# Turning for a dummy!



## Joe Williams (Mar 1, 2018)

Hi all!

I have a Delta Midi Lathe my brother bought me for Christmas a few years ago and I have never used it. I did buy a nova 3d chuck 46-461 and I bought the stand as well for it.

As far as tools, I have some of the easy wood tools carbide:

1/8" Easy Parting Tool Pi1
Easy Start Rougher
Easy Start Finisher
Easy Start Detailer 

Is this enough to turn? Do carbide tools work well enough without having traditional gouges etc? I have a Veritas MKII power sharpener, could I actually use regular lathe tools and sharpen with that?

I have zero knowledge of turning and I would really like to try it, given what I have seen on this site that many of you have made has really inspired me to want to try it.

I'd love to make some of the "treen" items like small domed boxes with lids, pens, I want to make a shave brush, chisel handles, cabinet feet for William and Mary etc. (I've made many handles without a lathe and I hated it haha)

Thanks for any advice you want to give, I am not inexperienced in general when it comes to wood just turning I am a complete neophyte and I'd hate for it to be like the first time I ever used a properly tuned handplane. It's nice to learn early sometimes!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tony (Mar 1, 2018)

Joe, you can absolutely start turning with That, assuming you have a live center. One should've come with the lathe. Do you have a Woodcraft nearby? If so, they offer paid classes for about $100 would be an excellent start. Or, find a woodturning club around you and join up. Are there any WB'ers close by? Tony

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tony (Mar 1, 2018)

Also, carbide tools are a lot easier to start turning with. There is a much larger learning curve to turn with traditional tools, plus you have to learn how to sharpen them. My advice is to start with the carbide ones, then add traditional steel ones to your repertoire down the road. Watch some of the videos on here, go through all the turning threads in The Classroom. Reach out if you have any questions! Tony


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Mar 1, 2018)

@Joe Williams you got what you need to begin a journey that will lead you into needing a 12 step program. Finances will suffer space will never be enough. Wood will cause you to make excuses when asked where it came from, how you got it, are you buying wood again, didn't you just buy some wood, why do you stay outside all the time, do you still love me and those things are just the first year!!
Good luck my friend we are here for you.
We been there and understand. We are wood workers

PS Enjoy


Rodney

Reactions: Agree 3 | Great Post 5


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## Lou Currier (Mar 1, 2018)

You have everything you need. If you don’t have a local turner or club to lean on watch some YouTube videos. 

I would suggest Carl Jacobson. Here is one of his videos.


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## Joe Williams (Mar 1, 2018)

Thank you everyone, no local woodcraft but I may be able to find someone local to learn from. Appreciate all the great advice!


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## Steve Smith (Mar 2, 2018)

It's enough to start out with, but over time I expect you'll realize some of the downsides to using scrapers only (that is what the carbide tools are). They don't require much skill so it is a good place to start as you learn the basics.

I think with some of the items you mentioned you'll need a mandrel system. If you aren't already familiar with CSUSA, here's the link to the store that has almost anything you could need.

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/


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## Joe Williams (Mar 2, 2018)

What do you think of these?
http://www.bealltool.com/products/turning/treen.php

I need the pen jaws and a drill mandrel too it looks like. Should I just get a new chuck system? I have the Nova 3D reversible for the Midi Lathe. It doesn't seem terrible but I am completely new to it and don't want to be struggling with the wrong stuff


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## David Hill (Mar 2, 2018)

You've got way more than I started with.
Not sure what's around you--but an easy thing would be to do a quick search and see if there's any kind of Woodturning club around you. You'll find a lot of folks there that were in the same place you're in.
I'd come over but NJ is a bit too far.


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## gman2431 (Mar 2, 2018)

You have plenty to get started. If i was to buy anything it would be a jaw package for your chuck so you have more than what it came with. 

I'm self taught and couldnt make it to anywhere to attend classes so if you go that route I have one major suggestion... 

Learn how to safely mount and hold whatever you are working on while wearing the proper PPE. Lots of vids on youtube that will cover that very easily. 

Beside that your carbide cutters are not that tricky to learn as long as you stay above center. 

Line up a bunch of cheap softwood to practice how to safely mount it then make it round. Stay above center and grab another tool and just see what it does without trying to make anything. Without the pressure of screwing something up you will learn other aspects way faster. 

And ask ANY questions ya got!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## David Hill (Mar 2, 2018)



Reactions: Agree 1


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## DKMD (Mar 2, 2018)

Nothing wrong with the kit you’ve got already. I’d suggest you pick a project and then acquire any additional items needed for that project... just like you would for a flat work project. Future projects will lead to more equipment until you reach the point where you’re just purchasing tools for the sake of owning them!

The sharpening system you have could work, but I don’t know that it is ideal for gouges... should be ok for a skew and scrapers, but I think I would struggle with bowl and spindle gouges. I wonder if they make a jig for sharpening gouges?

As for the carbide vs. traditional, it’s debatable. I prefer traditional tools for most things, but some stabilized material and really hard stuff(like Aussie burls) scrapes really well. I haven’t had as much success with softer material and carbide scrapers. As a starting point, it’s hard to argue against what you’ve got. A lot of folks are perfectly happy and make really nice stuff with carbide tools, and you’ll figure out your preferences as you go along.


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## Mike Mills (Mar 3, 2018)

I use mostly traditional because that is what I started with.

The main drawback I see with what you listed is the size. They are probably fine for handles, stoppers, pens and other items but may present a problem if you have to be more than 2" over the tool rest such as with a box. More full size tools would be a different matter. If you go by some guidelines for overhang you can only be 1.5" over the tool rest.
In general I find carbide ok for much bowl work but they may lack the ability for fine spindle work.
This is an excellent reference in fundamentals by Stuart Batty. Most are 6-12 minutes in length. Some apply only to bowls and some only to spindle but many to both. He also covers in detail how to form tenons and recesses for your chuck.
https://vimeo.com/woodturning/videos/sort:alphabetical/format:thumbnail


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