DEDICATION
Writing a book on woodturning takes a long time away from your family, and I am blessed with a wife and family who understand the time constraints needed to fulfill that obligation. Thank you, Lenora (my best friend), who assists, guides, and offers a unique perspective to this obsession I have with turning!
2018 by Barry Gross and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.
Learn to Turn, Revised & Expanded 3rd Edition is a revised and expanded edition of Learn to Turn, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded, first published in 2013 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.
Print ISBN 978-1-56523-928-9
eISBN 978-1-60765-502-2
The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.
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Printed in China
First printing
Because working with lathes, wood, and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the readers use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barry Grosss love of woodworking started as a child, when he would build boats out of 2x4s and nails and then try to float them in the bay (unsuccessfully). He purchased his first lathe at the age of 15 and started to turn small spindles with little success because there was no real instruction available. There were no DVDs or turning clubs to advise him as there are today. Later on, however, Barry returned to woodworking and the lathe to create pieces of furniture. It was not until he received a lesson on pen making that his love of turning solidified. He has turned thousands of pens and small turnings using all types of materials. His pens have been purchased by the White House to give as gifts for foreign dignitaries, and many celebrities have purchased his fine writing instruments.
Barry also belongs to a number of turning clubs and is a member of the American Association of Woodturners, where he has demonstrated at their national symposiums. He demonstrates his unique brand of pen making at turning clubs and woodworking shows throughout the country. For the past few years, Barry has been teaching at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts and Marc Adams School of Woodworking. In addition to authoring five turning books, he has released two DVDs on pen making and published over 70 articles in various woodworking magazines, including Woodturning Design and Fine Woodworking. In August 2012, he purchased woodturning supply company Arizona Silhouette and combined it with his own BG Artforms LLC to form a larger company that offers turning supplies worldwide.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, I want to thank Alan Giagnocavo, Peg Couch, Gretchen Bacon, and the rest of the Fox Family for giving me the opportunity to produce another book on turning for Fox Chapel Publishing. Thanks elso to Greg Heisey and Scott Kriner for photography.
For the finer points of turning, my friend Ed Ryan has been magnanimously offering his advice and guidance to me for years. I give full credit to Ed for showing me as well as hundreds of other turners the ABCs of tool control. Whenever instructing students, using the Ed Ryan method always makes the subject of tool control much easier for students to comprehend.
The following companies and individuals, listed alphabetically, have either provided tools, supplies, or invaluable advice, and I want to thank them for their time and patience in assisting me with my questions.
Arizona Silhouette
Berea HardwoodsJim Heusinger
BG Artforms
Craft Supplies USARex Burnham
Ironclad Performance WearKyle Jochai
New Edge Cutting ToolsFred Smith
Oneway ManufacturingStephen Feringa
Packard WoodworksBrad Packard
Penn State IndustriesEd Levy, Mark Schwartz
Robert Sorby Turning ToolsRobert Walton
RPM Wood Finishes Group (Behlen Finishing Products)
Trend Airshield and Trend Air AceTerry Cole
Triton Powered RespiratorMark Owen
Woodcraft CorporationBen Bice
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
So much has been written about woodturning in the past that it creates a challenge to approach the topic with an innovative agenda. My method is to look at woodturning from the perspective of the student and not the teacher. Looking at woodturning from this viewpoint brings to light some of the frustrating aspects of the hobby as a beginnersuch as feeling nervous when you first try to turn a piece of wood on a lathe; struggling to grind an edge on a tool; attempting to get a good finish on a bowl; or turning the final bead on a spindle, getting a catch, and demolishing your project. I can identify with these and other apprehensions because I did them. Any experienced turner will tell you that we all make mistakes and that practice working at a particular skill is all it takes for the mistakes to correct themselves. However, by identifying some common problems and offering tips to overcome these issues, the hobby will become more enjoyable and some of the trepidation will be relieved.
So, what are you going to learn from this book? Many topics will be covered, and safety is an important issue that will be discussed. Controlling dust in your shop is especially important to your safetyits a necessity and not a luxury! For those who have not selected a lathe, you can see what features are important to you and choose the correct lathe for your individual needs. Youll also discover what other power tools are necessary for your shop and which ones are nice to have.