Pete Halsted

[Pete Halsted]

I have been turning for all of about 2-3 months.
I live in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.
I mainly do traditional woodworking using handtools. The bandsaw is the only power tool I use on that side of the hobby.

I started with a WEN 8" and a set of Amazon carbide tools to see if I was going to like turning or not.
Made a few snowmen, angels, birdhouses, and a few bowls and quickly decided I was enjoying it but not the underpowered / undersized WEN
I upgraded to a Jet 1221VS with the legs and extension bed and lucked into a bin full of HSS traditional lathe tools.

That was 3 weeks ago, since then I kind of feel like I went backwards a bit. The WEN taught me some good habits like taking small bites, but also some bad habits, I used it on my bench top and it was so small and light I move it around when I needed a different angle instead of moving me. Now at the Jet I feel a bit uncomfortable and haven't been able to develop a good stance just yet. Like wise with the traditional tools. I picked up the carbide tools quickly and was able to start making things quickly, but also learned that they can be challenging for small details, and of course the quality of the finish. But now with the traditional tools I watch lots of videos (I am usually pretty good at learning this way) and think I have it but then I go out to the Lathe and there is just way too much swimming around in my head, I am able to do ok and avoid all but a few catches, I feel I am close, but I just "don't know what I don't know" I suspect with a few corrections with someone that knows what they are doing watching over me I could probably get back over the hump and be back to making things and expanding my experience.I included a few of the things I manged to produce on the WEN. So far I haven't produced anything keepable on the Jet with traditional tools

 

[John Erickson]

Welcome! Learning the traditional tools can be challenging, but it's well worth it in my opinion. Hang in there, and keep practicing! As long as you pause to figure out the "why" behind issues, you'll get there. What tools are you using and struggling with? Also, are you set up to sharpen them properly?

 

[Pete Halsted]

Yes I got a 8" WEN Slow speed grinder and a Pro-Grind jig, all setup but haven't used them yet, work got crazy busy right after I got all the new toys.

Not struggling with any specific thing just general tools control and understanding. I can control a gouge or a skew well enough to do some organic shapes, beads, coves, etc. but its when I try to get them to a specific shape, or know how much to turn them etc. that I am really struggling. I know I just need some more time, but I also suspect a few simple corrections will really help get me over the hump. I am joining a local chapter, well its a 2 hour drive for me but worth it, and they offer some mentoring that I hope to take advantage of soon.

Right now I am mainly focusing on spindle work trying to get basic technique down with the gough and some skew work. Along with just general bead/cove practice, I have been trying to duplicate a few door stops for a buddy. The one on the left came out of his turn of the century house, the one on the right is as close as I have gotten so far. I really struggle with the order of the operations so I don't paint myself in a corner. And getting the shapes right.


When he first showed it to me i looked so simple. But when you look closer you see all of those crisp shoulders on the transitions, that really tight cove leading into the taper at the bottom and then the small cover in the center, not to mention the elongated shape of the sphere. Some of those details is what told me I needed to learn traditional tools, small details like that were a challenge with carbide, just having the clearance to get the tool in there.

I hope to get back out there this weekend and produce a couple of keeper versions of it.

 

[Brian Gustin]

Actually I am pretty impressed with your attempt to duplicate that spindle - better than my first few tries at one, mainly because you got your dimensions and major details nearly in the right place to begin with (My first couple attempts at a small spindle, no two were anywhere near to being alike in any way shape or form, much less anything like the original!) - as far as the crisp smaller details you are aiming for, that will almost always only come with PRACTICE. methinks you need to learn bead & cove sticks and as you do them try working in tiny beads into an existing bead, etc. It takes fine motor control and muscle memory to achieve them on a consistent basis and the more you practice, the better you get at them. Having a club to help mentor you will probably shorten your learning curve, but don't expect instant gratification - you'll still need practice.

 

[Pete Halsted]

Actually I am pretty impressed with your attempt to duplicate that spindle - better than my first few tries at one, mainly because you got your dimensions and major details nearly in the right place to begin with (My first couple attempts at a small spindle, no two were anywhere near to being alike in any way shape or form, much less anything like the original!) - as far as the crisp smaller details you are aiming for, that will almost always only come with PRACTICE. methinks you need to learn bead & cove sticks and as you do them try working in tiny beads into an existing bead, etc. It takes fine motor control and muscle memory to achieve them on a consistent basis and the more you practice, the better you get at them. Having a club to help mentor you will probably shorten your learning curve, but don't expect instant gratification - you'll still need practice.

That is like my 8th try LOL I have a box full of one-off doorstops, just none that look like his

 

[Greg Wold]

That door stop's more complex than the door pull I'm trying to duplicate, and you did a really nice job on it, IMO. Well done, and keep on chugging!

 

[John Erickson]

I agree you’re making good progress! Since you’re an experienced woodworker, I’m guessing you’re keeping your tools sharp, but just want to harp on that again, haha. A lot of new turners struggle, in part, because they don’t realize their tools are dull. Woodturning dulls tools much faster than “flat” work. Keep practicing—you look to be making good progress!

 

[Pete Halsted]

That door stop's more complex than the door pull I'm trying to duplicate

They definitely packed a lot of detail into a very small part didn't they. It looked so easy when I first looked at it


Thanks @John Erickson I am all setup on sharpening now, and part of the goal this week is to learn how to use the jigs and get everything sharp. I also splurged on an Alan Lacer Diamond Slipstone. I touched up a few tools with my big diamond stones for my wood planes but they were quite awkward and one of the members at the open house I went to the other night gave me an impromptu lesson in honing each type of tool with his stone, pricey but definitely a nice thing to have in the pocket of your smock.

 

[Monty Ivy]

Howdy and welcome from Texas. Are you very far from the Eleven Point river? I used to go on canoe camping trips there when I lived in Memphis.

 

[Pete Halsted]

I am in Lake of the Ozarks Missouri. Center of the state. Looks like about 4 hours from Eleven Point River, which I had never heard of before. We have Niangua River and Osage Rivers close by here, the Gasconade a bit east and a bit further south the Black River which is the one I grew up canoeing.

 

[David Missal]

Welcome, beautiful state you live in. Spent two years there working on the state capital.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome to the forum. The club is a great idea. For sharpening remember if you think you have a bad piece of wood__Sharpen, If you have to push harder to cut___Sharpen. If you are doing the final cut___Sharpen first.

We will be at the Lake for our annual week at the end of October. Love it up there and we used to have two weeks but have cut down on our travels.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Welcome Pete. I live just south of you, Lebanon. Did you come to our SWMO turners open turning a week or 2 ago? I’ve been turning ~10 years. You are welcome to come down and spend a few hours, see if I can help.

I dont do a lot of spindle turning, and your piece out of construction lumber looks pretty damn good. I can think of 1 or 2 things that may help with the shape. Accurately copying something is a difficult challenge. I try not to do it, “freehand” is more fun.

I will probably be a lot more help with bowls, platters, hf’s, boxes.