I’m ready to drop some $$ on one or two DVD’s for turning. Genecoder’s been asking for advice on learning the craft, and Norm’s video has already been slammed. So, how ’bout some advice on good DVD’s to get started in turning?? I went to the Woodturners Catalog web site, perused a few.
Also, how difficult is it to learn to sharpen the basic tools just reading a description?? Is a video going to greatly increase the chance of being successful??
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
Just jump in lass. Sharpening is commonsense and if you play around with narrow gouges and lengths of dowel between centres you will soon get the feel of how the tools cut. Then do the same with a narrow skew. The thing is, with narrow tools your mistakes are less likely to result in personal injury.
FG,
Again, I think you'd be pleased with the Richard Raffan DVD, Turning Wood. It's easy to follow, includes instruction and demonstrations of him sharpening tools as well as turning out several different projects, and is reasonably well produced as these things go.
You'll find his no-nonsense way of working very interesting, and a good guide as to how to get the most from the tools and also from your time at the lathe. As a production turner he has little time for things that don't add to the turning out (so to speak) of the objects he makes. And it was very valuable, to me at least, to see the speed at which it is possible to work. It's really shortened the learning curve for me, and taken away some of my fear of the machine.
Zolton
* Some people say I have a problem because I drink hydraulic brake fluid. But I can stop any time I want.
Thanks for the review, Zolton. I like an approach that's practical, but well laid-out and methodical. I'll check it out.
You're not a veterinarian in the Seattle area by any chance, are you? The main vet at our barn is named Zolton.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
Nope, not a vet...and I live in Michigan.
Zolton
* Some people say I have a problem because I drink hydraulic brake fluid. But I can stop any time I want.
The Raffan DVD is on its way, Zolton. Am ready to dive in!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I think I'm going to buy the Raffen DVD thanks for the research you did on them tell me how it is when you get it.
FG,
Definitely Richard Raffan's Turning Wood. I also really like Bowl Turning with Del Stubbs.
FG,
from one who is in the same boat, I am very impressed with the material and presentation of Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodturning.
I am not (generally) one to promote a commercial product, but this book has it all, particularly if one reads all of it - not just the pictures.
I have visited other Raffan books, but in this case, the "complete" claim in the title is justified.
FWIW.
Lapun.
Hi, Lapun, thanks for the info on Taunton's book. I'm sure I'll pick up the book soon, but I have two others to get me started. Want to add a video or two, since that "live" presentation realllllly seems to help with turning.
I've bought one of the "Complete Illlustrated Giude to....." Taunton books, the one on finishing by Jeff Jewitt. An excellent read, seems like a good series.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Girl,
I was a turning novice a couple of years ago and, despite my general dislike of videos/DVDs, thought that turning was so obscure a skill, I'd need to see it.
In the end I found the videos I bought not too helpful - many are by hopeless presenters (they may or may not be good turners, it was impossible to tell from their antics in the video). I can't speak for any of the Taunton vids, though. I bought various British ones, as the woodworking catalogues over here seem to be flooded with them.
Britain is apparently full of daft old blokes mucking about on a lathe and making strange gew-gaws of no obvious utility. Often they use new-fangled turning tools of arcane design and large price.
Anyway, I ended up with Richard Rafan's latest Taunton book, which was much better than any of the videos I had.
Loh and behold, turning turns (!) out to be not so mysterious or difficult. Within an hour of a good read of that book, I was making a test piece with all the various profiles, using all six of the turning tools I bought as a set (you know how that goes I bet). :-) Following Richard R's basic and clear advice, I made good progress and never a snatch or a chunk taken out.
Of course, I confine myself to turning for furniture not bowls and such.
Subsequently I also got Ernie Conover's "Turning for Furniture" book, which I would also recommend to you.
******
Of course, the sharpening of all them difficult curves of the Sorby turning irons was my next worry. Gawd, that looks hard! So I indulged in a Tormek with one or three fancy jigs.
The Tormek does enable the turning tools to be kept super sharp and to-shape, especially if the leather honng wheel with the various profiles is used. However, I have a friend who laughs at my expenditure and does what Mufti recommends. He used dowels and other shapes to hone his tools, wrapped in that microgrit paper we all use to do scarey sharp with the planes.
So, Tormek does make it easy - but I would be naughty to say you needed one to sharpen turning tools.
I do like the Lee Valley thingy for putting a burr on scrapers, though. It does a great job and the scraper is transformed, in performance, by its use.
Apologies for ramblin'.
Lataxe, a mere spindle and rung maker.
Edited 10/1/2007 3:28 pm ET by Lataxe
Forest! How much wood can you get for the cost of them DVD's?
FG,
In my part time job at Woodcraft, I see a of turners. We have a local group of turners that meets monthly. Almost all of them use the same grinder. It is a slow speed 8" grinder. I am not recommending this grinder. I just wanted to show you what virtually all of the local turners use. You can see it at:
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4605
For sharpening, many of them use the Wolverine grinding jigs. Many of them have bought the Wolverine fingernail jig.
You can also see it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Oneway-Manufacturing-2480-Vari-Grind-Attachment/dp/B000CSSIOK
You can also see them at:
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1998
If anyone thinks that I am flacking for woodcraft, they are wrong. I do learn a lot there, and will pass that info along to anyone who wants it. You asked for info, and I am giving you the best info I know. The Wolverine fingernail jig and the 8" slow speed grinder can be bought lots of places.
I have talked to a number of the turners. I took a course from one of the turners, and watched him use the Wolverine fingernail jig, and it only took a few seconds to do the turning tool. None of the folks that I have talked to do anything to the gouge after using this jig. (eg no honing on stones, etc.)
I asked many of the turners if they use the Tormek or the Jet grinders, and all said no. They go with the cheaper 8" slow speed grinder.
There is a writeup on using the Wolverine jig at:
http://www.turningwood.com/fingernail1.htm
I am not an expert in this area. I am just letting you know what I have learned about the habits of the local turners. Hope that helps.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel, I really appreciate your passing along the information above. I missed the turner's meeting in September, and it'll be a couple months before they have another one on "this side of the water." I'll check out the links for sure. Will have to see just how captivated I get by The Dark Side before I invest too much in accessories, but when the time comes...the more info the better!
I looked more closely at the tools that came with the lathe, and while the previous owner did overheat them, it doesn't seem like it's more than just the tippy-tips that got de-tempered. I can touch them up and use them as is while I'm learning. Won't be long before I get past those areas into the good steel again I hope.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I've meaning to try http://www.smartflix.com
A pretty good selection of educational DVD's on a lot of subjects.
You can even suggest a video for them to get.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled