dave in Fairfax said:

"Dr. Know" wrote:
I am totally new to both wood turning and this forum. However, I see
a number of familiar "faces" from the wreck.
Anyhow, I want to practice making small segmented and open segmented
turnings. Tweaking the jigs and such as I go.
Is it possible to use cheap materials like southern yellow pine for
practice before moving on to ruin more expensive woods?

Hi. If you're "totally new to wood turning", you're putting the
horse before the horse. Start out with spindle work and learn the
use and feelof your turning tools. Go from that to simple
faceplate work and then to deeper bowls and hollow forms. When
you've got that under your belt, try the segmenented bowls. If
you haven't gotten any of the basic books on turning, do that to
help you get a leg up. Better yet, find someone local and have
them help you learn.

Well, "totally" may have been inaccurate. I have done spindles, pens,
and small bowls. But by the same token, I approach everything this
way - Jump in with both feet running.

You're right about the books! However, I've read much of the last 6
months of this group and numerous websites. A small lathe and turning
tools (which cost twice as much), and holidays approaching doesn't
leave much room for extra expendatures - yet. Time for another
disapointing trip to the local library - so I can look at 10,000 tomes
on personal improvement, weight loss, and make-up application - only
to go home and buy something off Amazon :-\

Thanks,


Greg G.