Your favorite tip to beginners?

[hairytoes]

Sorry if this has been posted before somewhere else, Mods feel free to shut it down if it has.

What was the best bit of advice ever given to you in terms of improving your turning.

What (if anything) do you wish that you found out sooner, or a great tip relating to storage, tool making, money saving etc that you have.

Any great mantra's?
I like "measure twice, cut once".








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[Anonymous]

"If you think it needs sharpening... it does" (Bill Jones)

Learn to sharpen tools and keep 'em sharp :!:

Make a friend of Percy Verance :lol:

 

[Bodrighy]

Best piece of advice was from (Graham, Old Soke) He said quite simply " take small cuts, it's faster" In other words (or my interpretation) try to get something turned too quickly will end in tears and firewood.

My signature is my mantra through bitter experience. I have a lot of serendipity in my life :lol:

As far as saving money is concerned so farr, in a years turning I have yet to buy a blank. I do buy off cuts sometines all my other wood comes from the woods and hedgerows, other peoples surplus and trees that have been chopped or fallen down. I also use old furniture, a good source of some of the woods that are difficult or exppensive to get hold of such as walnut, elm and mahogany. Only other advice I would give from my short experience is that a bad piece of wood just takes more thouight to use.

Pete

 

[richburrow]

You to look with your fingers and ears as well as your eyes

 

[PowerTool]

Useful things,from personal experience (in no particular order) :-

1) Keith Rowleys book - excellent reading
2) This forum
3) Getting a second bowl gouge,and discovering how much better it is when you discover the profile grind that suits you.
4) Discovering Axminster
5) Learning to sharpen chisels,especially skews,and how much easier it is to use them when you can.
6) Remembering to enjoy it,even when your hollow form becomes two seperate pieces,or a dig-in leads to a hasty re-design :wink:

I'm sure there are others,but there's a few for starters;and if I had to pick one piece of advice,it would be from Graham (oldsoke) - "every piece is a learning piece"

Andrew

 

[Paul.J]

Hello HT
I would say buy the best quality tools,equipment you can afford.
While practicing just use any old cheap/scrap wood before using any expensive wood that you might have.
Don't be put off with all the cock ups and "dig ins",as Graham also told me,get to know old Percy :lol:
I also like the mantra "Measure twice cut once",but it still doesn't work for me some times :roll:

 

[TEP]

Mornin' hairytoes, practice, Practice, PRACTICE! Buying fancy tools comes later.

 

[hairytoes]

nice one guys, it's funny how we all pretty much come to the same conclusions eventually - as if there's some kind of "truth", relating to woodturning, or any skilled hobby really.

Just thinking about it, makes me all philisophical & that makes me think that it's time well spent 8) .

Thanks for sharing, I'm off to the old grindstone - cos I'm already getting into bad habits re: grinding/sharpening . Need to knock that on the head!!

Hasta Luego.

 

[stewart]

..and I was just about to google Percy Verance...

 

[Anonymous]

Percy's out there, a busy man by all accounts and doing very well according to this:
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/CET/flashactivities/cartoon-58.html

It seems that whatever he applies himself to invariably leads to success :wink:

 

[T.allan]

I am only a baby turner but I discovered that sharp tools are a must

 

[Bob Chapman]

Don't play safe all the time. I don't mean take chances with your safety, but push the boundaries occasionally even if it means risking the piece you are working on.

Bob

 

[duncanh]

As has been said before - practice lots.

A really useful piece of advice that was given in one of the mag editorials (I think) - keep a sketchbook with ideas for shapes and projects. I have a small notebook which I carry with me all the time (I have an awful memory!) and I regularly jot things down in it - inspirations comes from everywhere around me.


From past discussion on here there appear to be 2 general ways of working:-
1)mount the wood on the lathe and then just go at it and see what emerges from the wood
2)plan ahead, perhaps using sketches (like I do) so you have an end goal

Whichever camp you fall into try using the other method every now and again

 

[THOMASB]

1) Check all is tight before you turn on, and stand to one side!!!

2) The A,B,C. A is for ANCHOR make sure the tool is on the rest.
B is for BEVEL make sure the bevel is touching the wood before you
start to cut, and C is for CUT slowly raise the handle to make the cut
this procedure is BEVEL CUTTING. a good way to start.
Oh by the way enjoy!!!
:roll: :wink:

 

[boysie39]

someone on a US forum had a Mantra.
I've cut this piece four times and it'e still too short.
Regards Boysie

 

[davegw]

I agree with everything everyone else has said and would add learn to duck!

Have fun with what I believe is one of the most satisfying hobbies available.

 

[Anonymous]

Choices.... Duck or Grouse

 

[Bodrighy]

Pete

Choices.... Duck or Grouse

Oh Deer Graham that is terrible.

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: