New Turner

[Jerome Hanby]

My wife is wanting to learn to turn. She saw some project where someone had glued up a stack of plywood squares and turned a candle holder from them. I'm pretty sure you would have to use some high quality (Baltic Birch at least) to even get close to that being safe. Even then the whole deal strikes me as something left to an expert. Her main concern is finding something cheap for learning. While I appreciate cheap, I don't want her getting injured. Any suggestions for something cheap to get started? Eons ago, the only turning I ever did was on scraps of 2/4 split down the middle and a few chunks of 4x4. Good thing 12 year old boys are invincible or I would have killed myself (I did eventually kill the Lathe, in retrospect I can see it was pretty much a piece of crap, direct drive piece of junk, but I had fun until it died).

[Bruce Pennell]

Jerome firewood is the cheapest. My Grandson came down from Utah last month had him go out to the back yard with a chainsaw and cut about 5 limbs to turn. 2x4 split in half are great for spindle work.
Jerome if you have a woodcraft or turning club near you get her a lesson or two. I just started about three months ago, joined a club about 50 miles away, Woodcraft classes have been either full or canceled, so I've used a lot of DVD's and SMC as my learning platform.
Tell her to be safe and have a lot of fun.....Bruce

[Bruce Pennell]

Jerome if you are looking for a used lathe, check out Craigs List in your area, check with the guy's at your local turning club or woodworking stores. A lot of people start with the Variable speed jet mini, with bed ext......Good Luck
I forgot to tell you this isn't a cheap hobby, but you can use free firewood...HeHe!

[Jerome Hanby]

I've got my Shopsmith for her to turn on. Hopefully I can find a good deal on a speed reducer before she gets too ambitious. There is a foundation course available on Amazon that I've heard good things about. I've also raided our local libraries for material. Once she's over her beginning jitters, a Woodcraft course sounds like just the ticket. Maybe I can go too!

Jerome if you are looking for a used lathe, check out Craigs List in your area, check with the guy's at your local turning club or woodworking stores. A lot of people start with the Variable speed jet mini, with bed ext......Good Luck
I forgot to tell you this isn't a cheap hobby, but you can use free firewood...HeHe!

[curtis rosche]

as for turning plywood. it is fun and works well, just a little tough on the tools because of the epoxy. check out the things i have made from different plywoods, the one post is Paralam bowl the other one i think is Plywood platter. those were just pine and epoxy that i got from construction sites, they were beams

[curtis rosche]

you have no more worry about plywood than you would with anyother wood. i have never had a peice blow up on the lathe, i had a peice com completly off the lathe, and a peice that stupid me forgot to attatch, but of the peices ive turned i think i felt the safest with the plywood, other than apple of course.

[Ron Ainge]

If your wife is interested in learning to turn I would suggest that you get here some classes from a qualified turner that can teach her the proper way to turn instead of letting her try it by her self. It is easier to teach some one that has not turned before the get to class than it is to try to unlearn some bad habits that they learned before they take instruction.

you may find it hard to get turning supplies for the Shop Smith that you have because they have an odd sized spindle.

Best wishes and I hope she like turning as much as the inmates on SMC...

[Colin Wollerman]

Jerome, I am starting up on an old SS too. Just ordered some tools that were recommended by some of the fellas here at the Creek (thanks).
I am planning to start out on some Poplar. Seems like it would be pretty forgiving and not too pricey. I would be interested in any quirky ShopSmith things you might run into. I know a little less than nothing about wood turning and need all the help I can get. I will keep an eye out for your post. Thanks,
C

[curtis rosche]

if you have tulip poplar, that stuff stinks really bad when you turn it