New to bowl turning...can you recommend a book or DVD?

[Knucklefish]

I have been doing pens a while and want to strat turning some small bowls and boxes. Can anyone recommend a DVD or book I can read to get started?
Thanks,
John

 

[greggas]

There are all sorts of great books and DVD's on bowls. David Ellsworth's book is my favorite and Richard Raffan's "Turning Wood" was a good low cost DVD
Having bought many books and a few dvd's when I started I would start at you tube if I had to do over. There are hundreds of video for free that cove just about any type of bowl turning you cant think of.

have fun

 

[David Keller]

Bill Grumbine's first DVD is great for basic bowl turning... I think it's called 'Turned Bowls Made Easy'. YouTube is a mixed bag... Some great videos and some terribly dangerous idiots. Check out Bob Hamilton's videos on YouTube... He's got a ton of project based videos that are well done.

 

[65GTMustang]

I would agree 100%
Richard Raffan's books and DVD's are about the best you can get - Until you want to get real specific with a particular turners specialties - Raffan goes over the basics of turning, bowls and boxes.
Well worth the money - Or if you have a local AAW join the association, my local association has a very large library - For $3 you can check out the DVD's for a month. Besides that you will learn more than your brain can hold from the member base.
Check out the local group I am a member of the website is http://carolinamountainwoodturners.org/
Check out the monthly galleries, I have several of my pieces posted on the site.
I actually have the pen I made for the Ausie Pen Swap posted on the sight along with a couple of other items.


The national website is
https://www.woodturner.org/

Feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions as you step out into other turning.
Not that I know a lot - but I can tell you what I don't know or the mistakes I have made - which has been the best way to learn...LOL
You usually don't forget the mistake you made when a #25 cut of wood takes off like a bullet across your shop because of doing something stupid when chucking up...LOL

I started out making small 5 to 6 inch bowls
After about 6 or 7 of those I got real interested in lidded bowls / boxes - then Finial lidded bowls.
I can send pictures if you would like to see some of my turnings?
Actually the member's gallery on the CMW site will show you a lot of ideas - My club has some super talented members.

I would encourage you to find your local chapter - our group has a "World Class Turner" demo at each monthly meeting. I'm talking about the big boy's - The guys and gals that get $25K for one of there turnings.

Good Luck!
Let's see some work soon!

Kevin

 

[Glenn McCullough]

It sounds like a great group, but they charge you money to rent dvd's? In my club, thats what you pay dues for, I just thought it would be the same for all of them. I guess thats how you get world class turners to do demos.

I would agree 100%
Richard Raffan's books and DVD's are about the best you can get - Until you want to get real specific with a particular turners specialties - Raffan goes over the basics of turning, bowls and boxes.
Well worth the money - Or if you have a local AAW join the association, my local association has a very large library - For $3 you can check out the DVD's for a month. Besides that you will learn more than your brain can hold from the member base.
Check out the local group I am a member of the website is http://carolinamountainwoodturners.org/
Check out the monthly galleries, I have several of my pieces posted on the site.
I actually have the pen I made for the Ausie Pen Swap posted on the sight along with a couple of other items.


The national website is
https://www.woodturner.org/

Feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions as you step out into other turning.
Not that I know a lot - but I can tell you what I don't know or the mistakes I have made - which has been the best way to learn...LOL
You usually don't forget the mistake you made when a #25 cut of wood takes off like a bullet across your shop because of doing something stupid when chucking up...LOL

I started out making small 5 to 6 inch bowls
After about 6 or 7 of those I got real interested in lidded bowls / boxes - then Finial lidded bowls.
I can send pictures if you would like to see some of my turnings?
Actually the member's gallery on the CMW site will show you a lot of ideas - My club has some super talented members.

I would encourage you to find your local chapter - our group has a "World Class Turner" demo at each monthly meeting. I'm talking about the big boy's - The guys and gals that get $25K for one of there turnings.

Good Luck!
Let's see some work soon!

Kevin

 

[nativewooder]

+1 on Bill Grumbine's first DVD! Excellent teacher, excellent video.

 

[nava1uni]

I like Richard Raffan's DVDs on turning, as well as, Bill Grumbine's. Our club rents DVD's for $1.00/month. Our club has sawdust sessions showing and allowing members to try their hands at turning something new. I also think that some You Tube videos show very dangerous turning, but there are also good ones. Just carefully weed them out.
CSUSA also has some videos on their site.

 

[keithkarl2007]

Glenn Lucas here in Ireland has a great dvd showing all aspects of bowl turning. Some parts of it can be viewed on Youtube.

 

[Lenny]

Richard Raffan for me as well!

A buddy of mine has a video on Youtube as well. The first part is here ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie38aam8PFk