Newbie advice

[Peterm1000]

Hi,
I've been reading the forums for a few years and have been woodworking as a hobby for about 20 years... I have just bought a lathe and not having used one since school, I could use some advice! Also, I have some stuff to get rid of and I know you need to make a few posts before you can list.

So I'm wondering if there are some good youtube channels for beginners people can recommend. In particular, I am wondering about sharpening - I have a wetstone grinder combo that I rarely use and diamond stones I use (occasionally & very badly!).

The lathe I got is an Arundel J4 junior with the bowl fitting and a Record chuck. I still have to assemble it all. Mostly I want to make handles and pegs, but this is the first time in 20 years the house renovation work is basically finished so I can start woodwork for fun rather than to finish home jobs! All I have right now is the lathe, some cheap chisels and a desire not to injure myself!

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Good luck - I can't offer any specialised advice - just the obvious.

Get some good eye / face protection. I'm not a safety nut, just things happen so fast with machines you don't have time to react. I've even had a bandsaw spit something out at me!!

Make sure you can reach the off switch easily. That's a left hander speaking!! I don't know the machine but you can some on ebay with external motors added and tiny switches in strange locations.

Maybe start on already round stock and get your mojo back. I've used dowelling before to try out treadle lathes and see if they are working properly. Broom handle size and turn a peg or drawer knob. Reduce the chance of catching an edge.

Have fun!

Martin

 

[Jacob]

I had an Arundel J4 junior. Brilliant lathe, my favourite, beautifully put together and a pleasure to use.
Rashly sold it in order to go upmarket; Hegner, followed by Record C3. Both utter rubbish in comparison.
Eventually acquired a J4 Senior which very similar but bigger in all directions. Very pleased with it.
One weakness with the J4 junior is the size of the outboard threaded end of the spindle - it is not enough for big heavy bowls and mine broke (I was a beginner :roll: ), so keep bowls smallish or turn them very carefully. Instead I'd use it for sharpening - attach a sanding disc, all you need, much better than a bench grinder.
Otherwise keep it simple - maximum 5 gouges/chisels is all you really need for almost everything. Avoid the gadget salesmen - there is loads of turning kit which nobody needs at all.
The best woodturning book is Percy Blandfords. Little and old fashioned but full of information.
Here's the book only 99p ! https://www.amazon.co.uk/turning-Foyles ... B0000CIKK2
There's also Blandford's Woodturning Bible which I have not seen so can't comment, but probably worth a go.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch?au ... se&mtype=B
is a very good beginners book.
Personally as a beginner I would avoid anything published before the '90s - not because they are inherently bad, but because any design, tool sharpening, work holding and finishing information is likely to be so outdated. Some are excellent at describing methods of working with minimal equipment, though, so not without their uses - as with any reference book just be aware that if it is more than a few years old things might have changed. I picked up a book yesterday that was published 16 years ago and the first thing I read in it was wrong - it was a common belief at the time, but it was wrong.
Practical Designs for Woodturning by Roland Seale was one I was thinking of.

 

[Lazurus]

have A LOOK ON YOU TUBE AT Lyle JAMIESON very instructive, as for sharpening I use a slow ginder with a Sorby Jig for the past twenty years, quick repetitive grinds, a water stone will be so slow........

 

[Jacob]

https://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch?author=rowley&wlang=English&title=woodturning+a+foundation+course&mtype=B
is a very good beginners book.
Personally as a beginner I would avoid anything published before the '90s - not because they are inherently bad, but because any design, tool sharpening, work holding and finishing information is likely to be so outdated. Some are excellent at describing methods of working with minimal equipment, though, so not without their uses - as with any reference book just be aware that if it is more than a few years old things might have changed. I picked up a book yesterday that was published 16 years ago and the first thing I read in it was wrong - it was a common belief at the time, but it was wrong.

But a lot of the old books were written when hand turning was a big part of the timber industry and they really knew what they were doing, with as little kit as necessary. They can make mistakes, but not as often as the new ones written for and sometimes by amateurs!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. But lathes, tools, tool steel, chucks, glues, finishes, grindstones (and jigs) etc. have changed since then. For most people then if an ML8 couldn't handle it, it didn't get done.

 

[Dalboy]

i think the best thing to do is find a tutor near you and take a days lesson or join a club where you can get some hands on this is the nearest AWGB club to you

SURREY ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS
Secretary: Jennie Starbuck
Telephone: 01932 888144
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sawoodturners.org
Meetings: Meetings: 2nd Friday of the month, 7.30 – 10pm
Venue: Mytchett Community Centre, 140 Mytchett Road, Camberley, GU16 6AA

There may be others that are not AWGB members so a google search may throw up some.

Be very cautious of u tube as there are some very bad videos on there that does not mean that they are all bad

Keith Rowley's book is a good one and worth getting see link in another post above.

Don't just go out and buy any more equipment until you get the chance to have a go as there are so many items that will tempt you claiming to they are the bees knees. Learn the basic tools first and move on from there

 

[Peterm1000]

This is fantastic - thank you all. I got the lathe up and running today and turned my first mini bowl - full of mistakes and tearout, but my daughter is delighted!