replacing them as time goes on.