Good afternoon everyone,
I own a small woodworking side business that I started in 2019. Mostly I started it with the goal to finance my woodworking hobby but, honestly, I had no idea the journey I would take and how much turning would take center stage in my love of woodworking!
Around that same time I started my business, I was given and old Craftsman tube style lathe mounted to an extremely heavy bench, with no motor. So for about 6 months, it sat in the corner collecting dust before finally finding a motor, building a mount for it, and getting it up and running. Within about a week I was hooked and started expanding my tool collection, and skill set. But, that old tube style lathe, while it served its purpose to get me hooked on turning, was piece of junk! I’d always have to keep tightening up the screw in the end of the tube to keep it from spinning my tool rest and banjo away from the work!
Nevertheless, I was able to learn a lot of useful skills, including tool presentation, importance of sharpness, different grinds for gouges, etc, etc. But, probably the most important of those lessons was patience. Patience for myself and my skill level, but just as well as the for the work and not rushing, and trying to be too aggressive. An aspect I still have to remind myself about.
But, then just about the time COVID-19 really hit this spring, I gathered up all the pennies I’d been saving and invested in a brand new Laguna 1836. My, oh my, it was like falling in love all over again! This thing was actually at the right height! I could turn for hours and not feel like my back was about to break! I could turn bowls at a correct RPM and not be completely terrified the blank was going to take my nose off! And, most of all, the toolrest and tail stock weren’t constantly spinning around away from the work!
That was a major milestone for me and I finally felt like I could truly become a woodturner! Not necessarily because it was a full size lathe but, because could finally let my creativity spin out of control! (pun intended) Not only could I make pens that were actually straight, I could make large bowls, I could make vases, I could make goblets! By jingos, I could finally try hollowing! I could actually apply the lessons from the YouTube videos I was watching and actually see my skills grow!
Then, by having a lathe I could finally depend on, I got the opportunity to perform some production work for a client of mine! Which has truly allowed me to take a floundering hobby, and turn into something that is both productive, and that I’m proud of!
Anyway, I could ramble on and on and on (I do that in real life too). But, I’ll just add I’m thrilled to join the forum and hope that I can learn as much as possible from everyone.
I’ve attached a few pictures of some of the things I’ve made in the past.
Thanks for allowing me to be here!
Seth
I own a small woodworking side business that I started in 2019. Mostly I started it with the goal to finance my woodworking hobby but, honestly, I had no idea the journey I would take and how much turning would take center stage in my love of woodworking!
Around that same time I started my business, I was given and old Craftsman tube style lathe mounted to an extremely heavy bench, with no motor. So for about 6 months, it sat in the corner collecting dust before finally finding a motor, building a mount for it, and getting it up and running. Within about a week I was hooked and started expanding my tool collection, and skill set. But, that old tube style lathe, while it served its purpose to get me hooked on turning, was piece of junk! I’d always have to keep tightening up the screw in the end of the tube to keep it from spinning my tool rest and banjo away from the work!
Nevertheless, I was able to learn a lot of useful skills, including tool presentation, importance of sharpness, different grinds for gouges, etc, etc. But, probably the most important of those lessons was patience. Patience for myself and my skill level, but just as well as the for the work and not rushing, and trying to be too aggressive. An aspect I still have to remind myself about.
But, then just about the time COVID-19 really hit this spring, I gathered up all the pennies I’d been saving and invested in a brand new Laguna 1836. My, oh my, it was like falling in love all over again! This thing was actually at the right height! I could turn for hours and not feel like my back was about to break! I could turn bowls at a correct RPM and not be completely terrified the blank was going to take my nose off! And, most of all, the toolrest and tail stock weren’t constantly spinning around away from the work!
That was a major milestone for me and I finally felt like I could truly become a woodturner! Not necessarily because it was a full size lathe but, because could finally let my creativity spin out of control! (pun intended) Not only could I make pens that were actually straight, I could make large bowls, I could make vases, I could make goblets! By jingos, I could finally try hollowing! I could actually apply the lessons from the YouTube videos I was watching and actually see my skills grow!
Then, by having a lathe I could finally depend on, I got the opportunity to perform some production work for a client of mine! Which has truly allowed me to take a floundering hobby, and turn into something that is both productive, and that I’m proud of!
Anyway, I could ramble on and on and on (I do that in real life too). But, I’ll just add I’m thrilled to join the forum and hope that I can learn as much as possible from everyone.
I’ve attached a few pictures of some of the things I’ve made in the past.
Thanks for allowing me to be here!
Seth
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