First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe (http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

Patrice Krauss wrote:

First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe
(http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK


Patrice, it isn't the wood. Cedar turns just fine and finishes well. You
will need to make a large pile of wood shavings before things start to look
like you want. In other words, practice, practice, practice. The good
news is that it is not costing you anything for material. Hang in there
you will get the hang of it yet.

Deb

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Whatever's cheap. Around here, that's poplar. Maple, oak, and walnut
aren't too bad, either. Of those, I particularly like to turn walnut. Just
keep practicing!

steve

Patrice
Cedar is nice wood to turn but to start you want green, that is "fresh cut",
wood to practice on. It cuts cleaner and easier and is more forgiving. Take
a look at my website for some tips and projects. Ask lots of questions here.
Nice folks and we like to help.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

(Patrice Krauss) wrote in message . com...
First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe (http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

I am just starting at turning also. There is another thread on green
turning that you should look at. There are links in that will tell
you where to find free wood for turning IE fire wood, dead fall, talk
to a tree cutter, the city compost collection place in our town always
has a lot of green wood.

This is the book that was recomended to me.
http://www.cambiumbooks.com/books/turning/1861081146/
There is a video that goes with this book that you can buy also.
Scott

On 13 Sep 2004 20:28:50 -0700, (Patrice Krauss)
wrote:

First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe (http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK
IMHO, anything that you can safely turn with your setup..

Make a lot of shavings and learn safety up front... getting hurt sort
of lowers your enthusiasm level..

Like anything else, (sports, hobbies, driving, etc.), it takes time
and practice... you won't turn a great bowl your 1st day...

I started with post-type turning... I think it's easier to learn the
fundamentals by making a 3" x 3" stub into shaving and maybe a candle
stick then it is by turning a bowl..

Don't be afraid to use some wood for just learning... no finished
object in mind, just a chunk of wood to practice on with your
"horizonal pottery wheel".. AND HAVE FUN!!

Mac
03 Tahoe Widelite 26GT Travel Trailer
replaced 1958 Hilite tent trailer
99 Dodge Ram QQ 2wd - 5.9L, auto, 3:55 gears

Firewood is best.

Frank Pain - The Practical Woodturner - where the truths of turning
_anything_ are pretty well treated, as well as how to use some antiquated
equipment.

1) Keep the toolrest as close as possible.
2) Cut the wood as it wants to be cut.

"Patrice Krauss" wrote in message
om...
First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe
(http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

Just to jump in on what Mac said, grab a piece of wood and make shavings.
Aveter whatever years I have been turning, it is still a pleasure to put a
piece of wood on and just make shavings. then a few shavings, and maybe some
shavings and so on. If Anyone asks I am pracitcing and developing
"technique." mostly in making shavings :-)

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

I got my lathe almost a year ago and started to practice on leftover 2 X 4s
as well as some limbs and such that were laying around the place. Must've
turned over 50 mushrooms before I ventured out into the bowl arena.
Keep your tools sharp, develop technique (I read a poopload o' books) and
above all safety first.

-Kevin

"Patrice Krauss" wrote in message
om...
First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe
(http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

And I thought I was the only one that enjoyed just making shavings, and
it's a good thing my son loves to hand feed my dust collector other wise
I would be neck deep in shavings.

I still need to work on my "technique", so have fun "improving" yours.

James
www.cryscom.nb.ca

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Just to jump in on what Mac said, grab a piece of wood and make shavings.
Aveter whatever years I have been turning, it is still a pleasure to put a
piece of wood on and just make shavings. then a few shavings, and maybe some
shavings and so on. If Anyone asks I am pracitcing and developing
"technique." mostly in making shavings :-)

Investing in a few lessons, or at least a good book, will save you a
*lot* of time. Figuring out on your own how best to orient and move a
tool can take a while, and even be a bit dangerous. I learned from
Richard Raffan's first edition of "Turning Wood" and still look at it
(and the 2nd edition) regularly. Once you know roughly what to do, you
just need to turn a lot of wood to figure out the nuances. In the
beginning you'll do a lot of sanding (if you try to actually make
anything, which most people can't resist); the better your technique,
the less you'll sand. A good scroll chuck and good (HSS or ASP) tools
will save a lot of time. Get good tools right away, if you can afford
it (at least a spindle and bowl gouge and skew). An expert can often
manage with low-grade equipment because they know what to expect and
how to adjust. The novice is often left wondering "Is it me? Or the
tools, or their sharpening, or the lathe, or the wood, or..." It helps
to eliminate sources of confusion.

Unless you are in the inner-city, you can find a lot of wood lying
around. Firewood is fine for spindle turning practice (and knobs,
scoops, lamps, pencil containers, etc.). And you can scrounge a lot of
wood from fallen/felled trees that is big enough for bowls. Get a good
chainsaw and keep it the trunk of your car. Most woods are fine for
turning, particularly when learning. It may be easier to make a list
of woods not to turn. The silica in teak makes tools get dull quicker.
Can't readily think of any "bad" woods...

-Steve

(Patrice Krauss) wrote in message . com...
First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe (http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

I am rather new at the craft, having bought a lathe a while ago. For the
last 60 years I have been a "flat woodworker". Since I am 80 years old,
I figured that it was now or never. I have made tons of shavings and I
do see a little improvement in my technique. The other day I "saw" a bud
vase in a piece of wood I had between centers and that's what it turned
pun out to be,

I guess it's like Michelangelo and his famous statue. He just chiseled
away any part of the stone that wasn't "David".

Peace ~ Sir Edgar

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 16:02:15 -0400, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote:

Just to jump in on what Mac said, grab a piece of wood and make shavings.
Aveter whatever years I have been turning, it is still a pleasure to put a
piece of wood on and just make shavings. then a few shavings, and maybe some
shavings and so on. If Anyone asks I am pracitcing and developing
"technique." mostly in making shavings :-)

Darrell... it's something I love doing.. it just feels right, and
beats the hell out of watching tv...

sometimes, you just play at making shavings and the wood tells you
what it wants to be... usually kindling..lol



Mac

Welcome to turning!

I'm pretty new myself, got my lathe less than a year ago. I started out
turning scraps I had around the garage... some chunks of 2x4's ripped in
half and 4x4's left over from a bathroom remodel. Pretty much any wood is
good for learning on, especially if it's free. Most of the stuff I've done
so far has been between centers, just practice shapes for the most part.
I've made a few pens and tops and finally got up the nerve to try faceplate
turning last weekend, wound up with a nice little mahogony bowl. I don't
have a chuck yet, so my biggest challenge has been figuring out how I want
to fix wood to a faceplate (I used a paper glue joint for the bowl).

Don't be too concerned with making beautiful artwork or anything yet, be
more concerned with making large beautiful piles of shavings. In other
words, practice practice practice. I've found that whittling down a piece
of wood to nothing through layers of coves, beads, grooves, etc is very
enlightening and also relaxing. Take your time and enjoy.

Don't forget to take the time to learn to sharpen your tools. You can pick
of a set of fairly 8 decent HSS tools at www.harborfreight.com for pretty
cheap. They are great to practice sharpenning and actually work pretty well
also.

As far a books are concerned, I've read Richard Raffan's Turning Wood and
Keith Rowley's Woodturning A Foundation Course. Both are good books with a
lot of info. There are also many videos available. Watching someone go
through the motions can clear up a lot of questions that you can't answer
from a book.

A good website I've found is www.woodturningonline.com. They have lots of
information and project links. If you search around the web you will find
lots of information. Of course this news group is a great source of info
and people are very helpful.

Finally, try to find a woodturning group in your area.

I hope you find this info helpful. Have fun!

Andy Reynolds



"Patrice Krauss" wrote in message
om...
First off, I'm an absolute beginner to wood turning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe
(http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Thanks,
PK

Patrice Krauss wrote:

First off, I'm an absolute beginner to woodturning. I bought a
Grizzly G5979 lathe (http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emNumber=G5979)
and I would like to know what type of wood to get to turn. My dad
gave me some cedar 4x4s for practice, but I'm not having too much
luck.

I'm wondering if I should start out with different wood. I'm
interested in bowl turning, and perhaps making some hollow forms once
I get going. This is a hobby for me, but I want to get the right
start.

Also, if you can recomend a good book on basic tecniqu, that would be
great.

Forget books, get a couple of good videos if there's no competitant instruction
around. I've always been partial to "Turning Wood with Richard Raffan", and
John Jordan's bowl video is a good intro as well.

Turning isn't like flat woodworking - it's a motion thing so it's really hard to
pick up from a book. But the books can be good for inspiration!

....Kevin
--
Kevin & Theresa Miller
Juneau, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb