First turning class - any advice?


-MattK-

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I've been wanting to try turning for ages and I just signed up for a 3-day "wood turning summer camp" at the local Woodcraft / Woodworkers' Club.

 

I spoke on the phone with the guy at the shop - he said they have visors but to bring a dust mask and safety goggles and wear a turtleneck so the woodchips don't go down your shirt.

 

I usually use a 3M 7500 series respirator - does that thing fit under a visor?  If I'm pretty confident that I'll be buying a lathe and doing more turning is there a better mask / visor / helmet I ought to buy?

 

Any other advice from the veterans around here?

 

Thank you!!

 

Matt

 

 

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Yay on your turning class! The main time you will need the dust mask when turning is when you are sanding and you won't need the visor then. Of course rules in your class might be to use them both. The problem with using that mask when taking a class is being unintelligible when you ask questions. For this purpose I would get a cheapo disposible mask. I think your mask will fit under a visor, i will check mine tomorrow if i remember, but it will be a pain to take off the helmet to take off the mask to be understood. The thing just swallows speech. An even better alternative to a disposible is the reusable Dust Bee Gone mask. It for sure fits under the visor and speech is so clear that instructors can wear it while turning and be understood even at the back of the room.

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  • 1 month later...

the original turning class in August (3 x 6 hour days) didn't have enough subscribers but I just got off the waitlist for a class at the local community college that's 10 x 6 hour sessions.  So excited to start on Monday!

Awesome! Turning is fun, be careful though, things spinning and then hitting them with tools requires finesse. 

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