How Long Have You Been Turning?

[whatwoodido]

Since I asked age I figured the next logical question was how long have you been turning. Not to be confused with was the first time you turned, but how long has the latest stint of turning lasted so far? You can post a reply with the details if this is a return engagement.

Drew

 

[whatwoodido]

My first turning experience was about 20 years ago, but the serious turning has only been happening for the last 20 months or so.

 

[C_Ludwigsen]

I started in 96. Stopped in 99. Restarted in 2003.

 

[jwoodwright]

Currently 6 yrs. Waiting for Thumb to heal before going at it every day after work. Great stress reliever. Weekends are more fun, no time limits![] Sometimes I just make designer firewood. Firm believer in practice, practice and some more. Currently turning left handed.[]

 

[danf]

I bought my first lathe (chinese cheapie) about 9 months ago because it was on special the did a one on one turning course for 4 days and when I got home bought a new lathe ..10 times more expensive than the first and am loving it. Saw a friend turn a pen at a show bought the gear and haven't stopped since... I think I'm diseased...
Dan F

 

[YoYoSpin]

My first experience with woodturning was 35 years ago in high school (Dallas Texas...Hillcrest). I turned a walnut bowl, designed to be 8" across, but ended up being about 6"...I got a "C".

It was strictly casual turning from then until 1999...two years after I quit working full time, enjoying the good life. A machinist friend of mine decided to begin making aluminum yoyos about that time and asked if I'd make some boxes for his creations, so he could sell them as a package. We argued for a while on whether the boxes should be square-sided or round...I wanted them to be square. Luckily for me, we finally agreed on round.

So, between 1999 and this year, I've made over a thousand little boxes for my friend Frank Dif-e-Yo Aluminum Yo-Yo's , and that's how I got into serious turning.

 

[ilikewood]

I too started my turning experience in school (jr high...and more than 24 years ago). First project I ever turned was a chess set. Still have it as a matter of fact. Got a Shopsmith in 1999 and have been turning ever since.

 

[wayneis]

I never touched a lathe until this past March when I bought my little Jet and just can't stop.

Wayne

 

[Daniel]

bought my first lathe 20 years ago, started using i about two and a half years ago. bought my second 9 months ago and have broken it twice already.
haven't even seen my shop for three nmonths but I don't count that as a stopped turning yet.
still don't know if I use any of the tools correctly, never seen them demonstrated or explained.

 

[opfoto]

Presently I am only starting with pens so I guess that equates to about 4-5 inches if you really dont't count the mandrel and bushings.[]

 

[Woodbutcher68]

Bought a "cheapo" lathe 5 years ago and didn't open the box for 4 years. Finally opened it up in 2003 and played around with it. Our woodworking club had a seminar on penmaking, couldn't find a mandrel for the lathe , so I bought a Grizzly last year and the rest is history.

 

[Guest]

NEver touched a lathe brfore fathers day 2004

 

[daledut]

I loved turning in highschool about 28 years ago.

Since then, for most of my adult life I had no space for a shop so a lathe never crossed my mind.

When I moved out to the sticks almost 4 years ago, and got an old office trailer for a workshop I thought about trying a lathe. I bought a chepo off of ebay and started looking on the internet for things to do. Ran across a website for pen making. Ordered a starter kit and the rest is history. Been turning pens (and other things) for 2.5 years now. Hope I never have to stop.

 

[Gary]

I started turning about 4 months when I bought my Jet Mini. I had never touched a lathe before then.

 

[KKingery]

Yep - I'm still a newbie - just under 6 months now.

 

[Mudder]

Originally posted by Eaglesc
<br />NEver touched a lathe brfore fathers day 2004

What PO's me the most is that you are a natural.



I turned in high school (back when you had to carry a club to beat off the pterodactyls.) After that I was never in a situation where I had the room or the money to get into turning. When I decided to quit smoking 1013 days ago my wife suggested I buy a lathe since I was going to have some spare cash and the garage never saw a car any who. I got a jet mini and been turning for about 1000 days. Since then I have "acquired" a delta 1440 iron bed. that was replaced by a Nova DVR when I got a small inheritance.

Funny thing, this turning addiction. My wallet is always empty yet I'm drawn to make the long trip to Woodcraft every month and tools and wood just "show up" in my car. [] I've begun to leave little tokens of offering to the wood muse and wood goddess. I drool when I see a burl and every tree that I look at I wonder if there is a pen, bowl, stopper or something hiding inside waiting for me to uncover it. I realize that I am already in too deep but I don’t care, I like it too much

 

[Fred in NC]

My lathe turns them, I just cut ...

 

[Tom McMillan]

Well, I purchased a lathe at a Sears surplus center probably over 25 years ago. Presently, I've been turning probably 11 years or so (yup, the lathe sat in a box probably 14 years)---I now turn on a mini lathe and have a very small shop space (about 5 feet by 11 feet)---but, have never enjoyed it more---and it ain't gonna stop soon!!!!

 

[clydewalton]

Started turning in high school about 3 years after I started Leather carving. Just bought a pen lathe about a month ago and I am sure enjoying it. now I catch myself{ while driving} looking for dead trees in the pastures in west Texas. Sure is fun to turn a piece of wood and see what it looks like

 

[chrisc]

2 weeks ago[]

 

[Rifleman1776]

Set up the Grizzly about three years ago and started trying to learn. Still consider myself a beginners beginner. Especially when i see what others can do.

 

[CJ]

Received my first lathe for my birthday last month and I love it... so many turns so little time.
CJ[]

 

[Gary]

Six months

 

[Vincent]

I learned how to turn in high school but was more interested in making furniture at the time. I still have my first bowl. It was made from red and white oak with walls about 1" thick. It makes for a interesting conversation piece.

Anyways, I started up again about 3 years ago. Bought a very cheap Canadian Tire mini-lathe. The motor blew out twice in two years before I tossed it. Just as well, I was getting pretty frustrated with some the problems with that lathe. You definitely get what you pay for when you buy a lathe.

I've been using a borrowed lathe (owner is away) for the past year.

Vincent

 

[pastorbill1952]

I bought a Jet midi in Nov 2004 but did not get to turn my first pen until mid-Dec. Sure does help me relax.

 

[SWOODWRKNG]

I started turning back in 1997, at age 27 it don't seem like that long ago.Hope to turn for another 50 to 60 years.

 

[Thumbs]

Turned a bowl about 44yrs. ago. Thought my talents lay elsewhere. About 3 mos. ago, got a book on penturning, been bonkers since! Havin' a Heckuva time re-learnin'! Yahooo! Thanks in great part to all of you here sharing so much!!!!!!!

 

[MDWine]

Having just finished my first pen, I've produced only sawdust and firewood up to this point. (I made sawdust and firewood back in '89-90, haven't touched the lathe since!) In my "new life", I've only turned for a couple of weeks!! Having actually FINISHED something is a great feeling... Now I have to improve!
Thanks to the folks here, I probably will.

 

[wee willie]

got a single tube craftsman from my brother in law about 6 years ago and made some pens, chisel handles for practice. Was turning a bowl from purpleheart when it disintegrated and that was it for 2 1/2 years. Started again about 6 mths ago when i cleaned up the workshop and found the lathe again so now it is duck calls,stoppers and pens pens and more pens. Nothing bigger than that.

 

[rtjw]

I have been into woodturning since high school but started turning pens last year. Great stress reliever.

 

[ed4copies]

Bought my first pen kit in July, 1996. In researching this important point, does anyone know what ever happened to Woodcrafters of Oklahoma? (Not related to Woodcraft chain) Gary Vorheis

He was my first source!

 

[BigRob777]

I bought a 48" $60.00 lathe two years ago (the centers are over 1/4" off) and have been using it for about 11 months. I love it. I thought it would be really difficult, but it isn't (for the kind of turning I do. I just bought a big delta rockwell 50 year old lathe so that I don't have to hold the darn thing down to turn anything over 3 pounds. I paid $200.00 for it and got about $500.00 worth of tools with it. Can't beat that. Next lathe is a mini. I'm a big guy, I gotta have big tools.

 

[MDWine]

Hey Ed! I bought my first pen kit in 1989, and finished it in April 2005!!

I guess I'm a slow starter! [] [] [] []

 

[woodguy1975]

Started back in 2003 and have been at it since. Been woodworking since late 2000.

 

[ed4copies]

MD, 16 years on the lathe, that's got to be a heck of a pen!!!
(Is the finish dry yet?)

 

[jbyrd24]

My son "turned" me on to it about 5 months ago. Instant
addiction. Best stress reliever I've found.[]

 

[alamocdc]

I started turning on a cheap HF lathe my wife bought me in 2002. The turning bug bit me and it seems I spend more time turning now than anything else. That means all my other wood working projects have taken a back seat and I have to learn how to find a balance.[:I]

 

[bigvoots44]

I started about 5 or 6 months ago on a cheap canadian tire lathe [canadian] import. I find it relaxing. I have bought a taig since then. It is great.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Turning now for 9 months and enjoying it immensely. Use a JET mini lathe to craft pens for the most part. Turned a 'drumstick' for my aspiring son who would be a drummer.

 

[TheHoneymooners]

Mike turned his first pen on Easter weekend, 2005. I turned my first about 2 weeks later (the lawn mowing story LOL) He's turned a hundred plus since then-- I've turned about 6 LOL SOMEBODY has to do the yardwork, yanno LOL (Mike will shoot me for that one lol)