Brian Schmidt

[Brian Schmidt]

Hi - my name is Brian and I am brand new to woodturning. I’ve been a woodworker for 6 years now, but just started turning in January 2025. I recently acquired a Nova 1624-44 lathe from a friend of mine and have a few tools, a chuck, and a faceplate.

I work for Purposeful Design in Indianapolis. Our ministry is rebuilding lives from hopelessness to promise by providing jobs to formerly homeless/addicted/incarcerated men and teaching them to build beautiful handcrafted furniture. We talk often at work about constant improvement and about things we have learned (both professionally and personally). But I realized last year that I wasn’t learning as many new things in woodworking as I once had, so woodturning became the area I selected to grow in.

I’m blessed with a wonderful family; a wife and 3 kids ranging from 7 to 13. We are in a busy season of life with each of the kids involved in sports and other activities.

My initial area of interest is in turning bowls. My hope is to turn beautiful bowls that I can give to our kids’ teachers and coaches as gifts.

Thanks for a great forum and I look forward to learning and someday contributing!

Pictures are of my first ever “bowl”, my current shop setup, and a flat wood project that I completed for my brother last year.

 

[Chris Fairbanks]

Welcome Brian.

 

[John K Jordan]

Hello Brian.

Sounds like you are doing things that make a difference. Bless you!
You'll probably find, like many of us, that woodturning is both addictive and fulfilling! I can imagine before too long you will be acquiring more lathes and teaching woodturning to improve other lives!

Your first bowl looks great! I dug into my files and found a photo of my first "real" bowl - looks much like yours except for the bit of undercut on the rim. When I started I made a really horrible bowl, then some spindle turning, then some goblets and more practice then this bowl.


One suggestion for a new woodturner - if possible find a mentor or teacher that can teach spindle turning. While turning bowls is fun (and easy), it's been stated by plenty of experts that learning spindle turning, while maybe not as glamorous, will teach the fine tool control that will let you turn anything, including incredible bowls and more! (I can provide references!)

I start every new student working working on spindles with the skew chisel (turning the lathe by hand at first) and they catch on quickly, then go to the spindle gouge, back to the skew, then to the roughing gouge. After some spindle practice we do a project or two.

Are you a member of a local turning club? There are MANY resources available at clubs, lots of people to meet, make connections. A lot of clubs have volunteer mentors too.

Your shop looks great. I wish I had that much space and far less clutter than I have now!

JKJ

 

[Brian Schmidt]

Hello Brian.

Sounds like you are doing things that make a difference. Bles you!
You'll probably find, like many of us, that woodturning is both addictive and fulfilling! I can imagine before too long you will be acquiring more lathes and teaching woodturning to improve other lives!

Your first bowl looks great! I dug into my files and found a photo of my first "real" bowl - looks much like yours except for the bit of undercut on the rim. When I started I made a really horrible bowl, then some spindle turning, then some goblets and more practice then this bowl.
View attachment 72676

One suggestion for a new woodturner - if possible find a mentor or teacher that can teach spindle turning. While turning bowls is fun (and easy), it's been stated by plenty of experts that learning spindle turning, while maybe not as glamorous, will teach the fine tool control that will let you turn anything, including incredible bowls and more! (I can provide references!)

I start every new student working working on spindles with the skew chisel (turning the lathe by hand at first) and they catch on quickly, then go to the spindle gouge, back to the skew, then to the roughing gouge. After some spindle practice we do a project or two.

Are you a member of a local turning club? There are MANY resources available at clubs, lots of people to meet, make connections. A lot of clubs have volunteer mentors too.

Your shop looks great. I wish I had that much space and far less clutter than I have now!

JKJ

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I’m not a member of a local turning club, but I do have a friend who is retired and an incredibly skilled woodturner and has generously shared his time and talents in teaching me the basics of turning. I hadn’t thought about spindle turning, but will look into that as a skill building exercise. Thanks for the advice!

 

[John K Jordan]

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I’m not a member of a local turning club, but I do have a friend who is retired and an incredibly skilled woodturner and has generously shared his time and talents in teaching me the basics of turning. I hadn’t thought about spindle turning, but will look into that as a skill building exercise. Thanks for the advice!

I'm a confirmed, hopelessly entangled, card-carrying spindle turner. Not chair legs or staircase parts, but smaller things. I've posted pictures here before but at the risk of boring others, here are a few examples of what I like most to make. (Don't get me wrong, I've done plenty of largish bowls, platters, picture frames, and hollowed things but my favorite things are fairly small, from fine-grained wood, and with interesting detail.) I almost exclusively turn dry wood.

BTW, smaller things can be made from smaller, less expensive pieces of wood.
Require less sanding and finishing supplies.
Can be quicker to complete.
And can spread a little joy to more people!

"Magic" wands!

Conductors batons

Zillions of small turnings, lidded boxes, music boxes, needle cases, ornaments, bottle stoppers and such.

And 100s of finger tops, every shape and style I could imagine!
(I make them all the same way, as shown bottom center.)


The possibilities are endless.

JKJ

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome to the forum. Your job sounds inspiring.