Body positioning question

[Kirk Amidon]

Yesterday I was turning an egg out of some spalted maple. The set up had the blank mounted in a chuck in spindle orientation, no tailstock, and the egg aligned such that the blunt end was towards the tailstock and the pointed end towards the headstock.

I found myself struggling to produce a reasonably fair curve on the blunter end of the egg. I am a natural lefty, and to shape the blunt end had the skew on my left side and therefore my body was in front of the bevel. After turning it, I was starting to think about my process and wonder if it would be a better idea to swap hands, such that the skew handle is on my right hip. This would place my body behind the bevel, and allow freer movement in theory. Putting aside for a minute that righty is not natural for me, and my mechanics are therefore a bit rougher. The movement has to go from parallel to the axis of rotation to perpendicular to the axis - my thought is my body might be getting in my way.

Turning the pointed end of the egg kept the skew on my left hip, body behind the bevel, and had no problem.

Any thoughts? This strikes me as sort of being akin to 'running around your backhand' in tennis.

 

[Ric Taylor]

Kirk, in woodturning it is important to learn to turn with both hands, for the reasons you have observed. It takes a lot of time and practice, but in the end your turning journey will be much more enjoyable.

Also, turning a pleasing-looking egg is more difficult than it seems.

 

[hockenbery]

Any thoughts? This strikes me as sort of being akin to 'running around your backhand' in tennis.

Experiment.
I find for myself I first need a position that lets me stand straight. Then seeing the curve is a must.
Left hand forward or right hand forward - I decide on comfort of my stance and which gives me the best view of the curve.

With eggs and spheres your aiming at a known curve so a good test for methods.

I’ve turned a whole lot of spheres. When I start between centers the right side is better than the left 99.9% of the time.
Once in a demo i did the left side better. The audience probably thought I had lost my mind as I talked about doing the left better for the first time.
Another demo I messed up by getting both sides so near to round I could show them the multi axis refinements. So rare for me to get a left side spot on.

 

[robo hippy]

Years ago, the first day of a Tai Chi class, I remember thinking, this is exactly what I do when standing at my lathe. The point was that 90% of the turning comes from moving your body, not your arms. I have always tended to be ambidextrous with most things though.

robo hippy

 

[hockenbery]

One other thing I’ve done is turn on the other side of the lathe. This may work for you on the egg.

A long time ago I was good at turning beads on bowls but only with my left hand forward and the bowl opening on the left.
If the bowl was in the chuck I ran the lathe in reverse and turned the bead from the back side of the lathe
My comfort zone with my right hand forward has since expanded to include turning beads on bowls.

 

[Kirk Amidon]

Went back out today to play some more. Below is a picture of the 3 I’ve turned. The spalted one was the initial one, the two plain maple were done today.



Found that going right handed was clunky, and resulted in a few more run backs. Also it was significantly easier to manage a 1/2” skew than my larger Lacer skew righty.

Definitely need to stick with this some more, but that’s ok.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I have found that turning eggs between centers makes it much easier. Reason for me is it is more stabile down to cutting the thin shaft a little extra length then sand ends. When using a skew any vibration in stock makes the job much more tedious.

 

[Dave Landers]

I find that swapping positions like you describe can give me a better view of the form developing. For example, when cutting towards the tailstock, if I'm on the right side of the tool handle (aka "left-handed") I am looking across the bevel and perpinduclar to the curve. On the other side of the handle, I'm looking straight down the bevel and straight down the curve. I have found that this makes a big difference to me in developing a good curve.
I will often cut the "wrong way" down the bottom of a bowl (rim-to-foot) even though I don't get as clean a cut - just to better develop the curve (after than, I'll finish by following the curve with a better cut - the "right way").

 

[Tim Tucker]

Where does a good cut begin? With the feet.
Try going thru the cut - in a practice run - with the lathe off. Be observant of your balance, comfort and positioning . You may find that by shifting you foot position a little,- you may start the cut a little less balanced - but well in control, and as you finish the cut, you finish on full balance ( weight distribution more even on your feet) that your body position is now such that you can complete the cut comfortably.
I do agree with Dave Landers that being able to make cuts equally with both hands will make you more proficient. When I teach, I ask for a show of hands as to who in the class is Left or Right handed. Then, with a grin - I tell them that does not apply in turning. We all strive to become ambidextrous. The sooner you learn to do this early on in turning, the greater the benefit to you and your work. And then we work on performing cuts using both hands.

FWIW - I am completely sympathetic - as I am a natural left hand, left eye dominate turner, fly fisherman and hunter. Right handers do not understand the variety of impediments we left handers have grown up with in a highly right hand design dominated world.

 

[John K Jordan]

Where does a good cut begin? With the feet.

...I am a natural left hand, left eye dominate turner, fly fisherman and hunter. Right handers do not understand the variety of impediments we left handers have grown up with in a highly right hand design dominated world.

I agree about the handedness. Our middle son is the only lefty in the family, and quite the creative artist. (He's an architect now) I used to buy him quality left-handed scissors and other things at a great Left Handed shop in San Francisco. I don't know what it is, but in my observations for some reason "leftys" seem to be a bit more creative, artistic, and better problem solvers. Maybe some of that comes from years of growing up learning to overcome obstacles! I'm firmly right handed but often practice doing things like writing, sketching, and using tools with my left hand - helps with playing the piano and even stringed instruments! (May sound a little crazy - I can write in cursive better with my left hand if I write backwards!)

When I teach the skew, I insist on good foot placement and knee/leg movement. I want to prevent the dreaded skew arc that comes by keeping the legs planted and moving only the arms and hands. Before making the cut, I first plant my feet so my arms, hands, and legs are comfortable in what will be nearly the end of a planing cut, then bend the knees to position the body to where the cut begins. Starting a long cut may feel like a bit of a stretch but as the cut proceeds it moves into and ends in a far more natural and more comfortable position.

JKJ

 

[Dean Center]

Where does a good cut begin? With the feet.

This is SO important, and so little mentioned. Thank you for bringing it up.

And my sympathies--the wood lathe is a very right-hand oriented tool. Still, beginners have enough challenges--I would not recommend teachers/mentors add learning to use their non-dominant hand until they've got some successful projects under their belt and a reasonable level of confidence.

 

[Tim Tucker]

This is SO important, and so little mentioned. Thank you for bringing it up.

And my sympathies--the wood lathe is a very right-hand oriented tool. Still, beginners have enough challenges--I would not recommend teachers/mentors add learning to use their non-dominant hand until they've got some successful projects under their belt and a reasonable level of confidence.

As a life long sufferer of terminal left-handedness ....I would suggest that since everything is new to a new turner...the best time for them to learn to turn with both hands is before they develop the dependance on their otherwise "dominant" hand. As it will not have muscle memory yet for turning - it is co-equal with their non-dominant hand. A fresh start, without physiological bias.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I agree about the handedness. Our middle son is the only lefty in the family, and quite the creative artist. (He's an architect now) I used to buy him quality left-handed scissors and other things at a great Left Handed shop in San Francisco. I don't know what it is, but in my observations for some reason "leftys" seem to be a bit more creative, artistic, and better problem solvers. Maybe some of that comes from years of growing up learning to overcome obstacles! I'm firmly right handed but often practice doing things like writing, sketching, and using tools with my left hand - helps with playing the piano and even stringed instruments! (May sound a little crazy - I can write in cursive better with my left hand if I write backwards!)

When I teach the skew, I insist on good foot placement and knee/leg movement. I want to prevent the dreaded skew arc that comes by keeping the legs planted and moving only the arms and hands. Before making the cut, I first plant my feet so my arms, hands, and legs are comfortable in what will be nearly the end of a planing cut, then bend the knees to position the body to where the cut begins. Starting a long cut may feel like a bit of a stretch but as the cut proceeds it moves into and ends in a far more natural and more comfortable position.

JKJ

Well expressed John. I agree completely.