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Good project for a newbie....

Dudley

Dudley

Joined
Dec 10, 2005
Messages
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Location
SW Pennsylvania
I've been working on tool control since Christmas. I would like to have SOMETHING come off the lathe that I can say I did. I don't have a pen mandrel or kit, nor do I have a chuck. I'm soliciting ideas that I can try so I can have a "piece" from my lathe as opposed to shavings and dust.

This is what I have:
1. A delta variable speed 12" swing 40" between centers.
2. A 3" face plate, live center, and a spur drive
3. A normal set of tools including:
a. a large and a small skew
b. three sizes of gouges (shallow spindle)
c. a round nose scraper
d. a parting tool
e. a 3/8 fingernail bowl gouge
f. another tool that I'm not sure what it is.... never seen it online, in a book, or on a video. It has a point that is sharpened at an angle from the middle towards the sides. The bevel on both sides of the point has the same angle as a round nose scraper.

4. A bunch of somwhat green hickory that ranges from 3" to 12" in dia.

Should I try a bowl? A platter? A box? A spinning top? A vessel?

Remember my experience is limited (only from Christmas to now--about 6 hours a week.)

Am I jumping the gun? Should I keep working with the tools? Is it ok that I want something to show for my efforts?

ANY HELP OR SUGGESTION IS GREATLY APPRICIATED!!!!
 
Dudley said:
Should I try a bowl? A platter? A box? A spinning top? A vessel?
Click to expand...

Yes to all of the above. 🙂

Do you know of any turning instructors in your area?
Lessons are the next thing you should do.
 
Your tool is a spear-point scraper.
Very handy when it comes down to chucking (jam and scroll), bowl feet, very detailed spindle cuts, and other sundry tasks.
Of course, all of these cuts SHOULD be done with a skew, but for a beginner I would recommend trying out the spear-point.
They're often sold as parting tool/scraper combinations.
Some company makes a long version of the spear-point now with the name 'Raffan' stamped on it. But I prefer the old short stubby ones.

I'll let a more ambitious person tell you what to turn next. I'm too lazy for that part.
 
Lessons...

I joined the local club (an hour away) and they have some instruction there. I plan on taking a class when I get my bonus check next month at Woodcraft. Actually I'm thinking about the basic and the bowl class.
 
I'm a Newbie and use spindle work like musicians play scales. I get to practive my skew work. But every now and then I bust out and try a bowl. I blew three or four up before I managed to complete one. I'm to the stage where I'm not blowing them up but they are not quite what I want to see. I found a VERY helpful site for beginningers www.turningtools.co.uk. There is a free e-book on there you can print that has wonderful pointers. It is great way to start until you can get lessons. Have fun!
 
Ask at your club meeting for people willing to give lessons. Most turners are more than happy to help out the new guy but you have to ask.

Mike
 
Leslie S,

You're not that far away from me. I live off of Exit 8 (New Stanton) of the PA turnpike. Have you been to Turners Anonymous? They're the local AAW club and meet in South Park. I went to the first meeting and learned a lot.

I didn't get a chance to find a local turner to help me learn, but there will be other meetings that I may meet someone close.

In the morning..... I'm trying a bowl!
 
If you haven't read Turning Wood or watched the DVD by Richard Raffan... those are essential for beginning. Richard Raffan suggests doing lots of spindles when beginning because advance turning is based on the simple beads and coves and curves so it is very important that you get the tecniques down. I don't exactly like turning just spindles for practice so I usually make stuff like spoons, wok stirrers, honey dippers, magic wands, or spurtles... those are really simple easy to make stuff, they give you good practice, they are something you can actually use, and if you get good they sell really well as craft items.

Hope this helps!
Jonathon
 
Thanks Jonathan C.

I have the Turning Wood video from Richard Raffan. That's a great idea of turning between centers. But how do you turn a spoon?
 
Great Beginners Book to add:

I have found the book "Woodturning" by Keith Rowley to be quite helpful. Maybe even better than the Richard Raffan book "Turning Wood". I have both and read or refer to both almost daily. You also can't go wrong going to your local AAW chapter. Those guys you will find, are the most invaluable help available.
 
Turning spoons... fun stuff!!!

http://www.woodturningonline.com/assets/turning_articles/spoon/spoon.html

http://www.woodturningonline.com/assets/turning_articles/spoon_tips/spoon_tips.html

http://home.nc.rr.com/rogernileen/roger/turning/articles/beanspoon/

Or a spatula

http://www.aroundthewoods.com/spatula.shtml

This guy uses a chuck for spatula turning, but you don't have to use one... I believe Richard Raffan tapers the small end and jams it into the spindle drive... I have done this and it works just as well!!!

Buena Suerte,
Jonathon
 
If by variable speed you mean all of four, it's what I turned on for years. Your tool inventory will do just about anything, but you will have to use the work-arounds faceplate turners used before chucks. I used glue blocks so that I wouldn't have screw holes in the base of my turnings, and learned to love 2" thick ones because they'd let me put the rest behind the nearly finished piece to work out irregularities. Only other choice was an outrigger.

It helped pay tuition for a wife and three kids until it was replaced by a used Nova 3000 last year. I turned anything that would fit on him and sell. For spindle turnings, start with Shaker pegs. Everybody needs a coat rack or two, and they'll teach you a lot about your tools and your eye for proportion. For faceplate work start shallow, learn your gouges. Believe me, the forged types can produce a gorgeous surface without your having to lean or twist. Even when you start working deeper, where the bowl gouge comes into its own, you'll find yourself going back to it for the final pass(es).

The Nova has twice as many speeds as the old Delta, so I now use two - 360 and 680, rather than just the lowest (~600) on the Delta.

The single purchase that will give you the most enjoyment is a chuck. It makes so many things simple, relieving you from having to glue/hold/wait all the time.
 
MichaelMouse,
I'm learning to adjust to the face plate limitations. In fact I turned my first bowl today! 😀

Here's a picture of my lathe. It has four speeds on the control lever and a few different ranges. I got a great deal on it used and am very lucky to learn on such a nice machine!
 

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Mine was the top end of what you have there. Came with a lightweight stand and a four-step motor pulley instead of the Reeves. We had what you have there at the school, and I thought it a fine piece of iron. University had a "Top Turn" Delta and a couple of huge Powermatics, of pretty much the same design.

Not saying it'll make a turner out of you, but that lathe is not going to get in the way of becoming one.

Can't believe I used past tense, because I still have the Delta down in the shop. My eldest will pick it up when he returns from Iraq. He's only turned a few things, but wants to add it to his stateside shop.
 
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Hey Congrats on the bowl! Post pictures! I have not yet been to Turners Anonymous, mostly due to lack of time, I have been taking lessons from Edric Florence. I may be stopping that though, we recently got out December gas bill! 😱 I also wanted to say I read everything about turning I can get my hands on, and go to every website I can find I read then go down to the shop and try out the techniques. This summer I hope to expand the shop. I looked at your lathe, wheww!! Nice.
 
I really like this machine. I know it's not a Oneway or Powermatic, but it is great to learn on. I plan on using it for a long time! My buddy only used it about three times when he first got it. Had a piece come off and hit him in the head and gave up.

My wife makes fun of me because I wax the bed. I keep telling her that this machine would have cost a bundle if I got it new and I picked it and the tools up for less than a mini and a set of tools.

Thanks for all the advice on projects. I really liked the articles about turning spoons. Had to do a Google search on the spurtles though, I had no idea what they were!

Leslie,
Hope to see you a a meeting sometime!
 
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