Wood lathe

[15meter]

Being a semi-serious woodturner:

Don't waste your money on a duplicator, been turning for ~45 years, never had one never wanted one.

Be careful about using files for turning tools, it can be done, I have done it but they can be brittle and break.

Longer tool handles on the turning tools makes control easier.

Look for local woodturning clubs. I don't know if there are any on the islands, there are probably a dozen in Michigan. I've belonged to one for 8-10 years, best thing I did as far as woodturning.

Less tools are better. I've got probably 30-40 different turning chisels. Use less than a dozen on a regular basis.

There are two schools of turning, cutting and scraping. Scraping is by far easier to learn in the beginning.

White(vitrified aluminum oxide)(~$30+) grinding wheels are by far superior to the run of the mill standard gray grinding wheels.

Cheap steel can be made into turning tools, they just won't hold an edge long. Try some just to see if you like turning. 3/8" thick by 1" wide x 18" long is a good place to start. Use it with out a handle. Grind a radius on the end with a lot relief(under cut).

I've used Casenite to make some very nice scrapers.

When you grind scrapers(round nose is the easiest) DO NOT hone off the burr that is raised on the top of the tool, that burr, if use properly, can leave a very nice surface.

Start between centers, look at a "stieb" center for the headstock, if you get a catch, it will slip and not take the tool out of your hand or the wood off the lathe. Tighten up the tailstock and try again.

Look up "riding the bevel" by presenting the tool to the work so the bevel is rubbing the work piece, than lifting the rear of the tool SLOWLY you can control the cut much better and reduce the chance of a catch that has the potential to scare you away from turning.

Buy a piece of round hand rail, cut it into short pieces (18" maximum, chuck up a piece and start there. Then chuck up a square piece, starting with a square piece to start WILL be scary.

I think this is the book that has lots of basic common sense advice. I think this was the one that talks about making your own tools from common materials you probably already have:
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-la...dition=2307025

Weight is your friend. I have a ~60 old Delta that came out of a school on the northside of Detroit. I'm lucky, my shop is 24'x32' so I have the room to leave things in one place. Consequently it is where my shot for the shotgun is stored(25+ bags) other lead ingots and other assorted and sundry chunks of steel. Probably a half ton or more in total.

Really dampens the vibration.

Good luck, my house is filled with turnings, they get given away to friends and family. To random bartenders and barmaids. It's almost as addicting as reloading and casting. And I'm sure that I will save enough on decorations/kitchen tools/bowls that my wife won't buy to pay for it all.

Don't buy "turning" stock. You can find a lot of good turning stock in pallets. I picked up a dozen plus pallets at a steel processing plant a couple of years ago. There was a mix of clear cherry, hard maple, beech and oak 3"x3"x24" turning squares cut out of it. What wasn't good for turning blocks went to the nephew for his smoker. He really, really likes the cherry.

Have I rambled enough?

Have fun.

[abunaitoo]

Wish I had the talent to not need a duplicator.
Maybe in the future.

It did come today.
It looks good.
Lots of things going on right now, so not sure when I'll get to using it.

[abunaitoo]

The book sound like a good idea.
There are now three editions.
Which would you suggest????

[15meter]

The book sound like a good idea.
There are now three editions.
Which would you suggest????

I think I had the first edition, got it from the local library (another place to look for woodturning books).

With that said, this hobby has changed so much over the last 20 years, there should have been newer techniques and tools that he would include in later editions. Carbide tools for one, changes in the grinding wheels, mounting tools. 4 jaw self-centering chucks.

If you're a hardware junkie, you can spend an incredible amount of money on this hobby, but it's more fun than watching the vidiot box.

[abunaitoo]

I like fixing stuff.
But getting old, so body can't do as much as before.

[country gent]

Be sure and get and apron that fits good there will be wood chips everywhere

[abunaitoo]

Ordered the book.
Newest edition.

[Duckiller]

Don't use the duplicator. Rip a 2x4 into sections about the length of handles. Start practicing. In no time at all you will be making great handles. Maybe selling them to people here. Good luck.

[15meter]

There's a guy in swapping and selling with a WTB for a mold handle.

Your first customer

[JimB..]

We have a store called Woodcraft that has, or at least had, a lending library for woodworking DVDs. You may have one.