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Believe it or not, wood turning is a very sociable activity, so
if you want to do a craft that enables you to join a local club
and meet new people, here’s your chance.
 Most
clubs meet monthly and then there are shows, exhibitions and so
on. Of course, the actual turning itself is a solitary
occupation and you will need a shed, garage space or some other
largish area in which to put your lathe and the other pieces of
kit that you will require.
In essence, wood-turning is the craft of using a lathe to
produce wooden objects such as bowls, stands, plates,
cheese-boards, cups, rolling-pins, spinning-tops and so on. So
you can easily impress your family and friends with useful and
attractive wooden items for them.
You fix the wood to the machine, which spins the wood.
The
turner holds a special type of chisel on a tool rest for
support, and then moves the chisel towards the revolving wood.
Thus shavings are quickly removed and the wood is shaped.
Wood-turning is not easy, and can be quite dangerous. Long
hair, ties, and loose clothing could be caught up in the machine
and wood can be thrown from the lathe if it isn’t properly
mounted, injuring the turner. If you wrap anything around your
fingers, or wear rings or bracelets, your fingers can be
damaged. Wood-turning generates a huge amount of shavings and
sawdust, so you must try not to inhale too much of it.
Welcome to my world of
Unique hand-crafted goods.
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Unique hand-crafted
goods from woodforyew: bowls, platters, vases, pens etc, all
unique and individual, plus commissions undertaken
With a 10% discount for laterlife visitors. |
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A good introductory guide is Richard Raffan's book, Turning Wood
(Taunton Press). If you’re tempted by wood turning, read the
book before you spend money on a lathe. It’s also a good idea to
talk to a wood turner, to find out exactly what you need, how
much it will cost, which lathe to buy and how to observe the
safety aspects of turning.
There has been a Guild of Turners since 1295 and in 1604 it
received its Royal Charter and became the worshipful Company of
Turners of London. It’s still going strong and you can read
about it at www.turnersco.com.
There is also The Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (www.woodturners.co.uk)
where you will find listed all the local clubs.
It’s therapeutic, satisfying but not cheap to set up. However,
think of all the money you’ll save through the years by not
having to buy Christmas presents!
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