Getting started

[jake721]

Hey everyone, I really want to learn how to use a wood lathe, but I don't have any idea where to begin. I think it would be fun learning to make bowls, pens, and all kinds of cool things.

I don't know what kind of lathe to get, what tools I need or anything.

I don't have a lot of woodworking experience, I've made a few tables, I'm working on a set of chairs, and I've made some bunkbeds.

If you guys could point me in the right direction for what to buy, and any resources to start learning, I would greatly appreciate it!

[mikem]

Hi Jake,

As an FYI, there is a great group of turners that hang out in the chat room. You are correct in your thinking that turning is a lot of fun!

For the Lathe, get the best machine you can get. If you are planning to turning bowls, you will want one with variable speed that can go down around 250RPMs. The amount of swing is key as that will limit how big of a bowl you can turn. Length is good, but as was once pointed out, most turnings are under 16" long. For swing, I wouldn't go with anything under 12" but go bigger if you can afford it. I personally have a Delta 46-460 and love it.

For the tools, you will need a spindle rough gouge, a couple spindle gouges, and a couple bowl gouges (don't use spindle gouges for bowls), a parting tool, a scraper, and a skew or two. There are a lot of good options out there, but I recently purchased a couple from thompsonlathetools.com and really like them ! What you really need to worry about more then the tools is sharpening, as you will do it a lot. I would recommend a slow speed 8" grinder and the wolverine jig for sharpening.

[Sac]

As an FYI, there is a great group of turners that hang out in the chat room.

I was just going to tell him to head on over there. CHeck it out. http://thewoodwhisperer.com/live

[RenaissanceWW]

I'm would suggest a slightly different route thatn what Mike suggests. Go with a midi lathe as you will spend a lot less on start up. You can still get the variable speed though I have been working with my old school, move the belt to change speed lathe for 6 years now without a problem. I agree that swing is nice to have and length isnt that big a deal unless you are turning furniture legs. However if you are just getting starting, I wouldn't recommend turning bigger pieces that a larger swing can support. You can do so much with a Jet, or Delta or Penn State lathe like pens, turned boxes, bowls (most midis have a 10-12" diameter capacity) and it will keep you happy for years. The lack of mass means more vibration while turning but I discovered that the lathe wasn't the expensive part of the investment. It was all the accessories like gouges, chucks, live centers, drive centers, pen kits, pen bushings, and a myriad of very useful other things every time you tackle a new turning. If you find you love it and progress to wanting a larger lathe that's great but I don't think you will regret the minor investment for a midi lathe. You can either sell it and introduce someone else to turning or keep it in a corner and use it for smaller stuff. It doesn't take up much room at all.

[jake721]

Thanks for your opinions! I'm still trying to figure out all the differences between lathes

What's a good way to learn how to properly use a lathe and how to go about turning different things? I've tried looking around for classes in my area, but I haven't found any.

[duckkisser]

ok mike and i both have the 460 and we both love it. it is a good machine with a decent swing and length. i ended up geting the extension . i just got my lathe last year so im geing to a point where im realy comfortable with my althe and the tools i got. rober sorby makes realy good steel tools and i might have to sharpen ever couple days. i bought a basic set of high speed steel.and since then have been making my own decorating tools.(avoid carbide tools they dull realy fast) you will need some face plates, a cole chuck for bowls, a regular chuck(got a nova 4 jaw chuck). over the year i have picked up enough tools and chucks and it has ended up costing me about $2000 for my lathe, my sorby tools, my chuck's, buffer mandrel, pen mandrel, ect..... but those tools should last my life and hopefully i can give them to my kids when i die. remember buy the better tools because they will last your life so wethere it 90 dollers or 160 dollers you dont want to invest money into this hobby and then have a tool that you dont want and then have to trade in in a year for a better tool or machine. if you have any questions please feel free to message me since i very recently started in the same place your at. i love turning because i can make projects in a few hours out of scrap wood/fire wood/ freshly fallen trees out of one machine taking up a very small foot print. some turners have a lathe in there apartment.

Tools/chucks/accesories

here is a post i had on here that shows some tools that i made both how to make them and what the ones i made look like.

next im going to make myself a home made e-z type tool and use some carbide blades to turn with so that i can make easy safer tools with the kids in my class.

http://globaltooling...ert-knives.html here is where i got the blade from

http://www.penturner...ing-tool-91939/ here is a forum that kinda shows how to make them.

you can make most of the lathe tools that you want on your own. going to a place that sells tool quality metal like high speed metal. then you can grind them to the way you want your tools to be

this is a nice site showing different tool and chucks you can make easily

here is some chucks,tools,rest's you can make yourself http://www.turningbl...olprojects/Page

Videos/sites to watch for tips

captn eddie castalin shows some prity usefull tool that you can make as well as projects that you can make he also makes some tools that are prity cheap. http://www.youtube.c...re=results_main

the wood shop- this guy does lots of video on turning i think he has like 156 videos http://www.youtube.c...D?feature=watch

this site has lots of tips and projects that you can makehttp://www.woodturni...e.com/index.php

here is another site that is prity usefull http://aroundthewoods.com/

stores for supplies and tools

http://www.woodcraft...s-and-kits.aspx wood craft

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/ craft supplies

http://www.packardwo...gory_Code=tools packard wood works

http://www.pennstate...ning-tools.html penn state industries

[jHop]

One problem with the chucks: Once you start to buy one brand or type, you get stuck having to get accessories by or for that type. Which ever one you chose, stay consistent. It takes a little research, but you can find one you like. I agree, the cost is the larger portion of the lathe experience. I purchased my bench lathe (probably a Midi, it was a Rockler house brand on sale before the store closed) for under 300. I purchased it because I could add a bed extension to it once I felt comfortable with it.

The bed extension is not necessary. In fact, I doubt I'd use it all that often. I wanted it so I could do a set of legs for a table before I realized the mass of the turning might be more than my lathe can handle. (then I discovered you can do them in parts, and I didn't need to purchase the extension.)

Keep in mind, whichever brand of tools you chose, you will need to sharpen them. If you pick Sorby, stay with their grinding apparati. (Apparatus? Apparatuses?) They have a different grinding angle on their tools than others. Does not mean you can't change the angle, but it requires less time to sharpen if you don't have to readjust the geometry. So the gadgets you would get also need to stay within this same chain. Personally, I did a shop built version of the Wolverine, instead of the Sorby grinding jig. I can use the Sorby tools on it, should I decide to.

Last thing I'm going to mention tonight is the unspoken tool for lathe turning: bench grinder. There's a variety out there. While you can get away with a $20 used grinder, you will probably upgrade at some point. I'd actually suggest starting with the cheaper one and upgrading when and if you really want to keep turning. You can upgrade the sharpening wheels easier and quicker than the grinder.

Plenty of resources out there. Ask away, and someone (probably more knowledgeable than I) will have answers for you.

[JerrySats]

Aside from all the great advise given already , check to see if you have a local woodturning club in your area . That's a great way to get help from local turners . Post where your from if your having trouble finding a club .