How did you learn to turn?

[conrad]

I know what you mean. I haven't done much with it yet, but I found I had to fiddle a bit with the 'openness' of the cutter - i.e how far it is shielded. Also had to try different angles of approach until I occasionally hit the sweet spot.

Ok G I did call Crown this morning. The people I needed to speak to weren't about. I will call back later and post my findings.

 

[Shan]

I'm pretty much self taught. Like others have mentioned I made some things in the woodwork class at school but that was about 40 odd years ago but the seed was sown. So I got myself a 2nd hand lathe here in Portugal, purchased a set of gouges new and a couple of other things such as a face plate and cracked on.

Bit different from what I could remember at school as they had sharp chisel's/gouge's, blanks ready for turning and someone to guide you through the process. But fortunately I've got my own wood so can practice without having to buy stuff. That's pretty much what I've been doing, practice, practice and practice. Still very amateur but enjoying turning bowls especially.

Did check out a guy here who is making some bespoke things but has all the gear and a great lathe and sharpening system etc. At the other end of the scale watched a father and son who turn for a living and very different approach but informative nonetheless.

Good luck.

 

[recipio]

Another Keith Rowley fan here. I bought a 48"Tyme Avon back in the 1990's . If I knew they were going out of business I would have bought a few accessories ! It's churned out a lot of work for me and if I were buying again I would buy variable speed. No great mishaps but I had a Crown bowl gouge snap in two - the overhang on the rest rest was about 3"so that taught me.

 

[Adam Pinson]

Well Adam I did the video watching, bought a lathe and now make stuff, but I really have no idea how to make chisels.

It was more of a conversion from old English wide chisels into simple scrapers, the steel was excellent, i still use them now, 5 years later.....

 

[Orraloon]

Another Keith Rowley fan here. I bought a 48"Tyme Avon back in the 1990's . If I knew they were going out of business I would have bought a few accessories ! It's churned out a lot of work for me and if I were buying again I would buy variable speed. No great mishaps but I had a Crown bowl gouge snap in two - the overhang on the rest rest was about 3"so that taught me.

There are many turning gurus out there but I think Keith Rowley is the man to read when you are starting out. He really describes the safe way to get started.
Regards
John

 

[treeturner123]

I had a 2 day course to learn to turn as a present from my father many years ago.

I was taught by the wonderful Reg Slack who had worked for Coronet and Record before going it alone in the wonderful Derbyshire countryside.

A lovely man, much missed by many.

Phil

 

[Stigmorgan]

I came across Al Furtado the rebel Turner on YouTube and fell in love with turning, never dreaming I'd be able to afford a lathe I settled to watching YouTube untill a couple of years later when scrolling through gumtree I found a Record Power DML24 for a mere £30 so messaged the guy and picked up next day, all it needed was a thorough clean up from being out in a barn, then at a wood fair last year around October /November I purchased some tools the first few attempts were a sharp learning curve but over the last 10 months or so I think I'm starting to get the hang of it

 

[Chisteve]

I inherited an old elu lathe together with some tools from my father in law 3 or so years ago before this I had never attempted any wood turning after lots of YT videos mainly during lockdown learnt how to turn mainly with various skew chisels with different bevels etc making chisel handles (I restore old tools) then had a chance of an old jubilee for nothing that I restored with a 3 phase motor and inverter etc learnt a lot from hours of use and planning to complete some more complicated items, have got more proficient and efficient as time goes along - being retired helps a lot having the time and picking up the odd tool here and there helps

 

[Cooper]

over the last 10 months or so I think I'm starting to get the hang of it

You are being modest!!
Martin
PS that isn't me in the icon. Its a chap I photographed in Morocco 50 years ago, turning table legs. He was using his toes to hold the tool while he used is right arm to pump the bow that turned the piece. The lathe was the simplest I've ever seen. A couple of chunks nailed to a base and the centres were nails.

 

[Cooper]

I'm mistaken about the centres they look as though they are held in by wedges and are bigger than nails. The rest is a steel pipe resting in a couple of notches.

 

[Stigmorgan]

@Cooper I've always been my biggest critic, will always consider myself a novice in everything I do.
Think I've seen him or at least someone similar doing it that way posted on Instagram and YouTube, it amazes me they still have their toes

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I started about 10 years ago following early retirement. Initially did a 2 day course at Yandles to ensure I knew the very basics (sharpening, technique, safety etc). Joined local woodturning club and picked up bits. The rest was practice and mistakes.

I am not sure whether woodturning clubs exist in quite the same way in France where I think you are located. But it would be worth finding someone locally who is prepared to let you sit, watch and ask questions - or if back in the UK for any reason see if you can link up with someone.

 

[leisurefix]

I turned a few things at school when i was 14-15, really enjoyed it, but unfortunately the teacher didnt understand the basics of turning tool sharpening and would not let us regularly sharpen the high carbon steel tools they had. This meant turning with blunt tools, and lots of sanding. Despite this I really liked it.
I bought my first lathe at 17 in the late 80's, it was a really old belt driven lathe with step down gearing and tool holder for metal turning. I continued the falsehood of using blunt tools for a while. Had to learn for myself the errors I had been shown, and correct them.
Have gradually improved over the years, got books, bigger & better equipment, and practiced a lot over the years. Still think that one of the things that really helped me was to grind/sharpen by hand, rather than rely on jigs. I had to learn the angles when hand holding the tools otherwise I would have multi faceted tools, which in turn meant that when on the lathe i knew the angles.

My Dad bought a lathe a few years after i got mine, he took another route to learn the basics, and I believe was the first person that Nick Agar (when he was at Dartington) taught to turn. Nothing like learning from one of the best!

 

[Lazurus]

I bought a lathe 25 years ago and the "then" wife bought me a one day course which set the basics, then like most others it was gaining experience and experimentation.
25 years on I have a VB36 and being just three months away from retirement and a new workshop I am hoping to consolidate all I have learned and hopefully pass onto other folk to.

 

[Rodpr]

I picked up a small treadle powered lathe from a work colleague and had fun restoring it. I made a couple of pens on that but when I retired I discovered a 'Men's shed' nearby and that was an amazing resource.

They have 6 lathes (Record, Axminster, Jet and a huge old machine which has had to have a new motor fitted) and loads of tools and sharpening gear so I have been able to try out many different systems for adjusting speed, from manual belt changing to cranking a wheel, the Axminster lever system and the luxury of electronic variable speed. Also a variety of chucks and jaws. The greatest benefit, however, has been the free advice from a variety of very experienced turning enthusiasts. I enjoy watching Youtube videos but you really can't beat 1:1 tutoring.

I used to get a bit confused by sometimes very different advice from different experts but now recognise this as individual styles and am glad to have been able to learn from different people as this helps to avoid getting into ruts of 'it HAS to be done this way!'.

I picked up a Jet midi lathe (couldn't fit anything bigger in my tiny workshop) with a good selection of tools, two chucks and a variety of jaws and centres (and five fertiliser bags full of blanks!) so now also enjoy turning 'at home' but I still go to the Men's shed every week for the company.

They put the price up recently, from £1 to £1.50 but that gets you a pretty much constant supply of tea and biscuits (and abranet, sanding sealer, CA glue, polish etc ).

I strongly recommend checking if you have anything like this near you. If not, why not see if you can set one up!

 

[Blister]

How did you learn to turn?​

Me , Carefully

 

[Jonzjob]

I'm self taught too apart from a weekend course about 25 years back centred on boxes. That was with Ian Wilkie. A really delightful bloke and he gave me a lovely ½ skew and a turning smock. Both of which are still in use. I screwed up my back and took early retirement just before my 50th. That was 28 years back.

I started on a drill powered lathe and after a VERY short time I got a Record DML24. That was changed for a Record CL1 36 and that is what I still have. I put a 3ø variable speed motor on it when we lived near Carcassonne, S France and it transformed it.

The largest I have turned on it was an 18" lazy susan and the only non wood on it is the glue. It was fun turning 36 X ⅝" ash balls for the ball race and I managed to get them all the same size-ish, but very very close. The smallest was some dolls house bits including a pair of 1" high candle sticks complete with the removable 'candles', they are wood too.

I too have the Kieth Rowley book, both in English and French as I was going to teach some French neighbours/friends turning, but the question of insurance raised its stupid head and that never happened, but it did improve my French

All of my kit has been bought with what I have made both on and off the lathe, so it has been really good and a huge bonus is that after several years my back finally sorted itself out and is now fine.

 

[Dave Moore]

Hi, I bought a Myford ML8 from a chippy. He told me he had turned with it, really? The lathe was turning in reverse. I bought it, put a new motor on it the corrrct way round and took a weekend course with Chris Stott who lived local to me.
Regards,
Dave

 

[bourbon]

I bought a Clarke CWL1000b ( the one all the wood turning forums say throw away because its rubbish) Years ago. Built a stand for it. Turned and sold a few things off it, Mainly spindle turning. Then last year, bit the bullet and got a 2'' chuck for it. turned and sold stuff as before. It's still there for when I need handles and bits like that. only self taught, but good enough










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[TRITON]

Im not sure what I do on the lathe could be described as 'turning' I more scrape out the shape and god help me if I need two of anything.

Originally got it because a customer wanted an XL length bed with turned posts and bits. I'll not say I made such a professional job of it, but the customer was happy enough.