# what got you into woodturning?



## mike s (Dec 26, 2010)

it would be interesting to know how people got into turning and what their first experiences were like :smile:
how did you start turning?
are you self tough or did you go on a course?
what lathe did you start on? how many lathes have you had?
how long have you been turning?
what was the first thing you turned? 


doubt anyone cares but i started turning 6 months ago. my first experience of woodturning was at an outdoor museum, i paid £1 to have a go at using their lathe and i made a bathroom light pull for my grandparents. the shape was a little crude but my grandparents loved it so that's all that matters 
3 weeks later i was at a village fair and i found an old lathe lying on the floor under a load of car parts, i paid £50 for it and started turning until i realized i needed a chuck. i found a 4 jaw independant chuck at a car boot sale for £5 and my uncles friend rethreaded it to fit my 20 year old lathes headstock thread.
so with my flimsy 20 year old lathe with an independant 4 jaw metalworking chuck i began turning bowls and my knowledge of turning increased until i realised i needed a new lathe. im still looking for the best deal :laughing: 
here are some pictures of a lathe and chuck similar to the ones im using:
the lathe. this is a similar shape to mine. my lathe has no morse tapers and a thread that is no longer used :laughing:
http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/cl/clarke-wood-lathe.jpg

the chuck. a bit scary to use because of the sticking out jaws, can easily break a finger.
http://www.p-wholesale.com/upimg/17/141a2/chuck-164.jpg


as you can tell i need a new setup and i am searching for the best lathe to get under £400
any suggestions?


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

I was an aircraft jouneyman sheet metal mechanic for almost 28 years but had a wood class in hi school,so when I retired for the second time,I needed a hobby.I just made a broom for Nancy Pelosi so she and her flying monkeys could fly back to S.F.Opps,was that political?


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## thehunter (Oct 27, 2010)

i just started turning. my grandpa had my great great grandfathers lathe which i have now. its a dunlap(sears) and is still ticking. built in 1942/43. i still use it today. i was self taught and a teacher because i messed around with it a little bit but im taking shop right now in high school and we just did the turning unit making pens and i learned a lot. i love turning now. right now im working on some fishing lures. im trying to get a mandrel set up for it so i can turn game calls. my lathe like mike s' does not have a morse taper but i believe it shopsmith parts will fit it. 

btw to those who dont know i looked it up and 400 euros is about $500


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## Neal Addy (Dec 6, 2009)

I started in 2004. I had just bought a new house that same year. We had a lot of garage space at the time so my wife convinced me to try my hand at woodworking. I bought a circ saw, made a few crude birdhouses, and hung around the local woodworking stores. That's where I soon noticed those beautiful wooden pens in the display at my local Woodcraft. Seeing the relatively low price of a Jet 1014 mini lathe I thought, "Aha! Here's a form of woodworking I can get into for very little money!" 

Yeah, right. :laughing:

That $200 lathe cost me around $800 before the first week was out. Shoulda stuck with my circ saw.

My first passion was pens. I was a man possessed! Within six months I had made and sold enough pens to pay for my lathe and accessories. By that time I was burned out on pens so I decided to tackle bowls (with the ultimate goal of doing hollow forms). A year later I bought a Jet 1442. It's still serving me well.

I don't turn as much as I would like anymore. Too many interests and too little time. I turn a bowl now and then, and perhaps the odd Christmas ornament. Still have yet to turn another durn pen.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

thehunter said:


> btw to those who dont know i looked it up and 400 euros is about $500


Sorry to correct you but he mensioned £400, not €400. Britain (and Sweden too for that matter) are members of the European Union but have not adopted the euro as currency. So 400 british pounds would be $600.


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## thehunter (Oct 27, 2010)

Longknife said:


> Sorry to correct you but he mensioned £400, not €400. Britain (and Sweden too for that matter) are members of the European Union but have not adopted the euro as currency. So 400 british pounds would be $600.


 whoops, ok then thank you for the correction


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## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

I have been turning for about 9 years. After my Grandfather passed away my uncle gave me his old lathe. It is a late 60's or early 70's Craftsman lathe. It was about worn out when I got it, parts are not very tight anymore. I am mostly self taught. I started with what ever scrap I had laying around, I wanted to figure out how to use the tools. The first things I turned where really nothing but a piece of wood that a bunch of different cuts on it. I turned a couple of baseball bats. Then I bought all the stuff I needed to turn pens. The first few were a disaster. I have an uncle that does woodworking and he had come for Christmas that first year. He showed me a lot of what I was doing wrong and gave suggestions to make me better. After that I bought a chuck for the lathe and tried my hand at turning bowls. About 3 years ago my uncle called and told me I needed to plan a trip to his house because he was going to buy a new lathe and he was going to give me his old one. While we were there I spend a lot of time in his shop with him getting all the pointers I could before we had to leave. The lathe he gave me is a Record lathe, he also gave me the Ringmaster he had for it because it would not fit his new lathe. On that trip he got me into segmented turning and I have been playing with that ever since. Most of the stuff I do in the shop anymore has something to do with turning. Rolling pins, pens, bowls, Ringmaster salad bowls, segmented bowls, and I just started my first pepper mill last week. Waiting for a drill bit extention so I can finish it, had to order it and it was back ordered. I love it and it is a great stress relief.


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## Highlander (Jan 2, 2011)

A short version of a long story.
At a funeral I met a woman walking with a beautiful cane, turns out it was made by a woodturner from Zebra wood with a solid brass "hame" for a handle.
I located the craftsman at a craft show and we talked for a bit, from here on I felt the need to obtain a lathe and try my lack of skills.
Three years ago this week I bought my used Jet 1236 for $400.00.
Since then I have spent nearly $5000.00 for additional "necessary" equipment, books, lumber, etc. Psst....the wife doesn't know this !
I've made several different styled canes, sold a few, kept most for myself, moved onto trying bowls, stoppers, pendants and anything else I can think of.
Presently working on creating a unique pet urn with a screw-on finial. Right now I'm practicing to find the best wood possible for this task.
My fingers are crossed (except when turning).
Enough said..........told you I would try to make it short.
By the way, I'm not a carpenter (have 2 sons that are) and I started this when I was 72 YOA, after retiring from law enforcement, something like Keith Rowley.


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## reberly (Jan 9, 2011)

*Turning Wood*

I was selling lumber and I didn't understand some of my clients statements about turning stock. I had to make the mistakes for myself to really understand what turners wanted. Of course, it was addicting and now I have shown my wife and my sister. My mother wants to learn and I now have 4 lathes. It am tempted to give a lathe to each of them so I will have more turning time to myself when I am not sawing logs. The locals at the turning club laugh at me when they find out I saw massive logs and I mostly turn pens....:blink:
Rich


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

I have worked all my life at times with my dad in his shop and remember when i was about 10 or 11 I watched my dad closely working at his workbench and about 10 yrs ago I was working in my shop and saw my dads hands in mine does that make sense?(bout made me cry)anyway I have learned alot from him over the years and I made my first 2 bowls for christmas when I was 12 and my mom still has hers so ill try to get a pic sometime


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

My Grandfather had a Shopsmith 10ER and built just about everything including some turned candle stands. So my interest was there for a long time. In College I bought a router and jig saw. That got me started working in wood. Somewhere down that line I needed knobs for the furniture I built so I rigged up an electric drill and turned the knobs. 
Around 1980 I purchases a Shopsmith. That got me turning as well as doing more serious woodworking. About 8 or 9 years later I sold the shopsmith and bought stand alone tools including a Delta 46-700 lathe. It's been down hill ever since. Well at least as far as my life savings go. It's been well invested in lots of lathes and other equipment.


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## mranum (Mar 27, 2008)

I've been playing with turning for about a year now, well maybe a little longer now that I think about it. I'm cheap and don't have lots of cash to lay out there so I wanted the best overall bang for the buck for my shop. That turned out to be an early model 10er Shopsmith that needed some work. It was complete with everything that came new with it. After lots of elbow grease, rust removal, checking bearings, new stand and some new paint she was ready to roll. I quickly discovered that the low speed was still too fast for roughed out bowl blanks so I picked up a free treadmill and did the variable speed DC motor conversion to it. It will run from 90-3000 RPM now and makes for an awesome machine now.:thumbsup: Still a little light duty for some things but works great none the less.


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## Jeff4woodturning (Feb 1, 2009)

I started turning at the age of 14. While in the schools shop class everyone else was making checker boards, I was gluing up walnut and ash to make lamps. My parents bought me my first lathe, an old cast iron flat belt with a hinged motor hanging on back. Turned mostly spindles and lamps back in them days till I moved out on my own, with no room for a shop and to busy chasing the girls I didn’t do much turning till we bought a new house in 1995. Added a wood shop but found out very quickly building shelves, clocks, ect wasn’t for me. So I went back to my first passion woodturning and started up grading lathes, from Clark, Delta, Rockwell, Jet and finally my dream lathe a Oneway 2436 about 5 years ago and been broke ever since. lol


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## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

My parents bought me a Jet mini-lathe for Christmas a few years ago, and I really didn't use it much because I didn't know much about how to use a lathe other than making a mess out of any wood I decided to play with. Since then I've gradually started to learn and have bought the attachments to start doing some small turnings like wine bottle stoppers. I still have a long way to go, but I'm enthusiastic about woodturning now and have started adding more tools and attachments. I still need to buy a propper chuck, but need to learn to use what I have before I get too excited buying more stuff than I can use.


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## mike s (Dec 26, 2010)

Jeff4woodturning said:


> I started turning at the age of 14. While in the schools shop class everyone else was making checker boards, I was gluing up walnut and ash to make lamps. My parents bought me my first lathe, an old cast iron flat belt with a hinged motor hanging on back. Turned mostly spindles and lamps back in them days till I moved out on my own, with no room for a shop and to busy chasing the girls I didn’t do much turning till we bought a new house in 1995. Added a wood shop but found out very quickly building shelves, clocks, ect wasn’t for me. So I went back to my first passion woodturning and started up grading lathes, from Clark, Delta, Rockwell, Jet and finally my dream lathe a Oneway 2436 about 5 years ago and been broke ever since. lol


is the oneway 2436 the beast that has a huge barrel-like bed? i dream of owning one of those :smile: how much was yours?


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Replacement parts....ballusters,spindles,ect.In an age before everything specialized(CNC),turning was just "part of the job".A required skill.......just up to the point of stand there all day doin pce work.You would be expected to be half-fast and do acceptable work.BW


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## Jeff4woodturning (Feb 1, 2009)

mike s said:


> is the oneway 2436 the beast that has a huge barrel-like bed? i dream of owning one of those :smile: how much was yours?


Mike, I got the 3hp lathe with some extras, its was over 7 to have it built (spindle height to fit me) and ship straigt form Oneway to the house. 

http://www.oneway.ca/lathes/2436lathe.htm


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## b sco (Nov 8, 2010)

I did a little turning in high school, but really started in 1978 when I became an apprentice patternmaker.
So, I guess you could say I started turning because I had to.
Still, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.


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## Goldeneyes (Jan 23, 2011)

mike s said:


> it would be interesting to know how people got into turning and what their first experiences were like :smile:
> how did you start turning?
> are you self tough or did you go on a course?
> what lathe did you start on? how many lathes have you had?
> ...


I started turning last year through Lee Valley Tools. They have great seminars for you to try out new things. 
This year for Christmas, my husband bought me a Nova lathe. We are building a house this year and I am looking forward to turning the different components that we will use in our home. I also love turning bowls and want to make more of them, as well as some pepper mills.

I still have to buy the tools and am a little confused in what I should buy first. So for those of you out there, which 3-5 tools should I get to start out with?


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I had been doing flat work for 9-10 years and wanted to try turning. Started with a midi lathe doing pens. Then bottle stoppers. Then corkscrews. Then more pens. Then small bowls. Tried to learn on my own (videos mostly). Took a turning class throught Woodcraft and was really hooked. Broke some bad habits and turning got more fun. Kept at the small stuff for about a year and then went to Craft Supply USA in Utah for their week long beginner woodturning class with Dale Nish. Pricy class but 8 hours a day of turning for 5 straight days with 2-3 of the best turners in the world. Skills went through the roof (although I'd still consoder myself a low intermediate level turner). Best money I ever spent on any hobby (and I've got a few). Came home and upgraded to a Jet 1642 EVS. Still do lots of small stuff but now do lots of bowls, lidded boxes and potpourri holders. Done several peppermills. Am going back to Utah in APril for a 3 day intermediate class. I highly recommend these classes to anyone who seriously wants to get better. EVERYONE at Craft Supply is super nice and very helpful.


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## Big Mack (Jan 23, 2011)

RETIREMENT; Mack


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## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

*just got into turning*

And got my first lathe yesterday.
I got the Delta 46-460 with the nova chuck.
I picked up HF red handled tools.

The appeal was going out to the shop and turning out a quick project.
I love cabinet making, but this is a whole new area to woodworking that I had no idea about.
I had never used a lather before yesterday. and already I see how much I am going to be using this lathe...
If and when you do get a new one, go with the Delta 46-455.
It is around your price range.
If you are looking for a full size lathe. Harbor freight has one that has great reviews. its around 200..
Not sure which mag gave a review, but they claimed Pen state has the best value for your buck...

I am very very happy I came off the extra money for the 46-460. It is a very nice lathe. smooth, vibration free and quiet.

the only difference between the 460 and the 455 is the HP and the reversible feature. (the reverse feature is not worth the extra money (so far)) but the extra HP I think is.
But I have never used a lathe before, this is the first one I have owned/used. but very very happy I got bit by the turning bug!

TAKE A CLASS!
or at the very least pick up a couple good books to get you going.
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_articles.html You tube and Google is an excellent source for information.
Learn to sharpen the tools.

Get a good grinder with a good stone on it.
I havent read the rest of your replies, all of what I said may have been already said,
Just my 2 cents.


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## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

got my first lathe yesterday.
I got the Delta 46-460 with the nova chuck.
I picked up HF red handled tools.

The appeal was going out to the shop and turning out a quick project.
I love cabinet making, but this is a whole new area to woodworking that I had no idea about.
I had never used a lather before yesterday. and already I see how much I am going to be using this lathe...
If and when you do get a new one, go with the Delta 46-455.
It is around your price range.
If you are looking for a full size lathe. Harbor freight has one that has great reviews. its around 200..
Not sure which mag gave a review, but they claimed Pen state has the best value for your buck...

I am very very happy I came off the extra money for the 46-460. It is a very nice lathe. smooth, vibration free and quiet.

the only difference between the 460 and the 455 is the HP and the reversible feature. (the reverse feature is not worth the extra money (so far)) but the extra HP I think is.
But I have never used a lathe before, this is the first one I have owned/used. but very very happy I got bit by the turning bug!

TAKE A CLASS!
or at the very least pick up a couple good books to get you going.
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur..._articles.html You tube and Google is an excellent source for information.
Learn to sharpen the tools.

Get a good grinder with a good stone on it.
I havent read the rest of your replies, all of what I said may have been already said,
Just my 2 cents.


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

I have had a lathe for about 25 years, a Jet mono tube; the first item I turned was a mallet for my woodworking chisels. Tried a few spindles and went back to flat work. That sanding disc on the jet came in real handy for about 22 years.
Three years ago bought a Nova 1624. Purchased it after my daughter and I went to an all-day turning demonstration.
Being hard headed I am mainly self-taught through observation (club demonstrations, videos, and trial & error).


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## txpaulie (Jul 21, 2010)

I received a lathe as a gift for Christmas just past...
Also a Delta 460...
Came with a basic set of tools...
I am spending an inordinate amount of time making piles of chips and dust out of wood, both nice and burn-pile material...
I still am basically clueless as to technique...
Will be attending a class locally soon...
Thanks goodness for DVR! (It's on Daytona Sunday!:huh
p


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## wvcraftsman (Jun 24, 2009)

I've been working with wood for about 10 years, but I started turning about a year ago. My lathe is a hand-me-down from my dad. It's a Delta midi lathe. I started turning to make tools for my other hobby, leatherworking. I've used it to make pens for gifts, but hoping to try my hand at turning a bowl soon.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

I took a shop class in jr. high and turned a bowl. I really enjoyed it. When I got back to woodworking semi-seriously about 8 years ago I was doing shelves, furniture, etc. About a year and a half ago My daughter and I started our guitar projects. My wife had been talking about wanting a lathe when we went to Woodcraft and I found a used (once) jet 1014 for a good price on craigslist. Bought it and a set of tools for under $200. (She still hasn't turned anything.) My brother then found out I had started turning and brought me his Rigid tube lathe on a trip up to visit. Haven't put it together but I'm planning to use it as an "outboard" for turning bowls with no bed so it's just a matter of time. It won't swing anything heavy because it only has a 1hp?? motor, but it will give me some practice.

I'm mostly self-taught and still pretty bad but I enjoy it. (I say mostly because I'm sure the teacher taught us something about the tools in jr high but that was 25+ years ago and hard to remember.) 

I'm looking for a bed extension now for the jet so I can turn some long pieces to be used in my fireplace mantel as vertical corbels(???) on the sides of the masonry.


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## wildwood (Jan 25, 2011)

Mike S, you might try contacting a turning club near you for lathe and accessory information. 

http://www.woodturningonline.com/Community/Club_Directory.html#UK

Many have newsletters, links, and forums worth your attention.


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## Mojo1 (Jan 26, 2011)

I ran a metal lathe for 20 years, and I have been wanting a wood lathe for a long time. I have yet turn a piece of wood. I ordred my lathe 2 days ago and I cant wait for it to get here.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

A friend of mine bought an estate lot with tons of stuff in it.
He came over one day and asked if I would be interested in a lathe.:blink:

We went to the place and this thing was buried in a corner under years of junk.

We dug it out and it was an original Rockwell/Delta.
I brought in home and put it in the garage and went on Craigslist looking for a bench.
Responded to an add for an industrial arts shop bench for $20.00:blink:

Mounted the lathe, reoiled and aligned stuff and turned it on.

Now I'm hooked.

I've been watching utube, reading posts from you guys and trying to be a sponge for info....I love it!!!

I've turned a couple of primitive bowls from some green cherry.....

The knives are for spindle turning, not bowl turning and that's why I'm reading on other threads about the Co1 easy wood tools vs traditional.

But I am hooked..........:icon_smile:


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## VaureyWWC (Feb 21, 2011)

High School; Started as a Freshman and loved it.

Senior year, had Woods 4 out of 7 classes.

I got into Turning the beginning of that year, started making Preadator Calls, and Grunt calls.
Example:









Now I just make calls, pens, bowls. Simple things!


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## eepersan (Jan 5, 2012)

This thread is a bit old, but I ran into it in searching...

I started last year after visiting a woodcraft near me with my dad after my daughter was born and my parents were in town. I had planned on getting into other woodworking such as box making and the like, but while at woodcraft I saw the class list and thought making a pen would be cool and fun.

A few months later I took the class, after my daughter was a little older. and For this past christmas I got permission to buy a lathe and drill press and now I turn. 

I have a Rikon 6 speed 12x16 lathe and mostly I have been turning pens, selling them to my co-workers and have done one mini goblet for practice, a few bottle stoppers, and am just about finished with my first pepper mill which I will post pictures of when its done...


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## pvechart (Dec 14, 2011)

Same old story...turned a candle holder in 8th grade shop 40 years ago (liked it) and then bought a Delta 46-460 in December 2011. Just finished my 15th bowl and looking forward to the next one. By the way I still have my 1st candle holder from that 1972 shop class. It is fun to read everyones stories about starting out!


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## PhilipCollier (Jan 2, 2012)

I started etching glass first...one project turned into another where i had to make or buy frames and stands. Found i enjoyed woodworking more then etching glass and i was better at it. Then i found a lathe (my delta LA200) and was hooked. wish i could afford a better one but i enjoy this one still.


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## TxDade (Dec 29, 2011)

I went to a wood carvers show about 3 or 4 months ago, and the local Woodturners Club had setup a lathe. They let me get in there and helped me make a small goblet. Three weeks later I bought a Delta 46-460. I joined the Woodturner Club and have had lots of fun with it so far! I have that goblet in our display case! :thumbsup:


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

I haven't gotten back into it yet, but have been wanting to, I just don't have funds or space for a lathe. But I do love it from when I was maybe 8? I used to build/fly model rockets. One of them landed on the road and the plastic nose cone was ran over. My uncle took me to his shop and helped me turn a new one. He later helped me with a science fair project in 6th grade. We turned a hollow hockey puck and put lights inside to make it light up at night. I was big into street hockey and hated having to quit when it got dark. It was my invention for the fair. 
coincidentally not too long afterwards light up footballs came into play. I always wonder if they stole that idea from me. I could have been rich! Lol


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Long story short I loss a finger to a table saw accident. While I was recovering it was hard to use the table saw and router because of loss of strength snd mobility in my hand. I was bored and wanted something to do. Bought a Craftsman midi lathe, joineed a turning club and learned to turn. It's addictive and I love it.


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## MGP Roofing (Jul 10, 2010)

My first introduction was when my father took me to meet a local woodturner when I was about 11 or 12 years old. We made a foot roller and a couple of eggs. I still have them, somewhere. A couple of years went by, then I got to high school woodworking class, made a few projects as part of the class curriculum over the 3 years or so I was in high school. When I was about 17 or 18, we got an old home built lathe from a friend on long-term loan; we had that for a few years. After I left school, I worked for various tree service and gardening co's before I started roofing, one I remember, on my first day, the job was to remove a few huge limbs from a 100 year old English Oak... before the last section of the first limb had been lowered to the ground I had already claimed it for woodturning blanks! My parents soon grew tired of the wood piled in their workshop, so I built a little shed out the back for the wood supply. Its still there, complete with the wood supply.The lathe went back to its owner, whose daughter wanted to try turning, and I moved away from home. I didn't do any turning for about 10 years, until about 2 and a half years ago, when the Roman re-enactment club I'm in was going through a quiet patch & I decided I needed another hobby; a Internet search came up with the local club, so I went along to one of their meetings. Within a week or so, the garage of the place I board at was getting re-arranged & a big old Teknatool (Nova) TL1000 lathe installed. With all the modern chucks and accessories I don't know how I did so much with the old homemade machine that had no accessories at all besides a faceplate and a homemade drive centre, the tail centre was a sharpened piece of steel bar held in a Jacobs chuck! Now I just need to finish off building my new shop, then move the little shed's contents into it.


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## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

Ok, saw the string and decided to join in. I started woodturning on my own-about 2 yrs- after seeing some segmented/ring bowls done on a Shopsmith and wanted to explore that aspect of the system. Got the hang of doing those---but there had to be more! Now I have an Oliver lathe, a harbor freight lathe (don't laugh--it's good for starters), and just got a shop fox 1758---need more horsepower for bigger ones. I've turned about 60 odd bowls--all sizes (4-16 in) and make my own blanks. I really like to use mostly mesquite, some pecan, and live oak. Getting wood is no problem here. Turning is my relaxing hobby/therapy. If you're in my area drop a line!


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## snmhanson (May 23, 2011)

I wanted a nice personalized gift that I could give to clients for their birthdays. I have been at it for a few months, have made probably 25 pens to date, and have yet to give one to a client. Either there is a minor flaw in the pen and it is important that my clients see me as a perfectionist so I hold on to it, or it turns out perfect and I want to keep it for my own collection. One of these days I am going to have to start parting with my pens though. I think my goal now is to give pens to my top and mid tier clients for X-mas. I have donated one pen and pencil set to a school auction and I gave one to a friend.

Matt


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