New to turning just bought a JET Model JWL-1236 now what?

[Mopfan43]

OK here goes. I can't explain what has driven me to follow this avenue other then the talent and skill I see displayed here is awe-inspiring. I have been thinking about getting in to turning for about a year and a half. I have been looking at a lathe every time to go to a local tool store here. Well the other day I was able to get the lathe brand new for $300.00 so I jumped on it. I am very excited but I do not know where to go from here. I am an absolute newbie that is inspired to turn. So in reality I am a turner to be that has NEVER even been near a lathe the was running. I am however an experieinced woodworker so I hope that transfers over. Enough of the long version. What else do I need to get strted in way of turning chisels, and advise? I am open to all comments, remarks, and suggestions. 🙄

 

[Jerry Chandler]

My experience...

A few suggestions from my own experience:
1. Join an AAW club near you. Most of the people I've met at club meetings are more than willing to help a novice learn about the craft. Some clubs have tapes and DVD on woodturning they lend or rent to members. You can also get good advice on what tools and accessories to buy and when.
2. Check out web sites such as Craft Supplies and Woodcraft for books and videos.
3. When you've bought a few of the basic tools start turning on cheap wood, scrap framing lumber works fine for this. Just start turning something. This will open up a whole new set of questions for you. Then go back to steps 1 and 2 for answers.
Good luck. Turning is a great way to spend your time and all the spare money you can find as well!

 

[Dave Peebles]

Hello,

I am not too far from you. I am about 20 miles west of Toledo.

We have a very new club in the Adrian Michigan area. We are not an AAW club yet. But you are more than welcome to come to the next meeting. It will be this Saturday from 1-3 pm. I will be doing a demo on turning a bowl from 8/4" kiln dryed stock.

If you email me, I will get you on our email list with all the details. We currently have about 20-25 members. They are of all skill levels from beginners to people who turn full time.

There are no dues, but we do have a raffle every month to raise a few bucks. It would be great if you can make it.

dave@bowlturner.com

Best,
Dave

 

[bonsaipeter]

Advice to a New Turner

Welcome to the most addictive hobby I have known!

All of the above advice about joining a turners group, borrowing videos/DVDs, and to start turning are all very sound. Let me add to this the following:

I sell turning equipment for a living and when folks get started I tell them the best order of buying "things" is: 1) a lathe, 2) good tool sharpening equipment, 3) then HSS or powdered metal turning tools.

1) You have already taken care of getting a lathe.

2) I can't over emphasize the importance of having good sharpening equipment. Most newcomers don't realize that a sharp tool dulls in about 10 minutes of turning, especially on dry wood! If you are getting "saw dust" instead of nice "shavings," your tool is dull which gives a rough surface on your work and a great deal of frustration. A sharp tool is the difference between pleasure and frustration. Set up your sharpening equipment within arm's length of your lathe and you can resharpen your tool in about 30 sec. I recommend the following equipment: 8" grinder with friable aluminum oxide wheels, one about 50-60 grit and the other about 100-120 grit. DO NOT USE THE GRAY SILICON CARBIDE WHEELS THAT COME WITH MOST GRINDERS! These are designed to remove lots of metal quickly and don't give a good edge. The aluminum oxide wheels are designed for sharpening and remove minimal steel per sharpening, leave a good edge, and so your tools will last a long time. The Oneway Wolverine Sharpening System is an extremely simple device for shapening and does an excellent job, quickly. You can go to Oneway's website and download their video on how to use it. It is simple and cost effective. You will also need a stone stick or diamond wheel cleaner to keep you wheels clean and cutting efficiently. Most importantly in sharpening, don't put any pressure on the tool against the wheel. The weight of the tool against the wheel is all that is needed. Your hands are there only to gentley guide the tool on the wheel, not to apply pressure. A simple angle gauge for maintaining bevel angles would be useful, especially until you gain experience in sharpening. Enough on sharpening.

3) Tools. Don't get lulled into buying cheap carbon steel turning tools. You can find them at places like Habor Freight, ebay, etc. for around $20 for a set of 8+ tools. This would be a big mistake that you will instantly regret. Carbon steel tools very readily overheat (burn) when sharpening and loose their temper and will never hold an edge again. You need to get either High Speed Steel (HSS) or the newer powdered metal (PM) tools. The PM tools are currently very expensive and not needed by the beginner. Good HSS tools will cost in the range of $35-$75 each. You don't need very many to start, usually four well chosen ones will serve you well. The specific choices will depend on the type of turning you want to start out with, spindle, bowl, faceplate, get advice from someone. If people offer you tools, its easy to tell if they are HSS or carbon steel by the sparks they give off when grinding. Carbon steel will give a starburst type spark while HSS will give a pinpoint type of spark.

Hopefully this is helpful. Remember, if you ask two turners for advice, you will get at least three opinions.

Have fun and keep a cool tool.

Peter Toch

 

[Mike Schwing]

You probably have no idea how lucky you are to have someone with Dave Peeble's skills so close by. Take his advice and show up to the club meeting. Don't jump at every tool deal you see as will be your desire. Rather - watch a few turners, see what they use, ask them what they'd suggest. These guys are going to be your teachers and you'll want to learn using the same type of tools.

Build a ballast box for your lathe - it will be one of the single biggest improvements you can make.

Learn what a sharp tool really is. If you're a hand tool user you may already have a good idea.

Take your time, don't fret over mistakes, and don't give up when frustrated. Welcome to a great hobby.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Hey, Coach,

You, as a teacher, should know all too well that even someone with great natural ability needs initial guidence to avoid forming bad habits that will take much more work to break.

Videos, dvd's, and internet forums are fine, but they can't take the place of a living, breathing teacher; especially at the start. The best thing you can do at this point is to find yourself a good teacher and spend a couple of full days (for pay) learning the basics. It will save you huge amounts of grief and aggravation (and probably $$), and get you moving far more quickly.

The AAW Instructor Directory lists Judy Ditmer in Piqua, OH, Joe Herrmann in Jefferson, OH, and Dave Hout in Clinton, OH; all well known turners and demonstrators. I've also seen Dave Peebles work, and he's close to you.

Mark

 

[Mopfan43]

Thanks to all

for all of the good advice and direction. I am going to visit a club for sure. Funny thing is that Mr. Peeble has offered me his valued advice before about a year or so ago on another forum. His website is one of the inspirations for me to take up turning...so thanks Dave..shhhh I wont tell my wife if you don't. 😉

I am very excited to get started. However, I have yet to buy anything other then the lathe due to the facts mentioned buy some of you and I want to do it right from the start. The sharpening thing does give rise to some thoughts, I am nervous about screwing up an 80 dollar tool. I guess I am just going to jump in knee deep and hold my nose while I sink in to the "most addictive hobby"

As for what kind of turning I want to do bowls, hollow forms, and whatever else direction this takes me. Heck I already have so many ideas and one in particular keeps coming to the fore front when I think about what I want to do.

Thanks once again to all who have helped. I look forward to reading and learning more.

 

[Mopfan43]

What else

should I buy I am leaning towards the Wolverine sharpening system. But what about turning tools any one better then the other as long as they are HSS and even a chuck? I want to do it the right way, I want this to be a great experience and I don’t want to hinder the learning curve with poor/improper equipment.

 

[bonsaipeter]

What Else to Buy

The sharpening equipment is definetly the next things to buy. From your next post I'm reading that bowl turning seems to be the first thing you wish to try. That being the case, the Oneway Wolverine Sharpening Jig along with their Varigrind Fingernail grinding attachment would be excellent choices at about $145 for both. Just download the video on their use from the Oneway website and you will be fine. Remember what I said before; use friable aluminum oxide grinding wheels, and let the weight of the tool be the only pressure of the tool against the wheel.

Recommended bowl turning tools:

1) 3/8" deep fluted fingernail grind bowl gauge. This tool is the workhorse of bowl turning.

2) 1/2' X 1/8" diamond parting tool

3) 3/4" or 1" roughing gouge

4) heavy duty scraper, Crown makes one 1" wide x 1/2" thick with a radiused end and side. It is a sweet tool that really dampens vibration. Don't get a skimppy scraper. It will vibrate and case tearout and leave chatter marks on the inside of your bowls.

Don't worry about brands, just go for a good quality name brand HSS tool hardened to Rockwell C 62 to 64 hardness. They are all good tools so if possible, see which ones "fit your hands best" and is within your budget. The above list should get you started nicely in bowl turning. Above tools $200 to $250.

Before you embark on hollow forms, I strongly suggest you first learn to master bowl turning.

Chucks:
The Jet 1236 lathe is large enough to support a good size chuck. I am a very stong fan of the Oneway Stronghold Chuck. It operates smoothly and really grips the workpeice. The Stronghold chuck with the 1"-8tpi adaptor insert for your lathe will cost around $270 + tax. Not cheap, but worth it.

Have I spent enough of your money yet?

Peter Toch

 

[Mopfan43]

whew the list

Is getting long. Not that you spent my money, in as much you have increased the hours I need to work :cool2:

But that is why I am asking for this info. Next stop One Way web site. How much of my money will they take 😎

Peter thanks again for your time and help.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Whoa

Hol-de-door!

Coach,

If you're thinking of bowl turning, I suggest that there is one tool that is more versitile and useful than any other, and that is the Ellsworth Signature Gouge. This is a 1/2" HSS bowl gouge that will cost you about $80 for HSS, but up to $180 if you want to spring for the Hamlet Tools ASP-2060 powder-tech version. To keep it ground the way it should be, you should also get David's sharpening jig - the new one with the circular knob and block- rather than the Oneway. The Oneway jig is fine, but will have to be modified to properly grind the 1/2" tool and maintain its efficiency. I have the Oneway and use it, but it was a real PITA to modify. Ellsworth's tool comes with instructions on how to make a simple jig to fit your grinder and how to sharpen it properly without expensive jigs. If you can't find the new version of David's jig, contact him directly to get one - about $40

I also highly recommend Ellsworth's DVD on the gouge.

I use my Ellsworth-style 1/2" bowl gouge for roughing even in spindle orientation as it is much faster than the big roughing gouges of which I have two that mostly sit in the rack.

Again, I'd suggest that you spend a day with a turner trying out the tools and getting in-person recommendations before you just start buying stuff.

Mark

 

[Dave Peebles]

Hi Robert,

If your wife finds out... tell her I am sorry 🙂 But it is only going to get worse!

I do use the Wolverine jig. It works well for the grinds I use. If you get a chance to stop out to my place, you can try it out for yourself. I also have several brands of gouges that I use. I think that any of the high speed steel gouges will work well for you.

I also sent a reply to your email.

Best wishes,
Dave

 

[Bruce Eckman]

Find a local cub and begin to meet others who can help. If you have a local Woodcrafter store they may have lessons. Read.. Read.. and read more. Don't go crazy on tools. The 1236 is not an almighty powerful lathe but It's a very good starter. The type of work you want to do will determine most of your tools... Side-grain (bowls) or end-grain (baseball bats). Suggest that you visit any of the woodturning sites and check their links to various manufactures. You may want to visit www.ovwg.org and check out their links. Good luck and if you are going south on I-75 I'm just north of dayton. Always open for a visit.
Regards,
Bruce E.

 

[Mopfan43]

thanks..darn flu

Hey guys thanks so much for your insight. I have yet to do anything further with me new lathe other then think about all the time I have been missing. I have been fighting the flu for the past week. Just when I think I am feeling better it gets worse. On top of that I had to go to Indianapolis for 3 days RCA dome and the convention center. Wanted to hit the woodcraft there to "pick up a few things" but that didn’t happen either. Let’s just say I spent a lot of money to sit in a hotel room. I couldn't even go to the book store in the mall to find reading material. But I did see a cool lamp in the Westin Hotel that would b an awesome project.

The more things I see and the more I think = the more projects I dream up. My 13 old son has also expressed an interest in turning he thinks it would be "coolâ€Â.

So anyways here is my plan of attack what do you guys think?

- purchase a sharpening system. I am thinking the Wolverine, but also thinking about just saving a few more pennies and buying the Tormek if I do that what should I get as far as the system goes.--or any other ideas out there.

- A set of turning tools still trying to decide betwen a set or a few individual pieces. there are just so many to choose from and trying to decide whats the best to start off with...geesh

- chuck Oneway Talon or Nova chuck---any recommendations?

I have come to realize that buying the lathe is indeed the easy part.