Thread: Left- Handed...A Handicap?

Left handers make the best turners Normal lathes are fine

It has been said that the origination of the lathe might have been originally built for left handed. Of course this might be a total myth as I certainly can not locate any substantiation for that statement.

As I am right handed there have been some times that I found would be better if I was left handed. As an example when using the skew chisel in a planning cut from left to right. Then you could argue that I could do a planning cut from right to left.

If you are only going to be turning handles meaning between centers you will be facing the lathe at 90 degrees to the work. So I don't think it matters which hand is predominant.

If you decide to make a bowl and when hollowing might need to stand at the end or towards the end of the lathe to allow the left hand to be dominant.

Hi
I'm lefthanded and found that sometimes it is a advance. have learned to do turning both ways and using whatever style;
Bowl turning right handed is best, but if you have a swivel head it makes no difference. I'm using a normal lathe.
Cheers

I don't think it really matters, left or right. The best thing to do is make sure you don't place your lathe against a wall or anything. Your lathe can then be accessed both sides making the left/right hand issue redundant (that's if you have a reverse option).

One of my tafe teachers declared that there is no left handed wood turners. And they would be shown how to turn right handed.
But we never got to test him on it as we had no left handers in our class.
I can't see it being a problem. Most on off switches are on the left.

I reckon it would be an advantage - the lathe legs wouldn't get in the way as the turner would be standing further to the right

Should not be a problem nothing special for left handers, I taught my late sister to woodturning many years ago she was left handed,
if anything she found it easier than I do

Im a true ambidextrous, but I find myself using the left all the time for all sorts of things. For the lathe I use it left handed.

Its one of the few tools that actually feels correct to use as a leftie... so rather than a disadvantage, I think it's right (oh, the pun!).

One of the things I found a bit weird was I "sort of" taught myself to use the skew. I was switching hands dependant on where I was on the work. As I was getting serious, I had an experienced turner come to teach me a few lessons and they were pretty amused at my swapping around without body movement. It sure does help for bowls, we can do the sweeps and insides better, I feel... lefties overcome inherent right-handed-only design flaws daily so we do learn to switch more.... righties do not, so we have that advantage over them.

Other than these points, its all practice, practice, practice!

Hi All,
Yes, I have always been told, the Lathe was made by a Left Hander, for the Left Hander.

If I have to do a Bowl, well, then I can go Right Handed.

Further to that I belong to " The Left Handers Club " UK based. Quite interesting at times.

Basically it's a matter of training the brain to change. It took quite a while for me to learn to turn left handed, especially the skew. Enjoy!!!!!
I watched a program on the idiot box, where someone modified a push bike to steer the opposite way, by use of a gear in the steering. It took him eight months to learn to ride it, his 8 YO son, 3 weeks, but, when he went back to a normal bike, he couldn't ride it, he kept falling off.
Kryn

Hi yvan,

I haven't any comment to add with regard to turning, but did you know that
everyone is born right handed, and only the best of us overcome that.

Cheers, Jeff

Well for I dont it as any sort of problem at all. I turn with both hands as it suits the job at hand.

I am right handed. Over time I have trained myself to use a hammer and other tools using the left hand. Not as well, but doable.

When I started turning I made a strong effort to turn left handed as well as right handed.

I can now swap back and forth going from inside the bowl to the outside, or using a skew without even thinking about it.

Well as a left hander, I can say that if you are buying a lathe, ensure you buy a swivel head.
It will make things easier for you. Generally, however, I don't find it a problem and I don't have a swivel head. Of course,
if you have the room in the Shed, you can stand on the right hand side and cut in the normal way
for bowl work, i.e you are still cutting from the left side of the piece. On the other hand if you
are doing only spindle work and you are facing the lathe, it would make no difference. However,
many of the smaller lathes (minis) are not swivel head. As I always say, you can do
small things on a full sized lathe, but you cant do large things on a small lathe. Personally, I
would go with a midi lathe and swivel head, but you should get some practical advice, including standing
in front of a lathe and seeing how comfortable you feel. Try before you buy. Hope that helps. Drillit.