left handers turning

[Joe Cornell]

Any suggestions for left handed turners? I have a friend starting woodturning and he is left handed. I don't have a clue whether he needs to do anything different. Does it make sense to stand on the wrong side of the lathe and run it in reverse? Intuitively it seems that would put his strong arm in the same relative position as right handers but the threads on everything would be in the wrong direction and the motor controls, etc would all be bass ackwards... 😕

 

[-e-]

why not contact Wally Dickerman, who is a magnificent left-handed turner.

 

[John Nicholas]

Left Handed Turning

My local turning club mentor makes me do things left handed and right handed at the lathe.

He says the best turner in ambidexterous, not left handed or right handed.

John 🙂

 

[Natastic Emerson]

Regardless of which side of the lathe you stand on, you will be making both left and right handed cuts. My suggestion is to stand on the side of the lathe it was DESIGNED for. I've met some right handed people who are actually more comfortable with 'left handed' cuts, merely because started with them. No matter what hand you use, you're going to be awkward making the first cuts on the lathe. There's no point in sacrificing the ergonomics of the lathe for a nearly non-existant problem. Just make sure he's practicing both cutting directions, otherwise he might end up comfortable cutting in only one direction.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Spindle turning (between centers) really isn't handed -- it can be done equally well with either hand and most good turners do it both right- and left-handed. Bowl turning over the bed favors right-handers while outboard bowl turning favors left-handers. But I often turn left-handed when I'm turning a bowl over the bed simply because I get less chips flying at me.

 

[Bill Grumbine]

It takes two to turn - hands, that is. Turning as a lefthanded person is just like turning as a right handed person, only backwards. People who come into my shop are predominantly right handed (no surprise there) but they end up doing a fair amount of left handed turning. For those left handed turners, they get to do a fair amount of right handed turning. As for me, I am ambidextrous. I can mess things up with either hand! Tell your friend that he would do well to practice with both hands. Even those who never use their other hand for other things have learned to use it for the lathe.

Bill

 

[hockenbery]

Get a Jet mini.

The most frequent criticism of this lathe is that it is a left handers machine.
The swtich on the right allows the lefty to turn it off and on with the right hand still holding the tool by the handle with the left hand.

seriously,

I've taught a bunch of lefties and all the cuts and be made with either hand forward. Switching hands allows a better view of the curve profiles, more comfortable foot positon, and the opportunity to llet the shaving not hit you.

happy turning,
Al

 

[S. Clark]

I'm a Left Hander

I’m left handed and grew up in a right handed world. Therefore I’ve gained a certain amount of ambidexterity that gives me an advantage with woodturning (and woodworking in general). As has been stated, many of the cuts, especially in spindle turning, need to be accomplished with either hand. The only real problem I’ve encountered is in bowl hollowing. If working over the bedways you are basically forced to do this right handed. Using the outboard area allows easier use of the left hand. I have found that using a midi or short bed lathe allows me to stand at the tailstock position and use my left hand without difficulty. I did this for year with my Delta midi by placing it so that the tail stock was at the end of my workbench. I finally constructed a custom stand for it that allowed me the same working position. I have now purchased a bowl turning lathe (VB) which allows me to stand in this same position. I have also found a great advantage with its’ design in being able to stand right up close to the spinning wood since there are no bedways to interfere. Some machines offer a sliding head which could then be moved closer to the tail position to accomplish this same effect.