hello woodturners

[pinkyinboro]

hi
i have not used a lathe apart from when i was at school
and nearlly took my face off (i dont think i tightend it propley)

my question is
how hard is woodturning??
i dont mean bowls, egg cups, pens,
just basic legs (about 900mm)
and basic feet

i know woodturning is a very fine art
i am a fast learner do you think if i bought a lathe and tooling
i could pick it up to do the odd things and build up?


cheers

 

[oddsocks]

Well, that's how I did it!

Or rather, I had seen woodturners at some demonstrations and then went to Peter Childs shop , got good advice and a good basic set of tools and Keith Rowleys book 'Foundation of woodturning (or something like that title anyway).

Its not hard if you learn to walk before run - after about a year of spindles and bowls I did go on a two day course, mainly to keep my father in law company but also to learn more about bowls.


If you are close to club then that is ideal, otherwise attend some of the craft shows, woodurning shows or similar events where woodturners are demonstrating and watch, ask and learn. . You Tube is another source but not all videos are 'best practice'!

You do not need lots of tools but you do need sharp tools, safety gear (face mask, dust extraction) and patience to learn from mistake

 

[pinkyinboro]

cheers dave
i dont want to buy a lathe and be no good at it

 

[boysie39]

Hiya Pinky, It's a doddle, not as easy as becoming a Premiership Player but if you put your mind to it, after a bit of time you may be quite good at it. Buy you will never get the cash you can get in the Premiership for less effort. But dont let me put you off ,you dont have to show it to anyone so you wont have thousands of people calling you names and throwing coins at you. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Seriously, Its a super way to enjoy yourself and you will get all the help you need to have a really great pastime or if you try hard and youmay even make some money at it.(not as much as the Premiership) :wink: :wink:
REgards and best wishes for Christmas and New Year. Boysie

 

[Bodrighy]

It can be dangerous, expensive and very very addictive. Apart from that, yes it's as easy as you want it to be. Get a couple of lessons, join a club, or read some books (Keith Rowley). Ask a lot of questions on here and you'll do OK

Pete

 

[TEP]

Mornin' Pinky.

As all have said above. Good advice with the club, for about £30 a year you have all that experience to pick from, and IME the members are usually more than willing to help a newcomer. Also if you join before you get a lathe you may be able to try out on one of the members machines and get some idea about turning.

Learn to walk before you try running, the major downer in learning this craft is once you find out how easy it is :roll: , you try to do something far too intricate and make a mess of it. Take your time and you WILL progress, and within a short while you will be wondering why you asked how hard it is.

Good luck!

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Pinky and welcome
The lathe is a very useful tool to have in your shop.Might just be worth getting a cheap second hand/new one just to practice on when you have the time.But be warned,it might take over

 

[Jenx]

Hi Pinky ....

Q . " Would I be able to do it ?"

A . is a fish's head waterproof ?


Course you will !

Get stuck in Mate ... you'll love it.
Its the best fun you can have with your clothes on,
and 'little disasters' are all part of the fun & the learning.
And the Successes make it all worth while :wink:
Welcome ! 8)