Taking a Turning Class - Took the Class

Sean Wright

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WNY, Buffalo Area
I just signed my Dad and myself up for a fundamentals of turning at my local Rockler. Having never turned before just recently getting a lathe, learning how to do it correctly is definitely in order. The class is on Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it.

They have a sharpening class on Saturday, but I can't get away with leaving my wife with our 3 year old for 2 days straight.:eek:.... So that one will have to wait.
 
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Sean, good job on taking a class. Remember how I felt being able to make a round piece out of a square piece of wood!!!! Anyway, as you are going through this class, the instructor surely will have you sharpen your tools, so just pay strict attention and you will get two classes from one!!!!! Let us know how it goes!
 
Took the Class

My Dad and I attended the Fundamentals of Wood turning on Sunday. We had a great time. I think my Dad will be visiting me more often, well maybe not me, but my shop anyways..... (he doesn't have a lathe yet)

All I can say is that my little Jet Lathe is 10 times cooler now that I took the class! :D

The instructor was Kurt Hertzog, a fairly well known wood turner in Western New York. He did a great job.:thumb:

He did a fairly extensive session on sharpening, and helped me get a better bevel on my roughing gouge. He also helped with the ears on my 3/8 bowl gouge. Really the class was worth going to just for the sharpening.

Fortunately for me I have only been playing with the lathe for less than a month, so I don't have any bad habits that I have to unlearn.

We turned cherry blanks, not into any thing specific, but to work on the techniques he had showed us. After seeing it up close and trying it myself, the idea of "rubbing the bevel" makes alot more sense to me now.

We also turned some green wood, that was just cut that morning. That was a ton of fun! Curly wet ribbons everywhere! Kinda makes me want to go out and cut down a tree.......

When I got home that night, I practiced some sharpening and turned more of the green blanks that he let us take home.

For anyone that is interested in turning, I recommend a class. There is no way that I could have learned what I did there, on my own.


This is Kurt's site if anyone is interested: http://www.kurthertzog.com/index.htm
 
Great report! Sounds like you had a fun (and educational) time. :thumb:

my little Jet Lathe is 10 times cooler now that I took the class! :D
Is that because "little Jet Lathe(s)" were used in the class, or just because you have a better idea of what to DO with one now? :eek:


The instructor was Kurt Hertzog
I've seen Kurt out here in Utah a time or two, probably in conjunction with the Utah Woodturning Symposium.


Really the class was worth going to just for the sharpening.
I believe it!


We also turned some green wood, that was just cut that morning. That was a ton of fun! Curly wet ribbons everywhere! Kinda makes me want to go out and cut down a tree.......
And kinda makes me wish my turning stock wasn't all dry (or drying...). Turning green wood is fun, all right.


For anyone that is interested in turning, I recommend a class. There is no way that I could have learned what I did there, on my own.

Agreed, but don't forget to take advantage of your local woodturning club, if there is one. The learning tends to come in shorter bursts, but it is stretched out over time and you get exposed to all kinds of projects and techniques.
 
...Kinda makes me want to go out and cut down a tree.......
The assimilation is complete in this one, fellas. We can move on to the next victim...er...participant. :D

Glad to see the class was a good help, Sean. And it's especially cool that your dad is also along for the ride. :thumb:
 
Is that because "little Jet Lathe(s)" were used in the class, or just because you have a better idea of what to DO with one now? :eek:

I've seen Kurt out here in Utah a time or two, probably in conjunction with the Utah Woodturning Symposium.

Agreed, but don't forget to take advantage of your local woodturning club, if there is one. The learning tends to come in shorter bursts, but it is stretched out over time and you get exposed to all kinds of projects and techniques.

Kerry,

While they did use the same Jet mini that I have in the class, I think its cooler now that I have a much better idea how to use it.

Kurt mentioned going out to Utah for the Utah Woodturning Symposium.

There is a "chapter" of the Western New York Woodturners that meets that a high school very close to where I live. If I can get my schedule to work out I want to go and check them out.
 
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