Are there "common" levels of wood turner vocabulary knowledge, concept understanding, and skill, besides "novice/beginner?" Intermediate? Advanced/master? And are there descriptions to determine a turner's level?
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Wood Turner Skill Levels
- Thread starter Don Stephan
- Start date
I spent 20 minutes writing a long and detailed response with lots of examples then realized it really boiled down to "I don't think so."
It's not worth worrying about. Do what you do and try to improve every time you turn on the lathe. This world is too full of labels and endlessly trying to categorize everything and everybody.
Everyone is an expert on the internet.
I've never understood why it's important to be classified as beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert, etc. If you're enjoying what you do then you will learn new techniques, increase your skill level, and enjoy what you're doing even more. For me, it isn't important what that skill level is or what it is called. I enjoy producing a quality product. That gives me satisfaction. So, I'm not sure why you're asking nor if I even got why you asked correct, but just enjoy the wood turning and the result of it.
There isn't a woodturning guilde in the US that you have to join, start as an apprentice, become a journeyman, and finally be certified as a master. That may still exist in Europe. The only place that I can see it making any difference is taking a hands on class, such as Craft Supplies' school. If you are a complete beginner, as in never seen a lathe, you would not enjoy an advanced class, the rest of the students may get very frustrated because the instructor spends most of the time helping you. Or if you are reasonably skilled and take a beginner course, you might get bored sick learning what a headstock, tailstock, faceplate turning, and turning between centers is.