Thoughts about turning

[Gary Keedwell]

I have intentionally posted this thread on this forum to get opinions on how many conventional woodworkers (furniture and cabinetry) have thought about investing in a lathe and adding turning to your repertoire. As a machinist in a prior life, I always shied away from turning because as a beginner, that's all the work they would let me do. As I got more involved I concentrated on milling because thats where the money was, plus I alway thought lathe work was boring.
Now that I look back, I think it was boring because I was doing production work. Making 200 identical parts can be very tedious.
But now since I have been online the last few years, I have been reading about the joys of working ( sorry, having fun) on the lathe creating one beautiful turning at a time and that intrigues me.
Are there any posters on this forum that have any thoughts about turning?
Gary

[John Karam]

Well for me, I've shied away from turning more because I have little experience with it. I love the idea and sure I would enjoy it but right now I'm just trying to master the other aspects of the shop. Also, start up costs can be pricey. I'm hoping to find a good price on a lathe and chisels one of these days on craigslist or something.

I like to build furniture, so I can definitely see good uses for a lathe in the furniture making process.

[Bill Wyko]

I do both. I do segmented turnings as well as humidors, jewelry boxes and keepsake boxes. I've built some furniture and a couple kitchens as well. Turning is quite enjoyable. There's something about a piece appearing right before your eyes as the ribbon of wood peels away to reveal your creation. Fair warning though......it's a vortex.

[Mick Zelaska]

I bought a mini-lathe just to re-acquaint myself with woodturning from high school woodshop 40 years ago and have some experience should I ever need to turn something for a project. I forgot how much fun turning can be.

Mini-lathe $275
Starter set of turning tools $125
Enjoyment - Priceless

[Gary Keedwell]

I bought a mini-lathe just to re-acquaint myself with woodturning from high school woodshop 40 years ago and have some experience should I ever need to turn something for a project. I forgot how much fun turning can be.

Mini-lathe $275
Starter set of turning tools $125
Enjoyment - Priceless

I thought about the min-lathe but I hear so many posts that say that the mini was their first and I figured I could skip that and step right up to a full sized lathe.
I think a mini would be fine if all I wanted to do is small stuff like pens, but I want the capacity to do spindles and bowls.
What I'm afraid of is the it will turn (pun intended) into a vortex like Bill W has said. I'm thinking the initial $$$ could be a little hard to swallow but looking om the bright side, I heard the wood is basically free
Gary

[Nancy Laird]

I thought about the min-lathe but I hear so many posts that say that the mini was their first and I figured I could skip that and step right up to a full sized lathe.
I think a mini would be fine if all I wanted to do is small stuff like pens, but I want the capacity to do spindles and bowls.
What I'm afraid of is the it will turn (pun intended) into a vortex like Bill W has said. I'm thinking the initial $$$ could be a little hard to swallow but looking om the bright side, I heard the wood is basically free
Gary

Gary, starting with a mini can let you get into turning with a lesser amount of $$$, but be warned, even a mini can turn into a money pit. DAMHIKT!!!!

You might check out a Woodcraft for a demo or lessons, or go to a woodturners' meeting a time or two and use your best hang-dog homeless-puppy look to get a turner to let you try your hand at turning something. Who knows, it may turn out that you don't like turning as much as you like flatwork.

But I warn you---that won't happen. The sheer joy of chucking up a nondescript piece of wood and turning it into a thing of beauty in the space of a couple of hours is something that can't be described, only experienced. And once you experience it, you are hooked!!!!

Costs?? Hmmm. How deep are your pockets? Or...how high is the limit on your VISA card?

You'll need:
Lathe--with stand
Chucks - yes, plural - different ones for different uses
Turning tools - lots and lots of turning tools
Mandrels for pens and/or stoppers
(Subhead: pen kits, bushing sets, pen blanks, stopper kits, bushings, blanks, pen boxes)
Live centers
Bowl steady and spindle steady
Hollowing tools
Coring tools
Laser measuring tools
Sandpaper - LOTS of sandpaper
Finishing supplies
Trend airshield -- a turning helmet at the very least
Turning smock - to keep the chips out of your shorts and pockets (and your wife's washing machine)
Digital camera - to take pictures of all of your turned pieces to show off on SMC
Photo booth - in which to take the above pictures
New shelving for your home on which to display all of your turned pieces.

Yep, it's a vortex, but a very satisfying one. I'll tell you like I tell a lot of newbie turners--when you buy that first lathe, it's like you are buying an empty CPU tower--they are cheap; it's all of the inside stuff that makes the computer run that adds to the price. It's the same way with turning. Just take out your wallet and remove the money, take a photo of it and tack it on the shop wall so you can see it--because it will be THE LAST you will see of it.

FAIR WARNING: Do NOT order an edition of the Woodturners' Catalog from Craft Supplies USA until you are ready to spend some serious money!!!

Nancy (who obviously fell hard and fast)
(51 days)

[Al Wasser]

To me the vortex grabs ya when you can be creative - that is turn what you want. I find turning a drag when I need to turn two or more things the same, like table legs, or matching bowls for a set. The first one is creative but the second and on is work

[Gary Keedwell]

Gary, starting with a mini can let you get into turning with a lesser amount of $$$, but be warned, even a mini can turn into a money pit. DAMHIKT!!!!

You might check out a Woodcraft for a demo or lessons, or go to a woodturners' meeting a time or two and use your best hang-dog homeless-puppy look to get a turner to let you try your hand at turning something. Who knows, it may turn out that you don't like turning as much as you like flatwork.

But I warn you---that won't happen. The sheer joy of chucking up a nondescript piece of wood and turning it into a thing of beauty in the space of a couple of hours is something that can't be described, only experienced. And once you experience it, you are hooked!!!!

Costs?? Hmmm. How deep are your pockets? Or...how high is the limit on your VISA card?

You'll need:
Lathe--with stand
Chucks - yes, plural - different ones for different uses
Turning tools - lots and lots of turning tools
Mandrels for pens and/or stoppers
(Subhead: pen kits, bushing sets, pen blanks, stopper kits, bushings, blanks, pen boxes)
Live centers
Bowl steady and spindle steady
Hollowing tools
Coring tools
Laser measuring tools
Sandpaper - LOTS of sandpaper
Finishing supplies
Trend airshield -- a turning helmet at the very least
Turning smock - to keep the chips out of your shorts and pockets (and your wife's washing machine)
Digital camera - to take pictures of all of your turned pieces to show off on SMC
Photo booth - in which to take the above pictures
New shelving for your home on which to display all of your turned pieces.

Yep, it's a vortex, but a very satisfying one. I'll tell you like I tell a lot of newbie turners--when you buy that first lathe, it's like you are buying an empty CPU tower--they are cheap; it's all of the inside stuff that makes the computer run that adds to the price. It's the same way with turning. Just take out your wallet and remove the money, take a photo of it and tack it on the shop wall so you can see it--because it will be THE LAST you will see of it.

FAIR WARNING: Do NOT order an edition of the Woodturners' Catalog from Craft Supplies USA until you are ready to spend some serious money!!!

Nancy (who obviously fell hard and fast)
(51 days)

Nancy,
Thank-you for your comprehensive response. I was so impressed with your post that I printed it up for reference.
I don't have an endless source of $$ but I have enough to get myself in trouble The thought of going up a new path and learning new things has always been alluring to me. Researching and buying new tools is fun but also the adventure of going out there and finding new wood seems like fun, too.
I do have metal turning experience so I do have a leg up as far as being a newbie. I know it is completely different , but that's what is getting me excited.
It will be awhile down the road because I have a few projects that I want to complete. When I finally get into it ..I want to dedicate all my woodworking time to it.
Well, I guess I better go through the books and see where I can steal some of my own money.
Gary

[Mike Golka]

I am new to turning as well, just bought my lathe in August. I figured it was the next logical tool for my shop. I have a General 10" TS, 14" BS, 13" planer, 6" jointer, 10" CM saw and a 24" x 36" home made CNC router. The sad truth is now the other tools only get used to support projects for the lathe.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gary....Nancy pretty well covered it.

I built a woodworking shop to build furniture for family and friends in my retirement. I intended to eventually buy a lathe just to be a more rounded woodworker.

Then about 20 months ago the inmates in the turning forum decided I need to be pushed into the Vortex.

My shop finishing was delayed by about 20 months while I played with the lathe they gave me. I'm currently finishing the shop and my my new lathe is sitting along side my new b/s both crated. I won't uncrate them until the shop is finished.

Turning is nearly instant gratification as you can often start and finish a project in one afternoon or evening.

I still plan on building furniture....but I plan on doing more turning than flat work. It's addictive and expensive!

[Bill Ragland]

I got started with a Rikon Mini, chisels, WoodCraft Slow speed grinder, and assorted tools and supplies for making pens. Cost=$575. The Rikon can turn a 12" bowl (or at least the hype says it can) and with a bed extension it can turn long spindles. I don' think I would want to turn for a living but as a hobby I think it is very good because you can finish a project in a day or an hour. That's the aspect that really attracted me. My other current project is taking months and gets boring and tedious at times.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Needed equipment has been pretty well covered so I'll approach this for m a philosophical point of view. Turning is so attractive for many because it is "instant gratification" compared to the making of furniture and many other woodworking pursuits. You can get a recognizable completed project in as few as an hour or two and for folks with limited blocks of time it's an attractive prospect. It also allows one to experiment with various artistic forms at a relatively low cost compared to studio furniture. Personally I do a good bit of spindle turning for the tools I sell and on rare occasions do a bowl or plate too. It's a nice change from flatwork.

Viewed from another perspective turning gives you an additonal skill which can broaden your horizons for making furniture. You are no longer limited to buying the limited variety of turned legs, pegs, and other parts generally available. Sizing now is up to you and not a vendor and you are not limited in your choice of wood species. Embellishments are easily added to basic leg designs. Not happy with the handles on your tools because of comfort, size, or design issues.... make and fit your own the way you want them.

In short, turning adds versatility.

[Dan Forman]

I am just now entering the Vortex. One thing to remember, is that while there are a lot of cool things that are nice to have, they are not NECESSARY, at least right away. You can get along for a while with relatively few gouges (5-8), use the basic centers that come with the lathe, a faceplate instead of a fancy chuck, etc. Now you will probably want those cool things for convenience, but they can be added gradually. Some things such as pens will take specialized accessories, but basic spindle items and bowls can be done with a minimum of extras.

The big, fancy (expensive) chucks are a relatively new thing, borrowed from metal lathes. In the old days, bowls and such were scerwed to a faceplate. Lots of the new accessories do make things easier and faster however. You will probably want them sooner than later, but I think some people get the idea that you NEED thousands of $ to get into turning, and that simply isn't true, even though it is certainly easy to spend that much.

I'm in the same position you are, I just bought a Rikon mini, haven't taken it out of the box though because I'm already thinking I will want something bigger, and don't have room for two lathes in my already crowded shop. So it may get returned for one of the big boys. I took a class last night, and I think this is something that I will stick with.

Dan

[Nancy Laird]

Nancy,
Thank-you for your comprehensive response.
Gary

Gary, I forgot sharpening stuff for the turning tools!

Nancy (51 days)

[Bill White]

My lathe is certainly a part of the arsenal. Don't turn every week, but I sure do enjoy the change of pace when I do. Like all segments of our avocation/vocation you can go nuts, or works with some basics.
Good luck.
Bill