Thread: Woodturning for lefties

As a long time "rightie", I never thought I could do much at all with my non-dominant hand................
Then we set up Artisans Retreat and I started to teach woodturning.
Found myself handling the tools in all sorts of wierd positions while helping my students (lefties & righties) get the drift of a technique.
Swivel head lathe works a treat (I teach on DVR's and Nova 1624) and it really is just a matter of trying to get the body in a comfortable position for the cut - and having a go with both hands!
A good, patient teacher is also worth his weight in gold!
As lefties go - Tony Morton has some pretty darn good stuff in our gallery!
Give it a go & HAVE FUN.

caught my eye, but no, not politics.

To all the Righties,
I have stated this before on these Forums.
I still believe The Wood Lathe was built for Left Handers by a Left Hander.
We don't have that Head Sock getting in the way all the time, as we stand in the Centre of The Lathe.
Yes, we have to turn Right Handed to do a bowl on most Lathes, but I have never had a problem with that, Horses for Courses.
Regards,
issatree.
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.

Yes, we have to turn Right Handed to do a bowl on most Lathes, but I have never had a problem with that, Horses for Courses.

I find that with a bit of perseverance its fairly easy to become ambidextrous. I turn with both hands and don't really favour one over the other too much.

There is no reason you can't turn a lathe the wrong way as long as it is a spindle turning. Might back off a faceplate or chuck, but the rest of the goodies will work backwards. Stand on the other side.

But like was said, I hold the skew, gouge and other tools with either hand and often switch if need be

Hi I'm right handed but I've taught a few left handed people . They get annoyed when they complain about it and I go to my left hand for turning . Try using both hands with the roughing gouge first that will get you used to the basics of double handed turning .

This is a very old thread but still relevant. Jefferson was one of the most recent to "need" a lathe built left handed but now is quite proficient with both hands

Personally i hold the chisel with both hands sometimes the left one is forward and sometimes the right. I never make a concious decision which way to go just pick it up and start. The inside of bowls is opposite to the outside so i guess it depends on where you are working. As for spindle work i guess you can use one hand all the time but i find it easier to work away from the body and work from the centre out so i still swap sides.

Time, experience and patience is the answer - it doesnt come overnight.

Cheers

Calm is right. I did whinge for a long while about a lathe not being built for lefties.

But I got over it - had to really. And I watched a pro turner () at work. He changes hands all the time, mostly to ensure his body doesn't get in the way (I think).

A swivel head might make it easier for lefties eg hollowing a box.

But a short bed lathe is probably a better solution. I found turning on Calm's 750 Stubby a real pleasure.

Also, has a lathe (I can't remember the make) that almost has no bed and it's very convenient for lefties. (The lathe in question may be home-made).

My TBW.

Hi,
I know this is an old post but I am left handed and was thinking of getting a lathe that also goes in reverse so I can do the inside of bowls from the right hand side. Is there any issue with doing this? One of the previous posts mentioned making sure the chuck was on nice and tight as the pressure could unwind it from its thread. Also, are the lathes with EVS and reverse able to be adjusted the same as if they are going 'forward'? I don't have the space option of turning from the other side and also as you are too far from the controls I can't say I would be comfortable doing this anyway.

I am practicing right handed but no I will be able to do a better job with my left,

thanks

Mick

HI Mick
I have had many "lefties" spend some time with me at Artisans Retreat.
There is no 1 solution to turning as a leftie, it is just a matter of adapting techniques to suit your abilities.
May I be so bold as to suggest you come up & spend a day with me in my workshop?
Details of our workshops are on our website.
I have both Nova DVR and Cougar lathes for you to play with - all electronic variable speed, swivel headstock, rotate in both directions etc etc etc.
(The Cougar, in my opinion, is the best value for money mid size lathe on the market today.)
Food for thought - we are only about 3 hour drive north of Sydney.
Cheers
Peter

Hi
Just read through these posts again and have been thinking it's not like we learnt on a lathe going the other way and suddenly were faced with the set up we have today. Yes it may be difficult to start with but that is the way our brain trains our muscles to use the machine this way, just think do we lefties have difficulty winding a clock or undoing a bolt its all in the learning process.
Cheers Tony

This is an interesting thread. It should be bumped.
I can cut or scrape in either direction.

When I first started turning the kind gentle man who taught me (and still a good friend) asked me if I was left or right handed, then instructed me on how to hold the tools.

It was only 3 days before he explained that I'd been working left handed and that i could try them the other way around as well.

To this day I hold the tool however it's easier to make the cut and don't differentiate between the handedness.

Learn to use both - the tools don't mind!

I am learning to use both hands but am defintely better as a left hander.
Back to my original question(s) do any lefties use the reverse for the inside of bowls? Is there any dangers / things I need to think of before doing this?
thanks
Mick