"Derek Hartzell" wrote in message
...
Get a good video. Some may learn the physical techniques from a book, but
most beginners will follow much better with a video.

For certain things, such as segmented work, a book might be better than a
video due to all the details that need to be conveyed.

Derek

wrote in message
oups.com...
Apologies if this is really stupid:
I just received my new Jet mini lathe and Pinacle tools from Woodcraft.
I have turned only once, many years ago. I honed the tools with some
rouge and then used the lathe. My cuts are really really rough, and I
think I'm just ripping the wood. How clean should I expect my cuts to
be? Does the wood species matter in this? Is it that my tools are
dull, or is my cutting technique poor, or both?
Thanks,
Steve

All of them matter, and if you read, reading will help. I'd look for
something besides a "How to turn X" book to get started. You're interested
in the basics that will allow you to turn X,Y and Z. Frank Pain _The
Practical Woodturner_, though out of print, has to be one of the best on how
tools cut and how wood "prefers to be cut. "

Cut , then peel is the technique. Anchor the tool _firmly_ on the toolrest
, match or even seat the Bevel to the contour of the wood, then pivot around
your fulcrum to make the Cut that starts the peel. I like to lock up the
small muscles, using a shift in weight to make the entry. Saves a lot of
bounce and rip.