Informal poll question...

[Lee Koepke]

Half past 45 ..... I started turning real close to one year ago! I do enjoy it, sometimes I think I am getting better, sometimes I think I have peaked ....haha ... I certainly look forward to the small amount of shop time I manage to squeeze into my weeks ....

[Ed Morgano]

I'm 69, soon to be 70. I've been a machinist and have run a metal lathe since about 1965. Built my first wooden wood lathe in about 1985 to turn pens, spindles etc. I've just been in this vortex of hollow form/bowl/goblet type turning for about 6 months but there's no turning back. I love it.

[Mike Golka]

WOW! This is quite the thread. I'm 55 and started turning a little over 6 yr. ago on a Craftex. About a year later I upgaded to a Oneway 1640.

[Hilel Salomon]

I'm 72 years old and have been turning for five minus one years (One year off because of illness). Haven't had formal classes but I need them badly.
Hilel

[Jay MacDougall]

I'm 37 and have been turning for a little over a year. I used to build furniture but have had no interest since this whole turning thing started. Started with a jet mini lathe and now use a jet 1642.

[Ron McKinley]

I'm almost 73. Started turning about 6 years ago when a friend practically forced his Craftsman 12" mono-tube lathe on me. Got hooked and bought the Jet 10" VS, then the DVR-XP and last year the Delta 46-460 because I couldn't get to my other lathes for awhile due to a move. I haven't taken any classes but have watched a lot of demos by good turners and I have met Wally Dickerman, the Dean of the Turning World, several times and wish I could spend some time with him looking over my shoulders........Ron

[Marc Himes]

I am 63 and was introduced to turning by may father in the late 90's (he passed away in 99). I didn't turn very much until I was able to make my own shop in 2005 starting with his Conover lathe and two years later upgrading to a Powermatic Mustard Monster. I was fortunate enough to take a class at Arrowmont in 2006 and John C. Campbell in 2010. I like to turn just about anything and love to experiment with color and texture. Being in a turning club has been a very enjoyable part of this as well.

[Steve bellinger]

Well i guess i'll join in here. I'm 53 been a carpenter and woodworker for over 30 years. Got me a ridged tube lathe about 4 years ago. Hated it so much that it sat in the corner for over a year untouched till i gave it a way. got a grizzly Go462 keep that for a little over a year till i got the Go698 18/47. self tought all the way, Did go and see john Lucas, and keith burns do a demo, but that's as close as i've come to getting any help.
Steve

[Curt Fuller]

I'm 58, but I'll be 59 in about 9 days. I also started on a Ridgid tube lathe (identical to the Craftsman tube lathe) in 2003. I was at an art festival, admiring some beautiful turned wood, and made the comment that I'd like to try to do that someday. Out of coincidence, my BIL said he had a lathe that was still in the box. He'd had it for a few years but never assembled it. He said if I wanted to use it I could. Next day it was sitting in front of my garage door when I came home from work. A day later it was put together and I was sharpening an old craftsman screwdriver for my first tool and turning a piece of 2x2 fir between centers. Since then it's been a series of herky jerky, 2 steps forward, 1 step back progressions. I eventually gave the Ridgid back to my BIL with about 200,000 miles on it and I now turn on a 1955 model Oliver 159 and a Delta Midi. It's without a doubt the most enjoyable hobby I've ever had.

[Doug W Swanson]

I'm 43 and have been turning about 3.5 years. Or at least I started turning in 2008. Since I seldom get the shop time I desire, I'd say I've really only been turning for one year. My first lathe was a Ridgid WL1236, then a had a Jet 1014 and now have a Jet 1236. And since my daughter won a 1014, I've got two Jet's in the shop.

Now that it's getting cooler, hopefully I'll get more time in the shop!

[Robert Newton]

62 years young, started turning in High School in Frankfurt Germany and have been doing it off and on since then but just got real serious a year ago, it is addictive.

[Greg Just]

I'm 53 and have beeen turning for about 6 years, with 5 years on a Delta 46-715. I upgraded to a Jet 1642 this spring and love it. I gained a Jet 1020 in June when my son won one at the AAW Symposium. I was self taught for the first 4 years and have since taken 2 classes at Marc Adams School in Indiana. Joining the local woodturning club helped a lot too.

[Don Alexander]

i'm 46 .... my now 18 yr old son and i started turning April 2010 on a Rikon Midi mostly pens at first ............. due to various circumstances , actually have turned about 6 months worth or so , bought a Delta 46-460 VS in Feb 2011 to add to the Rikon
so both of us can turn (neither of us like to watch enough to share a lathe hehe ) unfortunately my turning time has been nonexistent since mid June and likely won't improve any until mid december as i have returned to school for the first time in over 25 years

no turning classes or DVD's for me yet , just alot of wood and jumped right in, though several of the wonderful folks here have aided and abetted the trip into the vortex thanks John Keeton, Cathy Schaewe, and Kathy Marshall as well as a long list of the rest of you for helpful tips , suggestions, some gorgeous wood and honest critique
you all ROCK!!!!!

[Don McLeod]

I'm 66 and was first introduced to wood turning way back in the 50's, bought a Beaver lathe in the 70's and turned a few spindles and baseball bats and turned to flat work, about 7 years ago I picked up a used General 260 and started turning again, turned a few pens, some spindles and lots of peppermills. Started turning bowls a couple years ago and it is still an ongoing learning process. I haven't progressed to hollow forms yet. Basically self taught with lots of help from my turning friends, books, DVD's and wood turning forums. When I see some of the turnings on here,WOW, WC etc I realize I'm still in the infant stage of this hobby.

[Earl Reid]

I will be 80 in 8 months. I have been woodworking since about 1945, helping build houses, remodeling, farm work etc.
working in a sawmill, cutting logs.(no chainsaw) Worked in machine shops, and a copper mill.
I did some woodworking on the side. I was 4-f and couldn't get in the service. Got a job in a large chemical plant in 1951 in the power house. Went up through the ranks,became foreman and then in 77 the shut the plant down, Got transfered to Baltimore and the to Chicago. then I also traveled to many of our other plants. I retired in 1989. I was doing woodworking also during most of these yrs
We moved back to Ohio in 1992,Ibuilt a workshop and have been busy ever since.
About 4 years ago my heart problems caught up with me. 2 yrs no shop work. Now I,m back it the shop,part time.
I,m doing some turning and some flat work. I recently gave my son and DIL one of my lathes and a bunch of my tools that went to Va.
They love th lathe