should I start turning???

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16
Location
Texas
I have been looking for a hobby of some sort as a "release" and to just get rid of everyday stress. I am currently a cabinet shop supervisor, married, and father of 3 kids that keep me busy. Recently in reading and internet exploring I have seen many things about turning. This has caught my eye as something that would be interesting. Turning small items such as pens seems right up what I have been looking for. I have never done any turning in my life so that would be new to me. Currently I have very limited space to work in so I need something that would be easy to move around. Also, I have a limited budget so that is something to consider. Like I said, I know nothing about turning but would like to learn. Is this something that would take years to do or can it be picked up fairly easy? I would have to get the tools to do it all so I really don't know where to start. I found this small lathe in a catalog I recieved....
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00922106000P?mv=rr
but don't know how great it would be. I figured my best bet would be to come here and ask the experts their point of view on the matter. Any suggetions, ideas, comments, that you have would be greatly appreciated. If I am totally nuts with this idea please let me know. thanks for looking.
 
I was in the same boat as you were 3 1/2 yrs. ago. I needed a outlet and also something to do when I retire next year. My first suggestion is to find a woodcraft store or turning club and join. I wish I would have had that but the closest I had was 3 hr drive one way. There are a number of DVD's, video's, books, etc. out there that will help with the learning process. That is how I learned. I watched and then did what I watched until I had it down. Took me about a year. Like I said with a turning club or classes at woodcraft would have cut the learning time down by half. As far as a lathe the one you showed I would not even look twice at it. My friend got one and after taking it back and exchanging it 3 times he finally got his money back and bought a Rikon. My suggestion and all these are pretty good lathes to start with are Jet mini, Delta LA 200, Rikon, Steel City and Penn State Industries Turncrafter Pro. I have the Rikon and love it for a midi lathe because of the 4 it has a 12" swing so you can also do bowls if you so choose. Penn State Industries has a decent set of turning tools that are around $60 for the set. I bought one and still use most all of them even though I have purchased several high dollar tools. Of course you will need a sharpening jig to sharpen your tools, a chuck if you want to do bowls and pen turning supplies to turn pens.

No you are not nuts. Seriously turning I have found is a excellent outlet and besides when you sell a few pens, bowls, etc. it can keep feeding the habit.:D Also I make about 90% of our christmas gifts turning so it is a good thing. Hope this will give you some idea's to think about and I know other will be on here to give you more idea's.
 
Michael, short answer is YES! Start Turning, and no you are not nuts.

As to the lathe you linked to....I would stay away from it. The speeds on it are really fast and only 4" swing (faceplate capacity) and 12" in length is really limiting. Bernie gave you some great examples as to great starter lathes and tools. Harbor Frieght also has a good starter set of tools, although it does not include a bowl gouge.

I'd look for a local turning club to get startd and maybe a member is looking to unload or lend a starter lathe to someone just starting to go nuts, I mean starting to turn.:D
 
Yes! Yes! You should start turning, it is amazing the satisfaction you get out of it when you see the finished project.
I would suggest looking on Craig's List www.craigslist.org for the lathe and sometimes you can find a combo deal that includes the tools or for the tools you can look for them at harbor freight tools www.harborfreight.com the have an eight piece turning set for $60. Wood craft is always a good place to go the people that work at ours are always willing to give us demos and pointers.
I hope this helps.
Dawn
 
Michael,
I second everything Bernie and Frank said... I started turning about 6 or 7 years ago in Houston after I saw some turnings in a gallery in Fredericksburg. Haven't regretted one minute of the time I spend at the lathe. I've been retired about 3 years now and have more time, but less money, to turn. My first lathe was a gift from my son, second is a cast-off or hand-me-down from same son. The first was a full sized lathe from Home Depot, a good enough lathe to learn on, but light for any really serious turning. The hand-me-down was a Jet 1014 Mini... great little lathe and I've had loads of enjoyment from it. Current lathe is now a Jet 1442 that I bought in March from the proceeds of a major sale to a local gallery. I still use the original set of tools I got with the Ridgid plus a second set I got with the 1014. I've bought a set of bowl gouges from PSI that were under $40.
Turning is a great stress relief and I highly recommend it.
 
I'll second or third the suggestion to stay away from the Sears mini lathe. I started out with this one. It is a much better lathe IMO than the little Sears model, but I soon outgrew it and bought a full-sized lathe I found locally on Craigslist. I outgrew that one too, so now I have a big boy Powermatic 3520B, but I still have the little Wilton mini lathe. I would suggest any of the mini lathes Bernie mentioned. Also, if you can find something used for sale, you'll stand a better chance of recovering your investment when you sell it to move up to a bigger machine. (Or in the unlikely event that you decide turning is not for you.)

Like the others here, I find lathe time to be a nice way to relieve stress. However it can introduce its own brand of stress, too. You'll find yourself worrying about things like "I wonder when the neighbors are going to be away, so I can check out their firewood pile." :p
 
Any suggestions, ideas, comments, that you have would be greatly appreciated. If I am totally nuts with this idea please let me know. thanks for looking.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I know we all mean well, but are we sure we're giving good advice when we encourage this gracious soul to start turning? Micheal, this project can only lead to error! It will make you susceptible to all seven of the deadly sins!

Wrath: You will curse, horribly, when your bowl blank goes flying across the room!

Lust: You will browse many a turning catalog, and you will desire everything in each one!

Envy: This is the worst! Have you seen Bill Grumbine's lathe? Or Vaughn's? Best not to look. You will think bad thoughts about them!

Gluttony: You will gorge on tools! You won't be able to stop yourself!

Sloth: Turning makes you lazy. Ask Ken how long it took him to finish his shop once he got his lathe set up. He didn't get anything else done for two years! See also: Ned's shop! ;)

Greed: You'll grab every piece of spare wood you can find! They'll be stacked all over the place. Your wife will look at you, and then look at all those piles of unturned wood, and then look back at you! Things will get difficult. Don't ask me how I know! ;)

Pride: So, you turn something. After, like, forty tries, you'll get something you really like. You'll get a finish on it. You'll put it on the shelf. Then, you'll find that everyone who comes in the house has to look at it, pick it up, say "wow, you did that?" The first time you nod, you'll know you're undone! ;)

In short: it's expensive. It's frustrating. It takes all your time! You'll never be as good as you want to be! Normal people will cross the street when they see you coming! ;)

Other than that, yep, it's a great idea! ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Michael, YES start turning as soon as you can!!!!

Bernie gave you some really good advise on taking a class. It will save you lots of time. Woodcraft is right around the corner from you. Marsh at Spring Valley in Addison. Woodworld is right by you also on TI Blvd right off 635. Both offer classes but woodworld is always doing free demos. Another thing in your favor is the fact that Craigslist is loaded with lathes in this area.

It would be about a 35 mile drive for you but if ya want some lathe time to see how the shavings feel shoot me an email or PM. I'm not the best turner in the world but I can hold my own and I sure wouldn't mind giving you a free lesson to get you started. One of the members of my club made me the same offer a few years ago, I took him up on it and have not had a clean floor in the shop since.
 
Be Afraid, Michael. Be very afraid.

maybe you should just take up jogging or cycling instead... :rolleyes:

...art

ps: For me, flatwork woodworking is my release. I'm not "allowed" to look at a lathe until the kids are out of the house... :doh::p
 
Michael,

The plusses:

Turning is fun, relaxing, is a good outlet for creativeness and doesn't take a long time to become proficient.

The minuses:

It will consume you, you will neglect your wife and kids, you will view every piece of wood you see as turning stock (which it is), you will never again have any disposable income, your kid's college fund will begin shrinking at an alarming rate and unless you start with a Oneway 2436 or similar, you will want to upgrade almost immediately after your first lathe purchase.

Sure, you ought to start turning. :rofl:
 
I looked up "Ray of Sunshine" in the dictionary and all I found was a picture of Bill Lantry. :rofl: (Great essay, Bill. It's a keeper.)

Michael, if you haven't figured it out yet, posting your question here was about like asking a bunch of guys in a bar if you should have a beer. The typical answers you're gonna get:
  • Of course you should have a beer.
  • Heck, have two, the first one is so small.
  • Beer is very relaxing and satisfying.
  • I really like a beer after work every day, and all day and night during the weekend if possible.
  • If you want, you can come over to my house and you can have some of my beer.
  • Take a beer class, they're great. You get lots of beer.
  • I'm saving my money to buy a bigger beer.
  • My wife never sees me anymore, because I'm always working on my beer.
  • Some people see a beer on the side of the road and think "landfill" I see a beer on the side of the road and think "art".
:D
 
Michael I would take Shane up on his invite. At least you will be able to see and turn some. That would be a great way to see what it is all about and get to see a shop setup. If you have places as he suggested to take classes and/or watch I would definitely do that. I wish I would have had someone or a woodcraft that close to do that. It would have made things a lot easier.
 
Hmmm,

I'd say 'YES' start turning.

I like doing both flatwork and turning. In both cases I tend to gravitate more towards what I would call 'small' projects.

It's a wonderful outlet for creativity.

I do database managment/modeling/programming for a living. While I find it enjoyable at times, depending on the project, it doesn't really give me anything 'tangible' at the end of the day to reflect on or share with others.

Woodworking on the other hand, even at it's must frustrating, can give a tremendous sense of satisfaction. Even my mistakes are enjoyable and I treat as learning experiences. I tend to plan for the mistakes by buying extra materials, just in case...
 
I'm going to jump back in and include in my "yes" the following note about safety. I'm also going to say to make sure with your purchase of a lathe and tools, you leave enough for safety and sharpening.

Safety Glasses:
As with all woodworking, safety glasses are the most important piece of safety equipment. There are numerous styles of safety glasses. Try out the many styles that your woodworking supplier offers, and find a pair that you'll be comfortable wearing. Be certain that the pair you choose incorporates impact resistant lenses and side screens to protect against debris created by your power tools.

safety-glasses.jpg


Face Shield:
A face shield is a good idea when wood turning, as chips tend to fly in any direction. A clear, impact resistant full-face shield will keep these flying chips and debris out of your face, helping you to avoid distraction when turning.

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Proper Attire:
When wood turning, proper attire is of the utmost concern. It is adviseable to wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt to keep flying chips and debris at bay. However, you should wearing avoid loose-fitting clothing, to prevent the excess cloth from becoming entangled in the machine.

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Respirators & Dust Masks:
When turning some woods, particularly fine imported woods such as mahogany or rosewood, it is advisable to wear a dust mask or even a respirator, as the fine dust generated by turning these woods can cause irritation to the lungs and mucous membranes. Prolonged exposure to such dust may cause some long-term effects.

dust_mask.jpg


Always Use the Tool Rest:
When wood turning, never free-hand a tool into the turning stock. At the very minimum, this can cause tear-out, which can ruin your hard-earned efforts and turn a fine wood turning into firewood immediately. Even worse, free-handing can cause a the tool to be ripped out of your hands. A flying, sharp cutting tool is a recipe for disaster. To properly use a lathe, the tool rest should be placed close to the work and tightened in place. Always rest the tool before moving it into the stock.

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Adjust your Turning Speed for the Stock Size:
As a general rule, the larger the piece of stock, the slower the speed that the lathe motor should spin. Turning a very thin piece of stock for a pen can be rotated much faster than an eight-inch piece of stock for turning a bowl. Remember to set the speed of the lathe before turning on the lathe motor. Failure to adhere to this rule can result in a rather large projectile.

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Keep Your Tools Sharp:
Learn how to maintain the wheels on your grinder for optimal sharpening performance. Maintaining your grinder is an important step to keep your woodturning tools sharp.

SlowSpeedGrinder.jpg


Read the Safety Precautions:
As with any power tool, always read and follow the safety instructions that come with the tool. Failure to follow the safety instructions can lead to severe injury, and even death.

rw46111layout.jpg
 
Currently I have very limited space to work in so I need something that would be easy to move around. Also, I have a limited budget so that is something to consider. Like I said, I know nothing about turning but would like to learn. Is this something that would take years to do or can it be picked up fairly easy? If I am totally nuts with this idea please let me know. thanks for looking.

michael,
i started spinnin` stuff on an old monkey-wards lathe in the early `70`s, it was powered by a washing machine motor. tools where what steel i could salvage from broken farm equipment, ground to shape. there was no such thing as safety equipment and i got knocked for a loop more than once when the wood and i had dissagreements:eek:.........now i look at turning as a supliment to my overall woodworking arsenal instead of an end of itself.

given all that:rolleyes:.......turning is probably one of the least expensive, in both cash and time, hobbys in the field of woodworking. from the sounds of your day job you have sawdust in your veins so learning to turn is a logical progression in your abilities.....besides kids really take to turning because stuff like pens-n-stoppers are projects that they can complete in a relatively short amount of time.......if you decide to get into the more artsy stuff like hollowforms and rieded/fluted/spiraled columns etc. expect to drop some money on equipment. but to start out, all in all, it`s a pretty affordable family friendly endevor.
 
Yes, do start turning. It is a very theraputic and creative outlet. However, that Sears toy is something to stay away from, IMHO. Do check out the mini's available from other sources. A lot of good advice has already been posted. Let us know what you decide.
 
Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the great responses, and scare tactics, that you all gave. I think my timing was a bit off on trying to pick this up with Christmas coming and all (gotta take care of those 3 kids I mentioned). I believe I will start "window shopping" now just to get ideas of everything and then after the first of the year maybe jump in. I do plan on taking Shane up on his generous offer before I do start though just to make sure it's for me. Once again, thanks for all of your helpfulness. You guys, and gals, are great!!!:thumb:
 
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