Lathe Bloomer: How to Become a Woodturner
I love my lathe. There. I've said it. It's an actual love relationship. I pat it every time I walk past it in the workshop. I bring it gifts (new chucks). And I think about it when I'm cutting the lawn.
We recently finished a video that shows my very first woodturning project, which was making the voluptuous legs for my new desk. Sure, I could have started small with a candlestick or a wine-stopper, but I really needed legs for my new desk and the idea of turning raw, angular blocks into silky-smooth curves made me feel like the Goddess of Undulations, if there was such a goddess.
If you search YouTube you won't find very many woodturning videos with girls in them and I think we should change that. Here's my entry:
Lovely, Mag. Always wanted to try turning.
Of course your next step is to make a pole-lathe. Here's a link to an amazing guy who lives near me (we use his bowls daily for breakfast) - great videos too.
http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/makingbowls2.htm
Posted by: Alison | July 10, 2009 at 01:21 PM
Awesome video Mag!! I've watched your shows, followed your website and knew sooner or later you "wood" fall for a lathe. I've been turning for years and love it! There are many women in woodturning. Betty Scarpino is the editor of American Woodturner the journal of the AAW. Cindy Drozda http://www.cindydrozda.com/ makes the most beautiful lidded boxes with gorgeous finials. Marilyn Campbell is a fellow Ontarian who creates wonders with her lathe http://www.marilyncampbell.ca/
A lathe is a beautiful tool and I think you'll find it'll turn into a passion rather quickly. It did for me.
Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Mark Rose | July 10, 2009 at 02:18 PM
Wow, you guys are blowing my mind with these links! How inspiring. I actually first learned about lathes at the Ontario Science Centre when my Grade 6 class visited in 1968 and they had a foot-powered pole lathe! I never forgot how cool it was.
And Mark, thanks for the links to these incredible woodturners. They're just awesome - so glad to know about them - Cindy even has her own line of turning tools; how cool is that?
Mag
Posted by: Mag | July 10, 2009 at 03:32 PM
That's a great story and good footage of the turning. I'm trying something similar because I'm reading up on piano repair and tuning. I've always loved pianos, (I've played since I was 5), and I tune my own, -with an electric box,- so I want to see if I can maybe make a living at it. Like you say, "How hard can it be?" (;-))
Posted by: Fred Williams | July 10, 2009 at 04:27 PM
You Canadians are such a wonderful and pleasant people. Nice to see you in action ;)
Posted by: Viorel Agocs | July 11, 2009 at 12:57 AM
I never understood the whole "girls with guns" video thing, but I can solidly get behind the "girls with lathes" video genre!
I started turning several years back, and recently was so burned out at work that I took a full week off and spent it all in my workshop, much of it turning.
For others interested in learning how to turn, I suggest two things that have helped me:
1) Richard Raffan's books
http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Raffans-Turning-Guide-Boxes/dp/1561586013/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247577898&sr=8-10
2) Woodturner University at SmartFlix
http://smartflix.com/store/video/6215/Woodturner-University
I'd love to see more blog posts dedicated to turning - projects, techniques, whatever!
Posted by: Travis | July 14, 2009 at 09:25 AM