How to teach woodturning

[Doug Nesbitt]

😕 I would like to teach some young people (11,12,13) the art of woodturning. Are there any books or magazine articles out there on the subject. I have been turning for over 5 years and I would like to pass along things I have learned and share with others this wonderful art. Thanks for any information you can give me. Doug Nesbitt

 

[underdog]

Doug,

The best book I've found on the subject is called "Woodturning, A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley.

I've found that when I have trouble, I refer to it, and usually I figure out what I'm doing wrong.

It is clear, concise, and affordable ($20). The author puts things in terms you can understand, and explains the mechanics involved. I think it would also provide a fairly good outline... Of course you'd have to develop your own curriculum to teach any of this.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Have to have some theory before they begin to practice, that's for sure.

Probably still out of print, but worth looking for The Practical Woodturner by Frank Pain. It's not about how to turn something specific, it doesn't deal in high-tech tools. It's about fundamentals of turning. Use any copy you find to develop your handouts.

You're probably going to have to make a riser for the lathe, as middle-schoolers are usually on the short side of their growth spurt. Anchor it well, so that they can use the body English. A stool won't do.

I Liked the Shaker peg as the compulsory project. The four basic moves are there, and the requirement to make a three-peg coat rack usually meant a half-dozen attempts at turning. Do them a favor and have 5/4 cherry or soft maple dry and ready for the turning. Conifers are a bit discouraging until you're more familiar with cutting angles.

Good ages to work with, as they haven't quite reached the point where they know everything. Saves that step where you have to convince them they don't, so they'll follow basic safety rules.

 

[Richard Baker]

Good advice from Michael.

Eye and/or face protection FIRST.

Keep it simple. Don't overload them with excess information.

Let "mistakes" be OK. Encourage, teach, but never criticize. Messing up is how we learn stuff.

Finger-spin tops are another quick and easy first project. And they have something to take home after their first session.

This is some of the advice I received on another forum a few months ago in response to a similar question. It worked well with my wife's grandson. I had his mother measure from his elbow to the floor before his visit, and built a sturdy platform that would get his elbow to the lathe spindle elevation.

 

[SMarlow]

I've taught a number of youngsters that age, including my own two. I can tell you from a practical standpoint, that while teaching theory and fundamentals are necessary, spending too much time on that, without any "hands on" is going to make them restless and disinterested. As long as they understand that they are going to - and its perfectly ok to - make mistakes, you are probably better off getting them on the lathe with a tool in their hands sooner, rather than later. Even if they are standing there, tool-in-hand, with the spindle mounted on the lathe, but the lathe OFF, at least they will feel like they are (or will be soon) able to "do something."

My lessons to kids (or any beginner for that matter), typically go like this:
1) Safety rules, common sense, and understanding your tools and equipment.
2) Fundamentals of the cut (hand and body position, angles, etc.) tools in hand, blanks mounted, lathe unplugged.
3) demonstrate basic cuts (they watch you from BEHIND, so they can see your grip and stance)
4) they do basic cuts on throw-away blank
5) simple project - top, candlestick, or pen (pens are the most well-received)

Good luck... and have fun with them!!

-Steven

 

[hcbph]

Doug

I taught my daught to do some basic turning a few years ago. She was about 10 at the time. She was not too comfortable at the start, so here's a few of the things I did. I took the time to stand behind her and help guide the tools initially, basically just there to help her get the feel without having to worry if she might eat a chisel. I started out with heavy, long handled tools like a roughing gouge so she got the feel of turning. Once she felt comfortable without me hanging on, I let her chew up a few turnings on her own, letting her get some of the feel. Once that was accomplished, then and only then did we start using other chisels (v groove, skews etc), each time getting comfortable, finally working to the parting tool. When all was said and done, she turned a pretty nice looking gavel head and handle which we then joined. She was good enough that in Jr-High School, she took a shop course and made a pen on her own.

I should add, my daughter had been in the shop with me for many years, so she already knew most of the safety rules and had seen me turning for many hours before she ever lifted the first chisel up.

Good luck, hope your class does well.

Paul

 

[Ken Grunke]

*January 21 - Alan Lacer, Learning to Teach* workshop

Alan Lacer is giving a workshop on that very subject on Sat. Jan 21 for the Minnesota Woodturners Association, I don't have the details but you could look for their website URL in the AAW club list. The contact person is Jim Sannerud, if you want his email address PM me or email me direct.

 

[hockenbery]

Doug,
My wife and I have taught 65-70 10-16 year olds in woodturning classes a Maryland Hall in Annapolis.

Treat the students like little league. you're not training them for the Majors.
You are exposing them to a wonderful way to make something creative.

Keep classes to 3 hour sessions. Each class should result in a finished piece.
Be success oriented.
Spinning tops are a great first class. They can't make a top that won't spin
an instructor finger on the gouge when they turn the handle will make it smooth for those having a bit of trouble.
They can't make a gavel thet won't hit.

Make a wooden model of the gouge so they can see how to roll the bevel on the wood to present the cutting edge.

keep things simple. tool on the tool rest, bevel on the wood, roll into the cut.


We avoid using chucks with kids. many projects are done between centers others on faceplates and wooden morse tapers work great. The older students can turn their own. Stick with 4 tools spindel gouge, parting tool, roughing gouge, chatter tool.

Our list of projects with dimesions can be found on our web site.
http://www.hockenbery-woodturnings.com/Classes.htm

You can e-mail me directly.

happy turning, and teaching
Al

 

[Rob Wallace]

Doug, et al.:

My eight year old son was taught the basics of roughing and spindle making nearly two years ago. I rip up a bunch of 1.5" x 1.5" x 8" blanks from scrap 2x4 pieces and teach him how to put these into the Jet mini-lathe. He then rounds the billet with a 3/4" roughing gouge, and then I hand him a Sorby Spindlemaster to have at it as much as he wants - in doing this repeatedly (I give him different patterns to follow, or turn one half of the billet to a shape that he has to copy on the other half, etc.), he feels very comfortable at the lathe. We're now working on learning spindle gouge technique, and he's already asked if he could try to learn how to turn his first bowl next month. He wants to turn one before his 9th birthday, which is in early April, so we have two months to work on bowl technique. I think the biggest thing is to make them feel comfortable at the lathe, and don't play up the theory too much, other than teaching ALL aspects of safety first. Hands-on works really well, and they learn the theoretical "whys" and "hows" while they turn, as long as you supervise them carefully and use the opportunities to teach as they present themselves. He enjoys turning so much that for the past two years he spent both days of the weekend turning spindles on our mini-lathe as part of our Club's woodworking exhibit in our local Mall. Even though we have 4 or 5 different lathes doing demos, he always seems to attract a crowd because they can watch this 8 year old kid doing something really neat with woodturning! There is nothing more pleasant to hear than, "Dad can we do down to the shop and turn something?" - Having him enjoy turning so much produces many valuable times making shavings together on both lathes simultaneously!

Cheers,

Rob Wallace