Left hookers?

[Jonzjob]

Are there any left hooker (left handed) turners out there and if so just how do you manage on a bit of kit designed for 'normal' people :evil: :evil:

 

[Blister]

John ,

Can you get lessons ? on being normal :lol:

you can for most other things

 

[Jonzjob]

Lessons on being normal Blis! Of course you can and one day I intend to disrupt one of them

I don't have 'any other things'?

This did start out as a serious enquiry, but I feel that it is not going to be what I thought?

 

[Blister]

Sorry John


When you say " bits of kit "

What bits of kit are you referring too ?





.

 

[Jonzjob]

Ermmmmmmmm? I think that it's the bit of kit that we stand by with the gouge in yer right hand and the bit of wood going hell for leather with the top of said bit of wood coming towrds you by yer left elbow.

Now if you are a left hooker the said gouge is not going to be pointing towards the center bit of what you are going to be trying to get to a round shape, unless you chuck everything in the air and hold said gouge in the same manner as right hookers!

 

[Blister]

Ermmmmmmmm? I think that it's the bit of kit that we stand by with the gouge in yer right hand and the bit of wood going hell for leather with the top of said bit of wood coming towrds you by yer left elbow.

Now if you are a left hooker the said gouge is not going to be pointing towards the center bit of what you are going to be trying to get to a round shape, unless you chuck everything in the air and hold said gouge in the same manner as right hookers!

The Lathe ?

I am right handed normally , but can and do swap around when needs must

I don't find it a problem and don't really need to think about it , it sort of comes naturally

Best have a go on a scrap bit of wood , see how you get on

 

[Jonzjob]

No problems there mate. I spent a fair bit of time with a scew in both hands. At first it was a trial in my right hand, but now it's OK in both. The same with all of my gouges.

I just wondered what the situation was with any left hookers new to our skill when they realise that lathes are normally for right hookers...

 

[NikNak]

hhmmmmm....... :? :? :-k


I read your thread with 'interest'....



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 47093.html


I then read the above article with even more interest...



and this article..... well....


http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/ ... lson-hands



I'm not a 'Left Hooker'

I'm not 'Cack-Handed'

I'm not 'clumsy' or 'awkward'

I am Left Handed..... and proud of it....


Sir Isaac Newton was left handed

Albert Einstein was left handed

Bill Gates is left handed

Barack Obama is left handed

more....??



I'd like to think i'm the 'normal' one as you put it.....


and perhaps it's you that needs lessons... :shock:


I can use my roughing, bowl, spindle gouges in either hand....

can you.....??







Nick

 

[mattcullum]

I'm a left hooker, and have never thought about it. If anything I think being left handed is an advantage as being in a "righty's" world we tend to be more ambidextrou than rightys so I'm pretty happy switching back and forth.

Its safe to say I am equally poor at turning either way round.

Matt

 

[Jonzjob]

I was a left hooker until I was 7 years old. That was when I broke my left elbow when I jumped off a swing. Since then I have been a right hooker. I have always been very bad at trying to keep up with dictation, but I taught myself to use all of the tools I have with both hands.

The original question was not to poke any kind of fun at left hookers, but to find out just how you cope. For instance, if you had been in the armed services a few years back when the Bren gun was the best weapon there was you would have had a hell of a time trying to fire it left handed because everything was set for right hookers and unless you had a double jointed neck you just would not have been able to do more than point from the hip and squirt. that would not have earned you any borwnie points at all! Plus, you would have spent all of your time trying to avoid the spent shell cases hurtling out of the ejector!

 

[mattcullum]

I'd just use it right handed then! Much like I do with a computer mouse or when I play golf with my right handed clubs.

Like lathe work none of it has ever entered my head, just did it!

 

[frugal]

I like to think of myself as ambi-sinistrous I chop and change[1] which hand I use for things so often I can not remember if I prefer to use a lathe left or right handed.

All of the text books on turning I have read state the for spindle turning you should be able to use the tools in either hand depending on which direction you are coming form and the cut you are making. For bowls it is a bit more of a problem as you have to cut the wood from a certain direction.

Like so many things in life you might have to just learn to do it right handed. However I am sure the Irish production turner Glenn Lucas turns bolws left handed so that the shavings go over his shoulder rather than into his body.


[1] In no particular order: saws: left handed; chisels left; drill left; chopping axe right; carving axe left; shooting bow or rifle left; shooting pistol right; knitting right; sewing left; writing left; eating right; cooking left; racket sports right.

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

I'm no turner, never tried it... But can't you go round the other side of the Lathe? (as long as it's on wheels/ moveable base) Sorry if that's a stupid suggestion.

Cheers_Dan.

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

I'm no turner... But can't you go round the other side of the Lathe? (as long as it's on wheels/ moveable base) Sorry if that's a stupid suggestion.

Cheers_Dan.

 

[Blister]

I'm no turner... But can't you go round the other side of the Lathe? (as long as it's on wheels/ moveable base) Sorry if that's a stupid suggestion.

Cheers_Dan.

If he goes around twice he may get dizzy :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Jonzjob]

You can go round the other side, but unless you reverse the direction of the lathe the wood will be going away from you. Not a bad idea if you've just cut a chunk out you didn't mean to then you can un-cut it??? Although I suppose that you coule stand on yer head and cut from the underside? (sorry! Getting a bit carried away there! Silly idea unless you are an Aussy or Kiwi!)

Or you can reverse the direction and lock any chuck that is on the live center screw thread or it VERY likely to unscrew itself right into yer lap at 2000 RPM!

 

[UnicycleBloke]

I'm a southpaw. Impossible to compare how I cope with the equipment: never had the experience of being dextro. Always seem to manage reasonably well. Scissors probably the worst - the ones sculpted for 'comfort'.

I find that when turning, I use my hands either way, and swap without thought, depending on the angle I'm trying to hold the tool and present the cutting edge. I found standing on my head unproductive, and got loads of chips in my hair.

Al

 

[gnu]

I've long been regarded as woodturnings Ronnie O'sullivan - Britains wizzard of the skew who can perform right or left handed as the need dictates

 

[woodturnerEric]

I was left handed when I started school many years ago and had my left hand tied in my pocket for my trouble,it being the devil`s work being left handed(according to my teacher and no it wasn`t a church school)so I learned to be right handed to,which is very adventatious when turning,as you can go in from all angles being both left and right handed,but i think most turners learn to turn with both hands eventualy because of the advantages of it.So not to worry it`ll come to you in the end,regards,

Eric.

 

[Jonzjob]

I've long been regarded as woodturnings Ronnie O'sullivan - Britains wizzard of the skew who can perform right or left handed as the need dictates

Ambidextrous! Wow!! I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous :shock: :shock: