Training Options

[custard]

I'm a rubbish turner and I don't seem to be getting any better!

I want to be able to turn drawer knobs and other small furniture components accurately, cleanly, and efficiently. Can anyone recommend some good YouTube videos for centre turning?

I'll try some YouTube self tuition first, but if that doesn't produce an improvement I'll be back again looking for suggestions for face to face, paid for training in the south Hampshire area!

Thanks

 

[katellwood]

try some of Stuart Batty's video's on vimeo i'll also dig out some others
https://vimeo.com/woodturning

 

[katellwood]

Also his Dads video on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfeLAHQSbqk&t=1s

plus google Tim Yoder or Brendan Stemp

 

[Robbo3]

Arguably the best turner in your area is Les Thorne. Unlike the old days when turning was a black art, Les & all the professional turners will let you into all their little secrets which makes achieving an end result so much easier.
- http://www.noturningback.co.uk/courses/

 

[katellwood]

Richard Raffan and Brian Havens as well

https://www.finewoodworking.com/author/richard-raffan

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ian+havens

 

[Jacob]

The old books are best, written when hand woodworking was still a mainstream trade. My favourite is "Wood Turning" by Percy Blandford. Often available for just a few pennies on Amazon etc.
Avoid any book or website which refers to "hollow forms" :lol: - this is for the new boys and gear freaks. They tend to go mad about sharpening, which in the old days was always very simple and effective.
Turning knobs; priority is to have an old sample to copy. New work tends to be crude and badly formed. By and large people didn't simply make up their own creative solutions, they followed very practical traditional patterns which are elegant and easy to make.
Keep kit to the minimum and make large batches. Sooner or later you will be able to select a matching pair from the batch and eventually you will be able to make exact flawless copies every time!
I found it easier to turn them with a spigot and glue them into a hole with a 1mm weephole

 

[loftyhermes]

If you're looking at books then Keith Rowley's Woodturning, a Foundation Course is regarded as one of the best for beginners so might help you with the basics. I think there is also a DVD as well but haven't seen it.

 

[Jacob]

Rowley OK but still a bit modern and over complicated I thought. Keep it simple!

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I think learning to use a pole lathe really teaches a lot. When all the power comes from your leg, scrapers seem a lot less appealing and you really have to master the skew chisel. And when you can produce clean, smooth cuts whilst treadling at the same time, and remembering to back the tool off on the return stroke of the treadle, using a power lathe suddenly seems like a piece of p**s. (If a lot more scary).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Except you wouldn't usually use a scraper on anything it was possible to use a skew on anyway. Or I wouldn't, anyway.

 

[custard]

Thanks, I liked the Alan Batty video although the quality isn't great and makes it a little difficult to observe the very fine details.

It seems that many woodturning videos are like woodworking videos, in that they demonstrate a single tool, a single technique, or a single piece, plus there's not much agreement between different practitioners! That means it's difficult to take learning from one person's video and carry it over to someone else's video. I guess I'm looking for a complete series on centre turning, going from the initial basics and progressing up.

I currently batch turn drawer pulls in different sizes and different timbers.

To be honest the mainly get made with scrapers and sandpaper!

The end results aren't terrible,

But they could be better, and I could certainly be a lot faster.

I'd also like to be able to turn small items for my furniture clients, either as token gifts or as sold extras. Things like "crush grind" salt and pepper mills with more contemporary turned profiles would be ideal.

I'll keep pressing on with YouTube but I can see a few days with Les Thorne might be a good investment. Has anyone actually attended any of his training?

 

[Dalboy]

How about joining a local woodturning club and get some hands on tuition. This will set you in the right direction as there are some very good turners which belong to clubs.

 

[Robbo3]

The man with the skills with the skew is Steve Jones (Woodturner21).
There are a couple on making knobs.
- https://www.youtube.com/user/woodturner21/videos