where to start..?

[NikNak]

Hi guys (and gals..??)

Just found this site yesterday and have had a bit of a mooch around. All very nice i must say.

Now then, i've got my BIG birthday coming up in just over a week, and the guvnor wants to know what i'd like. I said "20 years knocked off for good behavior...." i'll be allowed back in next week hopefully..!!

We visited a local kite festival about a month ago just on the outskirts of Southampton, and while there we also went to see some local craft(ers) and their wares on display. One of which was a wood turner. Got chatting to the guy, and generally asking how he did various bits and bobs, and then enquired how long he'd been turning for..... "oooh, only about 6 - 8 months" he said. Blimey... anyway, he gave me one of his cards and said that if i was interested to give him a ring and i could pop along to his home (not far from me) and have a look and more importantly have a go..! So i did, last Sunday. And in the time i was there he let me have a go at turning a dibber (woo-hooo...) and then a bowl that he'd started ages ago but not got round to finishing. Now i know what i want for my birthday...!!

So the question is, and i'm sure you've all read this a thousand times before, plus you were also there like i am now... asking the same thing.... what do i need, and what do you recommend..?

Now this guy was using a NOVA(?), just press buttons and it got faster or slower. He'd upgraded from a Draper after only a couple of months and his missus is now using the Draper (i think it's worth mentioning here that he is also an accomplished artist). There's no-way i'm looking to spend that sort of money...!! So have been having a look on ebay and in my local Ad-trader for a decent second-hand one, plus hopefully some tools to.

And have ended up looking and thinking about an Axminster AWSL or the AWVSL. I'm sure most of you will be familiar with the Axminster range, so... are they any good? have the models i've picked out any good? and what else would i need to get myself up and running? (apart from tools that is....). Do i need to be thinking about a model that has it's own legs/stand..? Would i need to order chucks at the same time etc.

Having then decided and made my purchase, new or second-hand, what wood should i be looking to get hold of to practice on? i.e. is oak easier than birch.... that sort of thing.

One last thing...... i can get an (almost limitless) supply of Kapur from one of my sisters. Has anyone turned using this, and what sort of results can be expected? (she can also get me 'chunks' of purpleheart, greenheart and some Iroko too...... all of which we just burn on our open fire at the moment..!!).


Many thanks for taking the time to read this and i look forward to your replies.


Nick
(a total newbie from Southampton)

 

[greggy]

hi nick, welcome to the forum, there will be loads of advice given about all your needs, i only make pens, but its a great forum.regards colin.

 

[Bodrighy]

Welcome to the slope Nik

Hi guys (and gals..??)

(she can also get me 'chunks' of purpleheart, greenheart and some Iroko too...... all of which we just burn on our open fire at the moment..!!).

You'll get shot, that's heresy!!!! :lol:

Axminster are generally really good but the two lathes you have mentioned are really new so I don't know if anyone on here has come across them yet. If you can give us some idea of budget we can help. I would advise getting the best and biggest that you can house and afford as by the sound of it you are already on the slippery slope.....without a lathe :roll:

I presume that you haven't got any tools yet so you will need to take into account some gouges, you can manage with just a few to start. A chuck if you want to do bowls, platters etc. and some kind of face mask tho' the cheapo paper ones might suffice for a short while.

There are loads of real experts on here all of whom are helpful so I'm sure others will come in with feedback.

Pete

 

[cornucopia]

hello well i started on one of these there perfect for the beginner, also if you dont take to it you havent spent a fortune, if you do take to it you can sell it on and upgrade which is what i did.
I did not have any lessons and i wish i had my first few months were a nightmare and what should have been a voyage of discovery was anything but, just 1 or 2 lessons with a pro can anwser thousands of questions and start you of on teh right path, you can also try out his tools and only buy a few of what you'll really need instead of a beginners set which always has at least one in it which you'll never use.
I used disposable filter masks for the first few months, i would reccomend a ph2 with a valve but eventually you will nedd to invest in a powerd respirator
The best wood to pratice on is free wood, preferably wet/green wood as dust isnt an issue but make sure you use one of these

as for chucks and things once again thats where a lesson witha pro comes into its own, as he can show you his and show you how they work etc

well i think thats enough for know!!

 

[NikNak]

Many thanks for the swift replies so far......


Budget...... wellll..... i did bid on an 'old but un-used' Axminster on ebay last night (it was a blue one.... thats how old), similar to their 900 range now i think. Anyway, complete with Henry Taylor & Crown chisels still in their packets, plus a few other bits and bobs, i placed at £175 thinking that a decent set of chisels was gonna cost me around the £75 mark, so £100 for the lathe i thought was fair. It didn't sell..... the reserve was not met. So budget i suppose up to £200 all in...?

I dont at the moment know what i will want to end up turning 'mostly' ("this week i have mostly been turning....."), but i'm thinking not long spindly things, dont know why. But am aware that the extra room that a long bed provides can be very useful when trying to get access (if that makes sense...).

I've got a 16 X 10 shed/workshop with fitted floor cupboards all down one side (paid for from fitting some flooring a few years ago). And on the other side i've got a work bench that's soooo heavy it took 4 guys to get it down the lawn and into the shed. But it takes up so much room i'm thinking of letting it go.

Just this second got a reply back from anothe ebayer re reserve price.... see item

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... AQ:GB:1123

plus the cost of fuel to go and get it of course....



cheers so far guys.....


Nick

 

[NikNak]

ooopps...... sorry....!

 

[DaveL]

Hi Nick,

Welcome to the forum.

You link has been caught by our spam trap, this will stop once you have a few more posts to your name, here it is.

 

[NikNak]

Hi Dave.....


So sorry about that.

I did read all the stuff about 'read this before posting' etc. but in all my excitement about getting replies.... i forgot, and it all went out of the window


The reply was £200 by the way.


Nick

 

[TEP]

Hi Nick, I echo C's answer about a Axminster CCL, it is a very good beginners machine, size and cost.

Out of the two you asked about AWSL or AWVSL, IMO I would go for the AWSL, the only drawback is it is a small lathe which will limit your work. Which takes us back to the CCL, then as has already been said, the lathe is the least of your worries. You then have to cost in a decent chuck, and a few tools to get going with. Don't be surprised if a chuck and some tooling costs more than the lathe.

Good luck, and welcome to the madhouse!

 

[PaulH]

Hi Nick, welcome to the Forum.

Don't forget to pick up a copy of Keith Rowley's book. As a newbie to turning myself, I (and many others on here) found this an excellent text for those starting out on the slope.

Paul.

 

[Bodrighy]

Hi Nik,
Don't know if you'll read this in time but looks like a bargain. If you got it for the price it is at the moment the tools and chuck would be worth it alone

this

Pete

 

[Blister]

Hi NikNak , welcom to our little bit of the in toe net :lol:

My advice is this , DONT RUSH to get a lathe , have a look for a few weeks on ebay , friday adds etc .

Get the best lathe you can with the biggest motor you can ,

Why do you see so many small starter lathes for sale ?

its because they are small starter lathes !!! , most people give up turning or sell them ASAP as they are just cheap BAIT on the market to get you to buy one !!!

I had a DRAPER clone lathe first , and boy did i get Pi--ed off with that , ever time I went near a piece of wood with a chisel the lathe stopped ? no power !!!! :twisted:

Wasted money in my opinion

Look for a turner who is retiring and buy the right equipment from the start , it works out cheaper in the long run

Bet you were impressed with the turners lathe you used ?

Nice ay ?? did it stop when you turned you dibber and bowl ??

Quality comes at a price , like most thing in life , so look for a used quality set up and you wont look back

Hope this has helped and not put you off :wink: :wink:

If you would like a chat PM me your number and I will ring you and run through it with you

Allen

 

[Blister]

Hi Nik,
Don't know if you'll read this in time but looks like a bargain. If you got it for the price it is at the moment the tools and chuck would be worth it alone

this

Pete

Does that look like a bigger lathe under the cover behind that one ? :wink:

 

[cornucopia]

Hi NikNak , welcom to our little bit of the in toe net :lol:

My advice is this , DONT RUSH to get a lathe , have a look for a few weeks on ebay , friday adds etc .

Get the best lathe you can with the biggest motor you can ,

Why do you see so many small starter lathes for sale ?

its because they are small starter lathes !!! , most people give up turning or sell them ASAP as they are just cheap BAIT on the market to get you to buy one !!!

I had a DRAPER clone lathe first , and boy did i get Pi--ed off with that , ever time I went near a piece of wood with a chisel the lathe stopped ? no power !!!! :twisted:

Wasted money in my opinion

Look for a turner who is retiring and buy the right equipment from the start , it works out cheaper in the long run

Bet you were impressed with the turners lathe you used ?

Nice ay ?? did it stop when you turned you dibber and bowl ??

Quality comes at a price , like most thing in life , so look for a used quality set up and you wont look back

Hope this has helped and not put you off :wink: :wink:

If you would like a chat PM me your number and I will ring you and run through it with you

Allen

I agree an disagree with some of these points

yes starter lathes havent got much power and can be stopped but do you remember how nervous you were to even aproach the wood with the chisel? now do you really want a 2hp motor so that if you do make a mistake it will be a big unforgiving one or do you want a 1/2hp motor and hopefully just stop it?
also what if he doesnt take to it? he will then have spent more money which he has got to try and re-coup.

so nik theres fors and against- you'll find allot of this in woodturning, you wait till you get the art craft debate going :-#

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Nick and welcome
For your budget the Perform gets my vote

 

[Blister]

Hi NikNak , welcom to our little bit of the in toe net :lol:

My advice is this , DONT RUSH to get a lathe , have a look for a few weeks on ebay , friday adds etc .

Get the best lathe you can with the biggest motor you can ,

Why do you see so many small starter lathes for sale ?

its because they are small starter lathes !!! , most people give up turning or sell them ASAP as they are just cheap BAIT on the market to get you to buy one !!!

I had a DRAPER clone lathe first , and boy did i get Pi--ed off with that , ever time I went near a piece of wood with a chisel the lathe stopped ? no power !!!! :twisted:

Wasted money in my opinion

Look for a turner who is retiring and buy the right equipment from the start , it works out cheaper in the long run

Bet you were impressed with the turners lathe you used ?

Nice ay ?? did it stop when you turned you dibber and bowl ??

Quality comes at a price , like most thing in life , so look for a used quality set up and you wont look back

Hope this has helped and not put you off :wink: :wink:

If you would like a chat PM me your number and I will ring you and run through it with you

Allen

I agree an disagree with some of these points

yes starter lathes havent got much power and can be stopped but do you remember how nervous you were to even aproach the wood with the chisel? now do you really want a 2hp motor so that if you do make a mistake it will be a big unforgiving one or do you want a 1/2hp motor and hopefully just stop it?
also what if he doesnt take to it? he will then have spent more money which he has got to try and re-coup.

so nik theres fors and against- you'll find allot of this in woodturning, you wait till you get the art craft debate going :-#

If he does not take to it he will still have a quality lathe to sell rather than another starter lathe , but with some tuition once he get going , WOO HOO down the slope :wink:

 

[stevebuk]

hi
i have to agree with the Perform too, i use one at the moment as i am also a beginner, it will do what you want until you become accomplished at it, i love mine, although if i had £200 quid spare i would probably buy the perform variable speed version.
keep your eyes out for a couple of threads in this section regarding ' making a box ' and how to turn a goblet, both tutorials done by our very own Cornucopia, they are brilliant.

 

[The Shark]

Hello Nick and welcome to the forum.
I'm a beginner too, and there is some excellent advice to be had here. Stevebuk is spot on with his comments about cornucopia's tutorials - well worth a look.
I won't comment on starter lathes, as mine came out of a school and was pink before I treated it to some grey hammerite!!!
Hope you find what you want

Malc

 

[CHJ]

Welcome to the forum Nick, the often quoted "buy the best kit you can afford" is very sound advice, that is of course assuming you know what you want and what is best for you.

cornucopia has a valid point regarding high powered machines and new starters, having started myself on a relatively inexpensive low powered machine I can vouch for the fact that it saved me serious embarrassment on many occasions by giving up the fight before my tools or body parts broke.

Lower powered machines certainly encourage you to refine your skills and develope a controlled approach to achieving your aims that are no less valid when the luxury of being able to acquire 'the best' arrives.

Until that day be satisfied that bigger jobs take a little longer on low powered machines.

I doubt there is anyone on the forum that had a clear idea of what they now consider their ideal lathe/tool set was until at least 12 months into the slope so I would go with whatever reasonable bit of kit you can afford at this time, be it new or pre-owned, and use it as a learning curve to develope your own preferences.

One major thing I would advise is that you refrain from buying every new glittering tool the adverts will have you believe you can't live without, if you can, watch a few turners working and note how few tools they actually use for 90% of the turning.

 

[cornucopia]

One major thing I would advise is that you refrain from buying every new glittering tool the adverts will have you believe you can't live without, if you can, watch a few turners working and note how few tools they actually use for 90% of the turning.

sound advice 90% of my work is done with just one gouge