Newbie Turning Advice

[Anonymous]

A couple of extra points on Yew...
it is toxic and frequent exposure to dust (inhaled) can lead to the body becoming sensitised; a definite NO NO for food use...

Avoid heat build up when sanding as this can lead to tiny cracks (aka heat checks) in the surface.

as others have said; beautiful wood to turn (for a softwood!) and wonderful colours and grain are possible.

do take care WiZer, as Mike says, those corners are potential knuckle rippers :!: :!:

You should be able to achieve your aim with well sharpened scrapers (remember, the cutting edge should trail)... this is probably not the best time to learn the hard way about 'catches' with a gouge

Good luck :!: ...keep us informed

 

[Anonymous]

Man, i didn't realise how bad his lovely yew wood can be - just read the info on the link and I use it a lot - scarey.

the main one i know can be bad (but hasn't affected me yet) is cocobolo, i know of a few people that have woken at 2am with large spots, swollen tounges and bad arms due to this wood and rushed to the hospital.

yet I have turned some lovely items from this wood.

guess the main rule is ---- use dust potection to be safe.

enjoy woodturning, but be safe and know about what you are turning and you can turn some beautiful items and have fun.

Len.