The wolverine setup is perfectly good, that's what I had for a long time. I updated mine with the Kodiak stuff, mainly to be consistent with what our club uses and what our Kids Making It shop was putting in at the time. The Kodiak system has some "presets", for lack of a better term, that make repeatability quicker and easier, but basically works the same way. The Kodiak flat rest is superior to the Wolverine in that it is designed to allow changing the angle without having to move the rest in and out... but, again, that is a simplicity of use improvement rather than one that yields a better result.
A beginner from Mississippi
- Thread starter parkerdurham
- Start date
Welcome from another avid turkey hunter from Florida. Making turkey calls is also a passion of mine
Parker, Welcome from North Texas!
There is some great advice in this thread already. Learning to sharpen and when to sharpen will make learning how to turn wood much easier and provide better results right away.
After acquiring the lathe, cutting tools, and sharpening set up, one of the next steps is to have a good chainsaw (or 3). With the chainsaw you are able to acquire all of the domestic species of wood that you can use for the cost of the oil, gas, chains, files to sharpen the chains, and your labor. Free wood is everywhere around us if we open our eyes to it.
The advantage of having all of the domestic wood at your disposal is that it is practically free and provides practice to hone your skills without wasting expensive woods.
There is some great advice in this thread already. Learning to sharpen and when to sharpen will make learning how to turn wood much easier and provide better results right away.
After acquiring the lathe, cutting tools, and sharpening set up, one of the next steps is to have a good chainsaw (or 3). With the chainsaw you are able to acquire all of the domestic species of wood that you can use for the cost of the oil, gas, chains, files to sharpen the chains, and your labor. Free wood is everywhere around us if we open our eyes to it.
The advantage of having all of the domestic wood at your disposal is that it is practically free and provides practice to hone your skills without wasting expensive woods.
I would go ahead and get a diamond shape carbide as well. I use the fool outta mine.
And... Welcome from Crossville TN
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #25
That's great advice, and I've already been thinking of that. Storms blew down quite a few trees on some land I have access too, including some persimmon which I hope to salvage some wood from. Are there any woods in particular that are more difficult I should avoid starting out?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #26
Thank you sir! I plan to get one, the Woodwork Shop in Bartlett, TN was out of stock of the diamond shape when I bought the others, but I'll grab one next time I go.
Definitely grab the Persimmon tree. Don’t see that all the time! Any fruit or nut trees are generally winners. Chuck
If you have to avoid any woods, avoid soft woods like pine. The resin builds up and can be stubborn to get off your cutting surfaces. Soft woods also require very sharp tools to minimize tearout.
However, pine is a beautiful wood and I wouldn't avoid it entirely.
In your part of the country there is a wide variety of wood options. Experiment. Find the ones that you like.
Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Persimmon, Oaks, all are common and make great turning.
After a storm your neighbors are going to be glad to give you wood that they would otherwise pay to have hauled away. Choose wisely so that you do not get overwhelmed with too much wood.
