Hello Scott!
My woodturning story is obliquely similar: in jr high school I watched a guy at the lathe pry a bowl off and watched it bounce across the shop room and escape through a closed window to freedom outside.
I didn't touch a lathe until almost 40 years later (not because of fear but because of so much more going on in life!) I bought the world's worst lathe from Home Depot just to make something for my son in architecture school. I bought a cheap set of tools from Sears. (BTW, that son is now the design manager at an large architect firm. Yay!)
Some months later, I dusted that dumb lathe off, glued up some pieces of dry white oak board, and turned my first bowl. I was hooked and soon bought a new Jet1642. About 25 years later I'm still seriously addicted. I built a 24x62' shop down the hill by the barn and now have room for more than one lathe and other useful tools. (and no sawdust makes it to the house!)
I do turn quite a bit but my favorite thing is teaching, especially beginners. Another favorite thing - using the shop bandsaw to process green log sections into useful turning blanks - don't even think about starting this unless you want to have more dry turning wood than you can use it a lifetime! (I've turned plenty of green but FAR prefer dry wood.)
From your picture, it looks like your shop may be in a garage, right? Attached to the house? (My woodturning was in half a 2-car garage for a LONG time and dust was a problem)
Central to my stand-alone shop is a 5hp cyclone DC with duct work hidden above the ceiling - so strong you don't want to let your cat get too close, but so loud it is confined to an insulated closet!
As relates to dust control, until you have a big enough dedicated shop building at some point your DC setup looks good! However, when turning in my garage I discovered that not only could I track dust into the house but, [gasp!] it floated through the air. Some small suggestions which you may already know:
- When sanding by hand, especially spindles, running the lathe in reverse (with the sandpaper on top) throws the dust away from you and towards the DC pickup.
- Sanding at a high speed throws dust further (and has other disadvantages). My rule of lathe speed: turn fast, sand slow! I often sand with the lathe off.
- After trying it for a while, I now NEVER power sand with rotating disks on a powered drill. Makes way too much dust and can do bad things to the wood.
There are better ways! (IMHO)
- Related to those, I almost never use coarse sandpaper which makes a lot more dust than fine.
Keeping the wife and turning life balanced can be difficult in a garage attached to the house! My Lovely Bride (of almost 55 years now) has always been incredibly tolerant of my pursuits but still, of course, didn't like the dust and sometimes the noise.
So I began a quest which I think helped a lot with her support of woodturning: Since her passion is cooking and baking (to my great fortune), I often make things that she can in the kitchen! Since most households can use or have room to display only so many big bowls and platters, I often make things she could use elsewhere (or give as presents) I have plenty of pictures if you are interested.
You are smart to take some classes and to have joined a turning club! Many people don't and all too often it's obvious.
I personally mostly stay away from YouTube videos, after looking for some and finding too much poor work, horrible techniques, and worse, some dangerous things. I do watch a few now, but usually only those "curated" by people I trust.
I think the absolute best thing is to get some personal, one-on-one instruction. I've taught many beginners, some who have never seen a lathe before, and with personal attention, real-time suggestions and corrections (tool control is king), discussions of the "why" and the "why not", and suggestions from wood type to design to finishes. I've seen some advance rapidly. (hint: the first tool I put in a beginner's hands is always a skew, and for good reasons) I've taught some classes but far prefer one or no more than two people at a time.
Check to see of your club has a mentoring program. Mentoring provides one-on-one instruction, pairing turners with members vetted for their experience and/or specialties. Our local club has had a mentoring program for years, but has now expanded it, taking advantage of the AAW liability insurance. Might want to ask at your first meeting - at times, some mentors here have a bit of a waiting list.
Hey, in case you're interested here are a few simple turnings My Lovely Bride found useful.
(The forum allows only four photos per post so here are four)
Starting with ring keepers - a guaranteed hit! Keeps one at the kitchen sink, one at the makeup station.
And hand mirrors (these are from wormy American Chestnut). Great presents.
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A rolling pin, made to her precise specs, Olivewood. She does NOT like rolling pins with handles.
And the pepper/salt grinders in use daily for a couple of decades, Cocobolo, and Dogwood from the farm.
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Ok, I quit typing now. (Sorry, I have a hard time quitting anything.)
Have fun. (from your post, it looks like that's not a problem!)
JKJ
