New to turning (or at least wil be soon)

[tapemonkey]

Hi all

Just joined the forum. Looked around the new for a decent looking forum and decided on this one.

I am planning on learning to turn wood with the ultimate aim of selling the finished items. I attained my City & Guilds in machine woodworking back in the early 80's, but we didn't cover turning. I then worked in the industry for about 6 years finishing my factory days on CNC routers. I then moved on to telephoney work and then IT. I was made redundant 18 months ago so I am looking a ways to make a living. Now I know it is very unlikley to make a living from just wood turnng, it will be just one of the things I intend to do make money (photography and modelling being two of the things I do at present to make some cash). I sell my photographs at craft fairs and was thinking of the same for the turning products. I like the idea of pens and perhaps small to medium sized bowls and boxes. Moving onto other items as my skills improve (hopefully!).

I have no gear at present, so I am looking for advice on lathes (like the look of the RP CL3/4 is variable speed really needed?), I don't want to have to upgrade in a few months time.
What experience do you guys have on trying to sell your work?
Where is the best place to sell?

Any other advice you guys think I need.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Welcome to the slippery Slope.

I'm still very new to this (only got my lathe 3 weeks ago) but:

You can turn smalls things on a big lathe but not big things on a small lathe, so buy the (with reason) biggest you can afford and comfortably house.
I would get the variable speed as not all speeds are suitable for all wood sizes (or so i have read)

 

[János]

Hello,

Buy a well-made lathe, preferably with a cast-iron bed. Variable speed is not indispensable. Much, much more important is the speed range and the ease of changing speed. For hand-sanding or thread-cutting on a lathe you will need the slowest possible speed (for control and safety). My late has six speeds (360 / 670 / 1020 / 1510 / 2230 / 3250 r/min) but I use the 360 and the 1020 rpm most of the time.

By,

János

 

[Bluefoxy]

I agree with what has been said with one proviso. Once you have had variable speed you will never be without it. You mention the cl3/cl4. If you can afford the latter go for it.

Ray

 

[guyandzoe]

Dont be without variable speed!

It can be done without variable speed and of course it has been done for millennia. But there are no disadvantages to variable speed and the advantages are legion. I would say that, in modern turning, it is essential in a professional studio. (That should get a lot of old pros telling me off!!)

Why would you not want it if you are serious?

Take some lessons to see if turning really is for you. Join a club to see if turning is for you. A good lathe is expensive. But that is only the start. The ancilliary tooling will set you back a fortune: respirators, dust extractors, chucks, turning tools, abrasives, grinder, chuck jaws, pillar drill, hand drill, band saw, chain saw, protective clothing, the list goes on and on. Many amateur turners do not need an extensive list of equipment but as a professional you will need these things.

When you know what you might make and have established there is a market for those goods buy the biggest best lathe you can possibly afford. As a professional you will depend upon it and it will need to work hard and fast every day of the week, week in week out year after year. Many lathes on the market are not aimed at the professional. Check with Record, you might be surprised if they say they dont advise their lathes for professional use - they dont with even their biggest band saw which shocked me I tell you.

Pens and small boxes cannot possibly make you much profit. You thus need to make a lot and thus need to be very quick. That will take time and a lot of practice. BUT you then need to sell them all. Where is that market? You need to establish yourself within a market already being provided for. You need therefore to be very good at making and at selling/self promotion to break in. Just attending craft fairs is, generally, a hiding to nothing if selling low priced items (which small things generally are). And do galleries need run of the mill pens or bowls. NO. You need to be seriously good to make and sell sufficient small pieces at say a £100 each to make any serious money. You will be lucky to make £30 (real) profit on a £100 bowl. You will find it hard to sell even ten of those every week of the year. Its a hard road I can tell you.


Even if this is just one string to your bow dont underestimate the time and expence of it all (how long will it take you to make those bowls and will it leave time for other earning incomes) and dont over estimate the profit ( and not all that can go in your pocket some goes to the taxman some to NI some to insurances, some to replacement and new tooling some to increase woodstocks, pay for travel and next years shows etc).

Good luck!

 

[tapemonkey]

Thanks all and thanks for the comprehensive reply guyandzoe. I have found it hard to break into the photography world, and don't expect turning to be any different. It may be a bit pie in the sky stuff to expect to make money from turning, but it has been something I have wanted to do since I got my C&G back in the early 80's. Even if I can't make any cash at it, it'll be a great hobby, although I will be approching the excercise as a business to start.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

As a new turner, i turned my first bowl today, i tried the other day but it broke while i was turning. I learned to use the speed settings on my lathe today and believe that is why i managed to finish my bowl without yet another brake or hurting myself.

I am fairly gutted with the lathe i have. Its long enough for most i use but its not tall enough to do decent sized bowls.
Actually gutted is the wrong word. Disappointed its not a bigger one, is a far better statement. So get the best and biggest you can afford. Mine only cost £70 second hand and would have brought a big new one if a friend didn't have this one for sale or i knew at the time i would need bigger and planned to make bowls

 

[János]

Hello,

Be wary with variable speed! „Standard” lathes have strong and simple induction type electric motors. These are reliable, low on maintenance, and strong, as this type of electric motor has the highest torque/turning-moment. Most of the variable speed lathes have direct current motors, as those are much easier to regulate. But this kind of motor has lower torque, and the equipment is more complex, and needs more maintenance.

The best and most expensive solution is the regulation of an induction motor, but that is an electronically complex task, so you will find that on expensive industrial grade lathes only.

As far as my knowledge goes on this…

Have a nice day,

János

 

[guyandzoe]

OK. I have had both a DC motor and three phase motor via inverter on different lathes, both on electronic variable speed. Neither ever required maintenance neither lacked torque that I could tell for their size. My opinion is that if Janos is correct this is no reason not to buy or be put off variable speed. My experience is that the advantages outwiegh any disadvantage that others may see. I have not seen or experienced any disadvantages but I am well aware of the advantages I have over those without.

The DC motor I have is an american leeson that was on a sorby lathe. It has three quarter horse output which soon became too small for my needs on that lathe. It now resides on a vicmark bought as a bare lathe and is doing well on that. My other lathe is a VB. It has a two horse three phase motor powered by an inverter thingywhatsit. I wish I had bought the three horse motor (which is now standard issue!!) because I turn stuff large enough and fast enough to slow or stop the two horse - and the VB is not known for any lack of torque!. The leeson is now over 8 year old the VB is 6. Both have seen HARD work. Neither has required attention and as far as I know they are as good as new.

 

[tapemonkey]

I am booked onto a course of evening classes for the wood turning starting on the 17th. This will hopefully give me bit more of an idea of what I want to do. I'll go for the best I can afford and if I go for new, I think I can only afford something like the Record CL4. I don't mind going used as long as it is what I want. I'll probably go new on the tools though and get the best I can. Any recommendations for tool makes?

Thanks alll for the replies so far.

 

[George Foweraker]

Hi all
What experience do you guys have on trying to sell your work?
Where is the best place to sell?

Thanks in advance.

Hi
I would respectfully suggest before you concern yourself too much about selling you learn to make stuff to a high enough standard to be saleable.
There is more than enough poor standard woodturnings for sale at craft fairs and boot sales now without adding to it.
Learn to turn out works to a very high standard and you will be able to get top money by selling in galleries.
The best advise i can offer is go and get tuition from a professional turner and learn the basics and take it from there but accept it will not happen overnight.
Good luck.

Regards George

 

[jonrms]

welcome and as I said in a earlier post in the for sale section.. my friend is selling his record dml 24X lathe with chissles etc for 100£ he is located in middlesbough..
pm me if your interested... its a heck of a bargin considering his tools alone cost well over the 100£ and the lathe you wont find for less I dont think.

its a perfect introduction. Plus I have if your interested a scroll saw with blades and manual etc... and I dont want cash for it.. just something interesting.

anyway good luck.

 

[gnu]

I would say concentrate on technique, using the gouges and chisles in a fluid, confident and assured manner and then you can make the beutiful shapes. You see a lot of rubbish turning whether in galleries, shops or craft shows which is partly down to poor technique and a lack of design flair. The only way to get good is getting someone to show you the basics and then by endless repetition and practice as with most things. Most of the tops pros would of done their time selling thousands of turned items off stalls before being accepted into the top galleries. To be fair one isn't expecting to to top rate craftsmanship on carboots and craft shows because most people their will only be part timers doing it for the the love of it and the work is often very good because they are not under pressure of time and having to make a profit.