Newbie turner - rites of passage ?

[steamingbill]

Big day today.

Finished building the shop notes lathe - mounted a lump of pine - took a deep breath - stood well back and fired it up - it whizzed round and round just fine.

Approached the spinning object - placed tool on rest - rubbed back bevel of tool against revolving rectangular timber - lifted back hand ............... and ........

................. and it worked !! Yeeha !

So am now proud owner of a cylinder of pine, quite astonishing watching it all happening right in front of me - smooth ripple of shavings leaping off the timber just ahead of cutting tool - just like on the video ............... well maybe not ------------- some bits of cylinder nice and shiny and smooth whilst other bits are somewhat rough and distressed looking. Dont know why. Probably a Blunt Tool ? - its straight out of the box from Amazon. Have built a sharpening jig so maybe a sharpening will solve problem

Got splattered with shavings - not sure if dust extractor will help with this. Will have a go.

Any ritual that newbies must perform ie break a bottle of champagne over the headstock ? Sign the cylinder and keep it forever ? Transform the first cylinder into 3 egg cups ? Oh yeah I nearly forgot, buy everyone on the forum a drink ?

Is it good practice to be ambidextrous whilst learning ie do all techniques left handed as well as right handed ? - havent seen anything in my various library books about this. There seemed to be a definite easy side and awkward side when doing the first cylinder.

Am following the Keith Lowry Book and Video got them from Library - seems perfect for a newbie.

Bill

[tdrumnut]

I'll go with buying every one on the forum a drink:2tsup: well done Bill you are officially hooked.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

:2tsup:


Any ritual that newbies must perform ie break a bottle of champagne over the headstock ? Sign the cylinder and keep it forever ? Transform the first cylinder into 3 egg cups ? Oh yeah I nearly forgot, buy everyone on the forum a drink ?

White. Two sugars, thanks.

The only ritual I know of is that the newbie sweeps the shed. Will you be right in finding the broom? :D


Is it good practice to be ambidextrous whilst learning ie do all techniques left handed as well as right handed ? - havent seen anything in my various library books about this. There seemed to be a definite easy side and awkward side when doing the first cylinder.


Yes. Very good practice, especially if you plan to adventure into the more intricate types of turnings. :)

[tea lady]

So am now proud owner of a cylinder of pine, quite astonishing watching it all happening right in front of me - smooth ripple of shavings leaping off the timber just ahead of cutting tool - just like on the video ............... well maybe not ------------- some bits of cylinder nice and shiny and smooth whilst other bits are somewhat rough and distressed looking. Dont know why. Probably a Blunt Tool ? - its straight out of the box from Amazon. Have built a sharpening jig so maybe a sharpening will solve problem Could be just reversed grain in those spots. Or the angle of the tool changed a bit as you went along.

Got splattered with shavings - not sure if dust extractor will help with this. Will have a go. Dusty doesn't do much about big shavings. Face shield and turning jacket is what you need.



Is it good practice to be ambidextrous whilst learning ie do all techniques left handed as well as right handed ? - havent seen anything in my various library books about this. There seemed to be a definite easy side and awkward side when doing the first cylinder.



BillI reckon while both sides of the body don't know what they are doing, best they both learn. Its handy quite often to be able to go both ways.

[Jonzjob]

Big day today.



Is it good practice to be ambidextrous whilst learning ie do all techniques left handed as well as right handed ? - havent seen anything in my various library books about this. There seemed to be a definite easy side and awkward side when doing the first cylinder.

Bill

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous :C:C:C

I go along with it being a great idea. I spent a fair while just practicing and finally got it right (and left too I suppose?) and it was well worth the time.

I'm not toooo sure about Tea Ladys' commennt though?

"Its handy quite often to be able to go both ways. "

I would say that any gouge/chisel straight out of the box would need sharpening and if you are now the owner of that nice cylinder of pine then you have done well mate!!

[dr4g0nfly]

The grand old man who taught me to turn asked, which hand?, then after a quick demo put the tool into my hands and had me practice for - oh, a goodly while. I was just getting the hang of it when he swapped the tool around in my hands,

'That's easier!, I said.

He nodded sagely and kept moving the tool between my hands.

Now I don't even notice, it's what hand make the job easier - so practice long and hard with both hands.

[hughie]

The grand old man who taught me to turn asked, which hand?, then after a quick demo put the tool into my hands and had me practice for - oh, a goodly while. I was just getting the hang of it when he swapped the tool around in my hands,

'That's easier!, I said.

He nodded sagely and kept moving the tool between my hands.

Now I don't even notice, it's what hand make the job easier - so practice long and hard with both hands.


Good advice :2tsup:

[arose62]

Congrats!

Might be worth standing to the SIDE of the firing line, rather than back, when starting up :)

The rough vs smooth could be from cutting "uphill" vs "downhill" - i.e. from smaller diameter towards larger.

As for first project, I made my cylinder, then turned one end smaller, and found that I'd made a mallet. It's still in regular use today.

Cheers,
Andrew

[chambezio]

Way back in 1979 I got some steel pieces together and made my lathe (only bed and headstock) (tailstock came years later)
Bolted it to the bench ground a file and turned a piece of Oregon into a bowl. I must have had a face plate. I came across that bowl only a couple of weeks ago. Ah the memories.
Congratulations on your first outing on the lathe. We now need pics to see exactly what you have been up to.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Hey, Bill?

I'm passingly familiar with the Keith Lowry book & vid, but not from the viewpoint of a beginner.

How're you finding it? Any thing you think it explains really well or doesn't cover well enough? Care to post a review about it from a novice turner's view-point?

In the past I've recommended Keith Rowley's "Woodturning: A Foundation Course" as a primer - it's certainly jam packed with info - but it's just a book and a video does explain some things so much quicker 'n easier than whole paragraphs of words.


Way back in 1979 I got some steel pieces together and made my lathe (only bed and headstock) (tailstock came years later)
Bolted it to the bench ground a file and turned a piece of Oregon into a bowl. I must have had a face plate. I came across that bowl only a couple of weeks ago. Ah the memories.

:2tsup:

I still have the first piece I ever turned; a goblet. Ugly as sin and made from a lump of Redgum so old and black I could almost kick myself for 'wasting' it. :rolleyes: It taught me a lot... (starting with "I really need a chuck." :D)

The funny thing is I've tried reproducing the way I turned that one and I can't. Not "in a safe & acceptable manner," anyway. Sometimes ignorance (of proper techniques & safety risks) is bliss. :innocent:

[artme]

Onya Bill!!!:way2go::aussie5:

I bought some of the set of books written by Mike Darlow and borrowed the
video "Taming the Skew" by the same author.

After watching the video SEVERAL times I set o work! Until then I had been
very circumspect about using a skew. I found that reciting Mikes instructions
like a mantra as I worked helped tremendously. After finishing a couple of
cylinders I went back and watched the video again.

This worked for me.

In any case I think Darlow's books and vids are the best I have read or seen.

[steamingbill]

Hey, Bill?

I'm passingly familiar with the Keith Lowry book & vid, but not from the viewpoint of a beginner.

How're you finding it? Any thing you think it explains really well or doesn't cover well enough? Care to post a review about it from a novice turner's view-point?



Skew,

Will post a review within the next week.

Summary - Its far simpler than any of the other books I've read. Easy to read. Not daunting or overly technical. The video complements the book very very well - quite a short video - but covers enough to keep a newbie busy for a long time.

He doesnt try to put too much information into each diagram which seems to be a failing of some of the books - diagrams should simplify things - not scare you - honestly some of the multicoloured cutting diagrams that I have seen with hundreds of little tiny coloured arcs in them - mapping the cuts required for a job - made me think "Goodness me - too difficult - stay away"

Bill

[RETIRED]

Lowry or Rowley?

[RhysM]

Big day today.

So am now proud owner of a cylinder of pine
Bill


I was the proud owner of a cylinder of pine a few weeks ago. I stared at it for ten minutes then turned it into a sculptors mallet.

Cheers
Rhys

[steamingbill]

Lowry or Rowley?

Rowley - will edit previous mistake


Way back in 1979 I got some steel pieces together and made my lathe (only bed and headstock) (tailstock came years later)
Bolted it to the bench ground a file and turned a piece of Oregon into a bowl. I must have had a face plate. I came across that bowl only a couple of weeks ago. Ah the memories.
Congratulations on your first outing on the lathe. We now need pics to see exactly what you have been up to.

Some pics below - Sharpening the tool didnt seem to make a great deal of difference. When cutting my 2nd cylinder today discovered I can push a bit harder on the gouge and be a bit more aggressive. Quite surprising how quickly the timber is carved away. Seems to be "sweet spots" when I do everything just right and the timber just melts away. Common newbie thing - too timid with gouge ?

Turning Tools I bought are here PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set, 8-Piece - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KI8CTS/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0)


Nothing in the books I've looked regarding what the chips should look like - is it possible to conclude anything by examining the chips ? Next weeks lotto numbers ?

Guard taken off belt for photo

Using a Triton safety switch on the motor (1/2 HP $80 Conon Motors Ebay)- have made the motor detachable so that it alternates between drum sander and lathe - currently eyeing off bigger motor on drill press and wondering if that could also serve on the drum sander................... find it quite irritating that the drill press motor spends 95% of the time doing nothing.

Still trying to find best knobs to use on screws on headstock tailstock and tool rest. Could look a bit smarter with some decent knobs and some tidying up.

Bill

[RETIRED]

AHA. Yes That is the best book ever written for beginners IMO.

[Jonzjob]

That's an intriguing looking lathe. Not seen one like that before.

The sharpening rig you have is the same as I had for quite a few years. Works well too. Something I did to mine was to round off the front corners of the uprights so that when I was sharpening something like a skew the front corners didn't get in the way..

[steamingbill]

That's an intriguing looking lathe. Not seen one like that before.

The sharpening rig you have is the same as I had for quite a few years. Works well too. Something I did to mine was to round off the front corners of the uprights so that when I was sharpening something like a skew the front corners didn't get in the way..

Jon,

The lathe was built following the plans in Shop Notes issue number 73 - there are a few people around who have built them and posted about them on the internet - there is a better looking one here Tools - WPBower - Woodturner (http://wpbower.weebly.com/tools.html) and there are other photos scattered around the internet.

Was probably about to learn about the rounded corners sometime in the next few days - the plan does call for rounded corners but I couldn't see why until you pointed it out in the note above.

Bill

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

When cutting my 2nd cylinder today discovered I can push a bit harder on the gouge and be a bit more aggressive. Quite surprising how quickly the timber is carved away. Seems to be "sweet spots" when I do everything just right and the timber just melts away. Common newbie thing - too timid with gouge ?

Yes. Maybe 'tentative' would be a better choice of word. But better a live lamb than a dead lion, right?

It feels good when everything falls into place, doesn't it? :)


Nothing in the books I've looked regarding what the chips should look like - is it possible to conclude anything by examining the chips ? Next weeks lotto numbers ?

Not really. Unless you're also finding cinders & charred remnants. :D

I guess that if you handle the same few timbers on a regular basis, you'll soon know what to expect of that timber and when things aren't quite right. But you usually know that from how the tool is cutting long before it becomes obvious in the shavings.

Still... it is said that, when cutting properly in ideal circumstances, you can achieve a continuous curly flying over your shoulder. Which is true. But... "ideal circumstances." Sharpness, the choice of timber (some of 'em just turn to powder no matter what you do), tool presentation, the way you hold your tongue...

Then again, scraping usually creates powder or very short shavings. However, scraping some woods generates long curlies!


Lowry or Rowley?

:doh:



(Copy-paste: not always your friend. :U)