New to turning, looking for beginners info
#11
I’ve been wood working for years, and was never sure I wanted to get into turning.
Been looking on Craigslist for a couple years and missed some opportunities, decided to pull the trigger on a 46-701(700). I know these have issues with the reeves pulleys, but for now it seems solid, and not used much.
It can with a NIB chuck, pen attachment, a nice Nova drill chuck, some craftsman HSS chisels, calipers and some pen kits.
I really have now idea where to start. Will be looking on YouTube for some beginners info. I do have a slow speed grinder that I bought years ago, but no sharpening attachments.
So any advice on sharpening jigs would be helpful.
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_____
Darrell
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#12
Welcome to the slippery slop.
The best advice I received was get involved with a local club.  Well the pandemic aint helping that either!  The local Woodcraft here is advertising classes again.  The classes I took were helpful.

You really should learn to sharpen with a quality jig.

Good luck, you are going to have some fun.
"I tried being reasonable..........I didn't like it." Clint Eastwood
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#13
(07-28-2020, 07:11 AM)Bill Holt Wrote: Welcome to the slippery slop.
The best advice I received was get involved with a local club.  Well the pandemic aint helping that either!  The local Woodcraft here is advertising classes again.  The classes I took were helpful.

You really should learn to sharpen with a quality jig.

Good luck, you are going to have some fun.

Thanks, we have a wood craft in the area and I know they do a lot of classes, I'll check one out.

My fear in getting into turning was that "slippery slope"
_____
Darrell
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#14
(07-28-2020, 07:11 AM)Bill Holt Wrote: You really should learn to sharpen with a quality jig.

Or, as you don't use power all the time to get a new edge on your other tools, you could hone them, using the existing bevel as a reference, as you do with the others.  Jigs are used where the angle is variable, and the "good" ones are those which produce a variable angle you are comfortable with, rather than force you to use what they produce.  

Your set looks like you might be lucky, and have carbon steel, with, possibly forged pattern gouges with constant angles requiring no jig.  If the gouges are cylindrical, you are well advised to use other people's until you find a comfortable profile, then find out how they got it.  Once you've got it, use stones or (diamond) hones for that freshened edge, and save the steel you payed for.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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#15
Some people use this shop-made jig for sharpening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws_JoC4BXOQ

I personally use the very popular Wolverine Sharpening Jig.  But I started with the just a grinder and the little shelf that came with it.
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#16
(07-28-2020, 07:11 AM)Bill Holt Wrote: Welcome to the slippery slop.
The best advice I received was get involved with a local club.  Well the pandemic aint helping that either!  The local Woodcraft here is advertising classes again.  The classes I took were helpful.

You really should learn to sharpen with a quality jig.

Good luck, you are going to have some fun.

(07-28-2020, 12:24 PM)MichaelMouse Wrote: Or, as you don't use power all the time to get a new edge on your other tools, you could hone them, using the existing bevel as a reference, as you do with the others.  Jigs are used where the angle is variable, and the "good" ones are those which produce a variable angle you are comfortable with, rather than force you to use what they produce.  

Your set looks like you might be lucky, and have carbon steel, with, possibly forged pattern gouges with constant angles requiring no jig.  If the gouges are cylindrical, you are well advised to use other people's until you find a comfortable profile, then find out how they got it.  Once you've got it, use stones or (diamond) hones for that freshened edge, and save the steel you payed for.

(07-29-2020, 04:10 PM)badwhiskey Wrote: Some people use this shop-made jig for sharpening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws_JoC4BXOQ

I personally use the very popular Wolverine Sharpening Jig.  But I started with the just a grinder and the little shelf that came with it.

Like Bill said Club or classes and find someone who will take you along with them.

Also what Mouse said of honing is very good as well since it will save a lot of metal for you and $$ as well.

I have the same set up Whiskey uses and when I started I did not have it and did it the old way at winging it.
Problem for me is I NEVER got the same grind and had to continually learn what was going wrong (to my thinking of how the tool was not working the same) in getting the same cut every time.

If you wish you can send me your tools and I will sharpen them and you can try follow the same grind after.  Just send me a pm.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification.  Thank You Everyone.

It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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#17
Our own Robo Hippy has some good vids on youtube. Here is a link to one of his to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rZ6iR3b...load_owner

I am very fond of the instruction style that Glenn Lucas uses in his vids. I have seen him demo in person a couple of times and he is even better in person. Taking a class from him is on my bucket list.
Here is a good place to start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlLOFvEZwvI
"the most important safety feature on any tool is the one between your ears." - Ken Vick

A wish for you all:  May you keep buying green bananas.
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#18
Darrell, I learned to turn from an old pro turner named Palmer Sharpless. He was a wood shop instructor at the famous George school and from a very VERY old Quaker family. Really neat guy. He gave me 2 pieces of advice that really stuck:

1) Turn slow - he taught me on a treadle lathe, but I had an electric lathe at home. When I asked how slow, he thought 500rpm was too fast. 200 rpm was better. Not sure if your lathe can go that slow. He used to turn the work piece for me as I operated the chisel. (when he taught me to roll beads)

2) Always use a skew - The use of a skew chisel for turning is a game changer. You can do things with skews that you just can't do with gouges. Trouble is, it can be tough to learn with and you can hurt yourself with it if you are not careful.

Here are a couple tips from me (a decidedly novice turner)
1) If you can figure out a way to reduce torque, do it. Loosen your belt, have a headstock that slips. Something that will allow the work piece to stall if you make a mistake. (I bought a head stock with a spring loaded center that does exactly what I'm talking about - The idea is that you can change spindles without shutting off the lathe. The tail stock pressure compresses the spring in the HS and engages the teeth on the HS. Therefore, the tail stock can be used to limit torque). The bigger reason for this is related to my next tip. You want to use tools and techniques that shave wood as opposed to scrape it. With a spring pole lathe for example, you learn quickly how to cut instead of scrape. Scraped and sanded turnings will never look as nice as straight from a skew or gouge turnings. Never. And cutting is faster than scraping and produces almost no dust.

2) As an experienced woodworker, you will have this advantage over true newbies: Your turning tools must be as sharp as any chisel or plane you like to use. Anyone who insists that sharp tools don't matter for turning, respectfully move on. Once they start on about grinder wheels, move on. These guys are almost always scrapers. They don't need sharp because their process insta-dulls their tools. I've been home watching home improvement shows. I like that couple in Mississippi(?), Ben and Erin Napier. Love Ben but he's a scraper. And all his turnings are lifeless and dull. See if you can watch an episode where he turns something and you will see what I mean. He'll get a lot of tear out. Not sure how he deals with that - maybe filler or lots of sanding. I don't sand on my lathe.

3) I think its helpful to LOOK at great turnings. All woodworkers need better access to great woodwork. Commercially turned back knife lathe balusters at the local lumber yard are pretty dreadful pieces of woodwork. I have some beautifully turned old furniture in my house and have seen some great work in and around Philadelphia. The shapes are definable; urns, vases, etc and the beads beautifully round. Quirks are narrow and crisp. Some pieces I've seen still have the tool marks from 300 years ago. They are often bolder, crisper, and more unique than many modern turnings we see. Find Robin Wood on youtube to see how our ancestors operated man powered lathes simply and quickly. I'm completely inspired by him.

4) As for tools, I can make just about anything work. I would not invest in high dollar tools. People say you must use HSS due to the high heat generated by turning (scrapers) or grinding. I don't generate any heat. Sharp tools, low speeds, low pressures. Don't much use my grinder. I actually prefer old high carbon tools, which hone easier and take keener edge. Turning is basically a hand tool process. Its really closer to hand planning than it is to a power tool.

One exception to what I've written is roughing. Palmer could and did rough with a skew. He also said draw knives were for roughing. I do use a crappy HSS gouge to rough some projects and I don't spend a month of sundays sharpening that. Hatchets are almost always depicted in early images of turner's shops. I use my hatchet and draw knife with the work between centers (switched off) fairly regularly to rough faster than a roughing gouge can and with lower risk to pommels.
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#19
(08-06-2020, 10:36 PM)iclark Wrote: Our own Robo Hippy has some good vids on youtube. Here is a link to one of his to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rZ6iR3b...load_owner

Speaking of Robo Hippy, does he ever visit woodnet anymore?
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#20
(08-12-2020, 03:04 PM)FrankAtl Wrote: Speaking of Robo Hippy, does he ever visit woodnet anymore?

I had not realized, but, no. He has not been here in a long time.

I have been seeing his youtube videos pop up in my suggestions and lost track.
Blush
"the most important safety feature on any tool is the one between your ears." - Ken Vick

A wish for you all:  May you keep buying green bananas.
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