Mollydookers?

[artful bodger]

I am right handed at everything except....you guessed it, woodturning.
So was wondering how many other turners out there in forumland turn left handed....hold the handle of the chisel in left hand.?
I remember the teacher at Sydney tech back in the 80's seemed flabbergasted that I was left handed and he tried to convince me it was evil and should only be done right handed.

[artme]

Do you need a left handed lathe!!

[BamBam53]

I am left handed and hold the chisel in which ever hand feels most comfortable for what I am doing. I tend to favor holding the chisel handle with my left hand.

Michael

[tea lady]

Practice doing it both ways. A handy skill no matter which hand you are.

[steamingbill]

Am only a newbie to turning so am trying to use left handed just as much as right handed.

Slightly more comfortable right handed but everything is equally new and strange to both hands so it should be easy to become unbiased.

I read somewhere that if you try to do things with both hands it will stimulate the "other" side of your brain. So have been teaching self to write left handed for past year - its a bit spikey and child like but am getting there.

Bill

[Scott]

Do you need a left handed lathe!!

Not as silly as it seems. Buy a lathe with the reverse function and stand on the other side. It's what I do. Saying that, as Tea Lady has hinted, try using both, it'll make you a better turner :)

[Ray153]

I turn spindles ,the outside of bowls and boxes left handed, but the inside of bowls, boxes, I turn them right handed.

I never gave it any thought till now, have just taught myself to turn that way and it is just natural to me.

I write left handed but hold a cricket bat or golf club right handed.

[dr4g0nfly]

I a Right handed and was deliberately started turning left handed by the gentleman who taught me, now truly ambidextrous (but only when turning).

I have someone I'm teaching at the moment and I get him to turn as much wrong handed as normal handed, he can already see the advantages.

[corbs]

I'm right handed but play pool left handed. No idea what handed I am on the lathe (right hand front and left hand rear), I just do what feel comfortable :rolleyes:

[issatree]

Hi All,
A lot of RH's are not to keen on me saying this, but I still believe, that the Lathe was built by a Left Hander for a Left Hander.
We Stand in the Middle of the Lathe, where as the RHder, Stands to the Left of the Lathe, & at times has problems with the head of the Lathe getting in the way.
Of course this has all changed now, as the Head of a Good Lathe will Swivel, & therefore a LHder can now Turn a Bowl Left Handed.
I Don't Turn Bowls, but I can Turn Right Handed when needed.

[mick59wests]

Hi,
I am a molly dooker as well. I can turn very roughly right handed but when I need to make final cuts (which are pretty rough anyway :)) I just have to do it left handed. As I like turning bowls, in the end I got a decent lathe with a swivel head so I can easily turn left handed.

I like the idea of the reverse and turning from the opposite side (but lathe will need a grub screw)but all of the lathes I know would then have the controls on the wrong side.

For all of you right handers who say you just turn both hands, I wonder how many do final cuts with their left hand? If you do, congratulations.

Mick

[bassmansimon]

saw a lathe yesterday that you could slide tge headstock up the bed. That, combined with the pivot head, meant that you can reverse the location of the headstock and tail stock, turning it into a left hand lathe.

[Allan at Wallan]

I am normally right handed for writing, left handed golfer, and
both hands for typing (surprise, surprise).

When first using the dreaded skew I was right handed but as
I grew in confidence, and let the chisel work for me, I became
more confident when needing to use it left handed. Now,
I have no fear with either hand even when completing the
final touches to pens.

Allan

[The Hun]

So what makes you left or right handed - is the hand that is on the handle or the hand closest to the lathe? I dont know and readily change hands depending which direction I am cutting - going left my right hand is on the handle of the tool and left hand when cutting to the right. I am old enough to be one of those people who were "encouraged" by the school system and others that being left handed was a sign of the devil. I write and eat right handed but prefer to do most other things left handed.

Regards

Peter

[RETIRED]

Hand on the handle that controls the cuts.

[TTIT]

Hand on the handle that controls the cuts.Alright for you smarta$$es that can turn one handed :~ I have to use both to control the buggers :;:U

[Scott]

Alright for you smarta$$es that can turn one handed :~ I have to use both to control the buggers :;:U

Hand on the handle huh? :D

[RETIRED]

alright for you smarta$$es that can turn one handed :~ i have to use both to control the buggers :;:u:d

[Nanigai]

When I wanted to learn to cast a spinning rod a lot of years ago my mate who was going to teach me asked if I was R or L handed. I told him R, he said pick up the rod in your L hand then?? When I protested he asked if I could already cast a rod and I obviously said no. "So what difference will it make?" was his response. Anyway I learnt to cast left handed which meant I didn't need to change hands to start winding line back when the lure hit the water as the rod was already in my left hand, simple & extremely efficient.:U

Any way I also did the same when I started turning and find it really comes in handy sometimes. Possibly expert turners may say if you use the tools well you don't need to use your left hand. I'll probably never be in that group.:no:

At the end of the day you can get used to doing anything left handed if you overcome the prejudice of the right handed society we live in.
Cheers, Ian

[artme]

A more interesting topic than might have been thought of at first glance.

A right handed axe man has his right hand nearer to the head of the axe.
A right handed batsman has his right hand towards the bottom of the handle
and his left side facing the bowler.

Does this not conflict with the notions of handedness expressed here????