Hi. I would like to learn woodturning at home. How much realistically
will I need to spend $$$, and what exactly will I really need to get
started? Are any of those kits worth looking at, or are those scams?
Please also suggest a good book or 2.

Thanks.

--

Lewis Lang

Lewis Lang wrote:
Hi. I would like to learn woodturning at home. How much realistically
will I need to spend $$$, and what exactly will I really need to get
started? Are any of those kits worth looking at, or are those scams?
Please also suggest a good book or 2.

Your question is just a lot too open-ended to be answerable.
You can get started for as little as $129 for a HF lathe and $10
for crappy tools or you can go as high as your pockets are deep.
In theory you could make your own lathe and tools and all it would
cost you is labor and materials. The real questions a what do
you want to make and what do you want to spend.
That will define what you can get. There are a number of good
books available, as well as a number of videos that can show you
the different aspects of turning. NOTHING beats having a person
there to show you and watch you, though. I'm assuming that you
aren't really in Indonesia, like your addy suggests. If you are,
go to the local marketplace and watch the guys making the stuff
for the tourists. See if one of them will make you a lathe and
toools. If you aren't, take a look at my sig line and follow the
AAW link to the local chapters and look up your state. Find the
closest one and join it. That'll get you more help than you can
imagine.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

On 6 Feb 2005 03:49:48 -0800, "Lewis Lang" wrote:

Hi. I would like to learn woodturning at home. How much realistically
will I need to spend $$$, and what exactly will I really need to get
started? Are any of those kits worth looking at, or are those scams?
Please also suggest a good book or 2.

Thanks.

Good Day Lewis

I started turning just over a year ago. Couldn't get to a club so it
was me and the lathe. An important thing I realized is I'm not
learning alone. The good people in this news group where here to
answer every question I had. I bring this up because there were things
that would frustrate me and then I'd find a post which had the answer
I needed. So don't get frustrated just check the old posts or ask.

I started with a Delta mini, which I love, but the posters seem to
prefer the Jet. The Harbor Freight basic turning set and a bowl gouge
seems to be a good starter set. A slow or variable speed grinder for
shaprening.

other "must haves" in my opinion

DVD The skew chisel by Alan Lacer

DVD Turned Bowls Made Easy by Bill Grumbine

Book WOODTURNING A Foundation Course by Keith Rowley

http://www.aroundthewoods.com Darrell Feltmate Great Info on all
aspects of turning , including tool making

http://www.fholder.com/ Fred Holder...... Make sure to check out Lyn
J. Mangiameli Index of Articles


Just my 2 cents

Randy

This turd is a troll, ignore him.

B.

If you can my suggestion would be to take a course sponsored by a local
club. Its nice to get a hands on experience. Even learning the basics of how
to use 1 tool will help to get you started. That's what I did.Reading and
studying books will give you ideas but its putting those ideas into
practise. And books will not necessarily show you how not to acquire bad
habits. Personal contact is desirable, but don,t expect some of these people
to give you all the tips and secrets.Stick with your hobby and eventually
you will get better.
There is a percentage of people that can learn and adapt themselves to the
book learning process.But practise is the key to this hobby.

My 2 cents worth, and happy turning.

Sincerely
Keith
Newfoundland
Canada

"Buddy Matlosz" wrote in message
...
This turd is a troll, ignore him.

B.

As with most if not all commercial DVD and videos, there can be a certain
degree of mis-representation. I say there Maybe : key word :. generally
these dvd and videos seem to make the presentations look very easy. Not so.
Remember, these are done by in the most part by very experienced
woodturners. Also products that are being demonstrated maybe re-presented a
little un fairly. Generally speaking a demonstration is just that, a
demonstration. optimized with materials that work best with the product.


My 2 cents worth
Happy turning

Keith
Newfoundland
Canada

"Keith Young" kyoung@no spam nl.rogers.com wrote in message
...
If you can my suggestion would be to take a course sponsored by a local
club. Its nice to get a hands on experience. Even learning the basics of
how to use 1 tool will help to get you started. That's what I did.Reading
and studying books will give you ideas but its putting those ideas into
practise. And books will not necessarily show you how not to acquire bad
habits. Personal contact is desirable, but don,t expect some of these
people to give you all the tips and secrets.Stick with your hobby and
eventually you will get better.
There is a percentage of people that can learn and adapt themselves to the
book learning process.But practise is the key to this hobby.

My 2 cents worth, and happy turning.

Sincerely
Keith
Newfoundland
Canada

"Buddy Matlosz" wrote in message
...
This turd is a troll, ignore him.

B.

Keith Young wrote:
As with most if not all commercial DVD and videos, there can be a certain
degree of mis-representation. I say there Maybe : key word :. generally
these dvd and videos seem to make the presentations look very easy. Not so.
Remember, these are done by in the most part by very experienced
woodturners. Also products that are being demonstrated maybe re-presented a
little un fairly. Generally speaking a demonstration is just that, a
demonstration. optimized with materials that work best with the product.

In general, I'd agree with that. Bill Gumbine has put out a video
on turning that starts with a log on the ground and shows how to
make a bowl out of it. He doesn't have an ax to grind and he
isn't interested in showing how hot a turner he is, so it is
straight information, no sales pitch. You can check out his
website at: http://www.wonderfulwood.com/ and follow the video
link on the left side to his stuff. Standard disclaimer, just
satisfied, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

Dave

Generally I was not referring to woodturners such as Bill. Product
manufacturers are notorious for poor product instructions and sloppy
assembly instructions.Its a real wonder they sell as much as they do. I find
that woodturners in general are a helpful bunch, its the manufacturers that
bug me.Case in point are the number of woodturners who have purchased there
products after seeing their demos, and found there stuff difficult to use.
Demo's I might add that make there product look easy and simple to use.
Anyhow that's my 2 cents worth.

Happy Turning Everybody.
To: the guy who started this topic. Get a turner to assist you, to start
your hobby correctly. I did. Probably one of the best woodturners in NFLD.
To bad he moved to Ontario. Remember not everyone will be an artist, but
then art is in the eye of the beholder.

Keith Young
Newfoundland
Canada
A1N 4W8


"Dave in Fairfax" wrote in message
...
Keith Young wrote:
As with most if not all commercial DVD and videos, there can be a certain
degree of mis-representation. I say there Maybe : key word :. generally
these dvd and videos seem to make the presentations look very easy. Not
so.
Remember, these are done by in the most part by very experienced
woodturners. Also products that are being demonstrated maybe re-presented
a
little un fairly. Generally speaking a demonstration is just that, a
demonstration. optimized with materials that work best with the product.

In general, I'd agree with that. Bill Gumbine has put out a video
on turning that starts with a log on the ground and shows how to
make a bowl out of it. He doesn't have an ax to grind and he
isn't interested in showing how hot a turner he is, so it is
straight information, no sales pitch. You can check out his
website at: http://www.wonderfulwood.com/ and follow the video
link on the left side to his stuff. Standard disclaimer, just
satisfied, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

Keith Young wrote:
Dave
Generally I was not referring to woodturners such as Bill. Product
manufacturers are notorious for poor product instructions and sloppy
assembly instructions.Its a real wonder they sell as much as they do. I find
that woodturners in general are a helpful bunch, its the manufacturers that
bug me.Case in point are the number of woodturners who have purchased there
products after seeing their demos, and found there stuff difficult to use.
Demo's I might add that make there product look easy and simple to use.
Anyhow that's my 2 cents worth.

Happy Turning Everybody.
To: the guy who started this topic. Get a turner to assist you, to start
your hobby correctly. I did. Probably one of the best woodturners in NFLD.
To bad he moved to Ontario. Remember not everyone will be an artist, but
then art is in the eye of the beholder.

Keith, I *REALY* didn't think that you were referring to Bill,
it's OK. I've seen a ahndful of videos like the ones you
described . The look amazing until you figure out what's going
on, which is why I mentioned Bill's. I figure that the OP should
know about it and take a good long look at that possibility. I
totally agree with a person being better than a book or a video as
the way to go in learning. Much earlier in the thread I suggested
just that.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

Lewis,

About three years ago I decided I wanted to learn to turn bowls but I
wasn't sure where to start. I did a lot of research on the internet
at first looking up types and prices of lathes. After I decided on the
size lathe I wanted/needed to start with I had to narrow down the
brands until I came up with one that was within my price range that had
most of the features I thought I needed. Likewise you will need to
figure out what you want to turn, what is the minimum size restraints
that will satisfy you for now and see how deep your pocket are. This
can take a bit of time so don't get impatient. Lots of people in
this newsgroup can help if you let them know your intent.

What I wasn't ready for when I first started turning was all the
other extra things that add up in cost. You need a good set of turning
tools. You need different tools for spindle turning than you need for
bowl turning. Yes, there is some crossover at times but the basic tool
for bowls is a good bowl gouge. When I first started I bought an eight
piece set of spindle turning tools because I didn't know the
difference. What I really needed was a bowl gouge. There are several
schools of thought on types of bowl gouges to use for turning bowls but
you will figure that out later.

Once I got my lathe home and I had the correct tools to use I soon
figured out that the tools need to be sharpened, often. Sometimes
several times per project. So, you will need a decent slow speed
grinder. You don't need to buy the best on the market but you do
need one. There are attachments that you can get to make your grinding
easier. You will know in time if you want or need one of these
attachments but they are not necessary right away.

You will also need a way to hold your work on the lathe. How you
accomplish this will also depend on what you wish to turn and how much
you want to spend. There are both expensive and inexpensive ways hold
your work on the lathe. The inexpensive ways work well but are not
always obvious to the beginner. The expensive ways are more convenient
but can really cost a lot.

Lastly you will need to gain some knowledge from others who have gone
before you. This newsgroup is a good source. The have helped me a lot
in the past. But you really need to be able to see someone else turn.
Buying video tapes, DVD's and books is a good idea. Bill
Grumbine's video is excellent for learning to turn bowls. Richard
Raffin's stuff is good. He has videos and books on bowl turning and
spindle turning. There is a ton of good material by various turners
out there to choose from. You will find that everyone has there own
technique and there is more that one way to accomplish many turning
tasks. I found it confusing at first to listen to too many people that
had different ways of doing things. You may need to pick a person and
listen to them for a while until you get your feet wet. Then adding
other turner's information will help you gain knowledge. Taking a
class from a teacher is also a good idea. After about four or five
months of turning and getting frustrated I took a class from my local
Woodcraft store. Several of my questions were answered at that class.
BUT after a while I needed more. About a year later I took a three day
class from David Ellsworth. It helped a lot. Start slow. Turning has
a long, steep learning curve.

The moral of this is that turning is addictive. It will always cost
you more than you already have and you will never run out of new things
to learn. If you have an idea of what kind of turning you want to do
then post a message on this group. You will get a lot of helpful
infomation.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.