bigarm Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 My lathe is supposed to be delivered today and some tools from D-Way have already arrived. I want to get some wood to practice with the tools. Won't be making any projects, just learning practice. What should I get for spindle and bowl turning? Unfortunately I live in prairie grass, so no trees to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 Poplar will work find for practice.. I know when I wanted to try a bowl for the first time, I took a bunch of my shop scrap and glued it all together and then turned that into a bowl. Was supposed to be "practice and learning" but, a visitor to my shop bought it a day after I finished it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 Red oak is usually affordable but it is prone to splintering so be careful. Poplar would be my first choice . Maple is also affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 24, 2016 Report Share Posted May 24, 2016 No trees at all? Really? Talking about species is interesting (I like turning just about anything but spruce...) but when considering initial experiences for a noob I'd tend more to think moisture content. Turning wet anything is a great experience. The material cuts easily, shavings fly, the tool doesn't dull as fast, etc. The resulting work still has to dry (and will probably self-destruct) but for getting lots of experience finding and rubbing a bevel, that'd be my choice. Is there absolutely no way you can get your hands on something freshly felled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomP Posted May 27, 2016 Report Share Posted May 27, 2016 I used poplar when I started. Its soft and actually turns out nice. I also used scraps of wood I had lying around to get used to turning different woods. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Poplar or soft maple are great woods to start on. Also, making file handles is a way to practice simple turnings and actually ending up with something you can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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