Informal poll question...

[Nate Davey]

I'm 40, started a couple years ago. Started doing pens with a Turncrafter Pro VS, moved up to a Jet 1642 saving my pennies for an American Beauty

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi All;
I am 66, retired for the past 5 years and have made turning my main hobby, seriously.
Started turning in High School, had some time away from a lathe for marriage, children and post grad education. Used my FIL's homemade lathe for about 41 years, then in January 2010 I bought a "fantastic" DVR XP and the specialized tooling to make it even more fantastic. I use almost all Oneway attachments, two Stronghold chucks, attachments and many other bits and pieces to make turning lots of fun. Added a Monster Articulated hollowing system in Feb of 2011 and that sure takes hollowing up a notch.
Reading, watching videos and constantly learning and trying new things. Self taught with lots of great help from my two main forums, (Woodworking Friends and Sawmill Creek). Very interesting to read about all of you, thanks.
Peter F.

[Baxter Smith]

Will be 57 next month though I don't feel a day over 56. First watched a distant relative turn on a treadle lathe in the early 60's. 8th grade shop allowed the use of the lathe so 1967 was my first turning experience. The lathe was green so probably a PM 45. Loved shop and my grandparents wanted to get me something for Christmas... so I dreamed of a lathe. Even had a Delta Rockwell catalog to look at. Ended up getting a Delta Homecraft jig saw on a stand that my Uncle built. The westinghouse motor that came off my great grandmothers butter churn still runs it.

Picked up my first lathe at an auction in the mid 90's. A Yates American, 3 phase. I spent more time rigging up a step pulley on the outboard end to run it than I did actually turning. Picked up a Delta Rockwell VS lathe from that late 60's catalog when a good friend of my fathers passed away in the late 90's. Turned a few pens and spindles the first year I had it but work, family, and other woodworking projects needed to be done first. In December 2009, with the help of what I read here, I tried my first bowl and got hooked. After about 6 months of bowl and hollowform turning, I realized that my 60's dream lathe, wasn't the top of the line anymore. Some of the things I thought I wanted in a lathe matched up with a good craigslist deal on a 3520A about a year ago so I jumped in a little deeper!

[Jeff Fagen]

I am 51 and have had many lathes over the years starting in Jr. high.I really fell into the vortex 2 years ago and am turning on a Delta 46-460 now.

[Bob Hamilton]

I am 57 and started turning in the early 90's on a Delta 46-700. Used it for about 12 years and then moved up to a Nova DVR. Still have the DVR but bought a General 25-114 midi lathe last spring that lets me move out into the back yard in nice weather.

Bob

[Barbara Gill]

65. I have been turning about 10 years. My first lathe was a Nova 3000.

[Russell Neyman]

Will turn 63 this December, and I inherited a Shopsmith from my grandfather in the 1980's and the lathe accessories lay dormant for years. The "system" included some lightweight faceplates and cheap chisels. I have used that five-in-one machine and other garage workshop tools for 30 years to build cabinets and cases, so I'm hardly a novice at woodworking, but I didn't do much turning except the occasional spindle. Couldn't sleep one night in 1998 and went to the garage to work out my frustration, and mounted up a small piece of curly maple and started making sawdust. I cut the entire thing using a skew chisel, mostly getting a finish via sandpaper.

[I should interject, that the Shopsmith is a horrible woodturning lathe. Runs too fast and doesn't have enough weight, but somehow those first few bowls turned out okay.]

Like the others, I'm essentially self-taught, but since I moved to Puget Sound where turners abound I have picked up lots of tips watching the other guys turn. The local Olympic Peninsula Woodturners here include some absolutely wonderful and talented craftsmen, and just listening to them has advanced my skillset. In my case, the biggest advances have more to do with the equipment; a better lathe with greater variable speeds (especially lower speeds, for larger irregular blanks), a sophisticated sharpening station, and refining my finishes have taken me to a point where I'm shown in several galleries. It has been a long, satisfying journey.

If my son were to catch the turning fever -- I think he will, eventually -- my advice will be purchase the best available machinery and to READ/VIEW EVERYTHING he can get his hands on. The biggest deal in chasing the learning curve, I think, is to simply try every possible technique and every type of turning, and don't be afraid to fail.

Adding a postscript to my previous post, because it seems one of the themes here is the progression of equipment:

After the aforementioned Shopsmith, I purchased a very lightweight copy-lathe for $225. Turning on that was like trying to herd cats. So I sold that for $300 (kept some of the tools that came with it) and bought a new Shop Fox 1758 for about $525. I was unhappy with the Shop Fox because it would not go to lower speeds for the large irregulars I do, but also because both the tailstock and tool rest broke easily. Being the wheeler-dealer I am, I sold that for $500 after 18 months and bought my current machine, a slightly used Jet 1442, for $550. Very, very happy with this machine because it has the required variable speed and the head pivots for platter work.

[Rich Aldrich]

I am 49 and started turning a year and a half. I started with the Jet 1642 1 1/2 hp lathe. It has been a blast so far, when I get the chance. However, it has been just a year in termoil, so I havent turned as much as I wanted. I do have a family in logging and a good source of wood when they are in hardwood.

I decided to start turning because the cabinet hobby was too slow. Turning really gets brings out the artist even in an engineer.

Thanks to Steve Schlumpf and Norm Hefke from the Superiorland turners club; they gave me a good start. I need to get back to the meetings again. Like I said, it has been a year of termoil and I havent had much time to devote to turning or meetings.

[willis martin]

hi. I'm 73 retired from the navy(24 years and united tech, started with a !6 inch craftsman and was happy with it until I went to my first swat (then called Texas Turn or two) since then I now have a powermatic and a jet mini Ive set up the craftsman variable speed dedicated to hollowforms No formal lessons but.Much help from our mentor program .dvds and mags. Love to turn turn turn.wsm

[Craig Matheny]

Well I am 50 years old turning 51 in Oct. been turning for less then a month on a shop smith.

[Richard Madden]

This has been a great thread to read. I'm 62 and I have been turning for almost 4 years. Had a woodworking class in H.S. but no turning. In Oct. of 2007 I bought a Nova 1624-44 and just about all flat work stopped. Some books and DVD's have helped teach me to turn along with the tremendous help from forums like this.

[Donny Lawson]

Guess it's my turn. I'm 44 and done flatwork for 10-12yrs. I fell into the turning vortex about 4yrs ago when a friend wanted to show me how to make pens. I started out with a Ridgid pole lathe. I then bought my Delta 46-460 and used it for about 6 months and my shop burnt. After rebuilding I dug out what I could salvage,built a new shop and bought a Jet 1642 and love the turning world. I just wish I had started turning alot sooner. My Delta still runs like new. It's my pen lathe.

[Wally Wenzel]

I am 83, first lathe was a Dunlop sold by sears don't recall what year that was,early 50's i suppose. Have had a lathe ever since of one kind or other, didn't always do a lot of turning then, but went to Vermont and took a two day course from a turner there about 84 or so and have been doing a little ever since. I think i learned more from this forumn than i did from the two days in vermont, but got to see the north east in the fall, which made it worthwhile.
Wally

[Jim Leslie]

Half past 65 and started turning on a Sears Craftsman tube lathe in the late 70's

[Jim Johnstun]

72 here I started out on an old shopsmith that was purchased from Sears. used that one making polychromastic bowls. didn't know wahat I wass doing but it didn't matter. Bought a new shopsmith when they went basck into production about 1970. Turned on that until about 1981 when i watched a demo by Bob stocksdale. Bought one of his gouges and used it for everything. Got an older delta gap bed lathe. don't remember the model. Then I purchased a Nova 1644. Am still going strong. Jim