Andy Elliot

[Andy Elliott]

Hello! I recently got a lathe from my uncle. I am a budding woodworker- usually I end up getting more frustrated than I would like but I have a feeling that turning will be more relaxing and fun than my other woodworking projects so far. I'm in my 30's and live in Dallas, Tx. I have never turned anything before. I am taking a bowl making class at Rockler in about a month. My only turning tools are a Record RMPL 300 C mini lathe and a 3/4" bowl gouge. I look forward to learning a lot and meeting a lot of great people.

 

[hockenbery]

Welcome, good instruction will give you a command of basic skills and techniques that will increase the enjoyment
you get from turning a great deal.

A freind of mine has little speel he uses to promote woodturning.
First thing he built from wood was a boat - took 10 years
Second thing he built was a dining room table - took 10 months
Then he discovered woodturning - could make a bowl in an hour.

You should also check out the AAW chapters around Dallas. @Bill Boehme is a greater dallasian? or Dallasite? Or Dallasonian?
Bill can advise on local chapters.

 

[Mike Johnson]

A basic set of lathe tools will help in your turning journey. You also will need a grinder to sharpen tools as they dull quickly when turning hard wood.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Hello! I recently got a lathe from my uncle. I am a budding woodworker- usually I end up getting more frustrated than I would like but I have a feeling that turning will be more relaxing and fun than my other woodworking projects so far. I'm in my 30's and live in Dallas, Tx. I have never turned anything before. I am taking a bowl making class at Rockler in about a month. My only turning tools are a Record RMPL 300 C mini lathe and a 3/4" bowl gouge. I look forward to learning a lot and meeting a lot of great people.

Welcome to the AAW forum, Andy. One of the best things that you can do to get your woodturning off to a great start is to join the Dallas Area Woodturners. There are many outstanding woodturners in the Dallas club and you can get free mentoring as a club member and the cost of club membership is only $35 per year (prorated to a lower amount if you join during the year). The Dallas club meets on the third Thursday of every month at 7 PM. Their meeting location is Wood World of Texas, 13650 TI Blvd (very close to Texas Instruments) almost in Richardson. Their next meeting will be on April 18.

... You should also check out the AAW chapters around Dallas. @Bill Boehme is a greater dallasian? or Dallasite? Or Dallasonian?
Bill can advise on local chapters.

I actually live in the tiny city of Dalworthington Gardens which is completely surrounded by Arlington and very close to Fort Worth. When the city was first established during the Great Depression in 1937 nobody was inspired enough to come up with a clever name so the names Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington were concatenated into Dalworthington and Gardens was added because this New Deal utopian project required the residents to have vegetable gardens or raise livestock. I lived in Dallas many years ago, but I rarely go there now.

The Dallas club has around 100 members, My club, the Woodturners of North Texas, meets in the Handley area of Fort Worth and we have around 200 members. You are welcome to visit us. We meet on the fourth Thursday of most months. Also, we are hosting internationally recognized woodturner from Canada, Michael Hosaluk, for an all day demonstration on Saturday, April 13.

 

[Lamar Wright]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Andy Elliott]

Thank you all for the feedback and warm welcome. I do want to get a bench grinder to sharpen my tools. I really appreciate the information about the different woodturning associations.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Good to have you here Andy.