What Book for Woodturning and Lathes

[phrog]

If you could buy only one book about woodturning and/or lathes, which one would it be? I want some basic instruction. I need lots of photos and or drawings. (A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words.) All suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
Richard

[dbhost]

While a book isn't all you are going to need... A great book that got me started is "Learn to Turn, A Beginners Guide To Woodturning From Start To Finish" by Barry Gross. I have had a bunch of other turning books. Sold all of them but this one... Covers most subjects fairly completely...

Some things just don't make sense until you see them done. For that, either an in person class at your local woodturning club, Woodcraft, Community College or whatever will help. Lacking those, Jet tools has some good instructional videos on Youtube that should clear up some of the confusion...

[Uncle Cracker]

It's hard to cover it all with just one book, as there are books and videos devoted to just a single tool, but the above suggestion for the Barry Gross book is a good one. Video instruction is available at many souces on the net, but hands-on is the only way to learn. You have to develop a touch, and you can't get that from a book.

[germdoc]

This Taunton book by Richard Raffan is very good:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200...o-Turning.aspx.

I also have the following for turning green wood--has a lot of useful tips:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200...reen-Wood.aspx

There are a lot of good DVD's out there as well. I met Alan Lacer at a demonstration once, and in addition to being a heckuva nice guy he's a good teacher as well. And he lives in River Falls, WI (home of KC Chiefs summer training camp, BTW). His DVD's are available here:

http://www.alanlacer.com/

The best advice is just to start turning. There's a steep learning curve especially with bowls--prepare to break a few before you get it figured out--but once you learn the technique you're hooked!

[phrog]

Thanks Jeff, dbhost, and Uncle Cracker. I now have info to start my search.
Richard

[Al R.]

If you could buy only one book about woodturning and/or lathes, which one would it be? I want some basic instruction. I need lots of photos and or drawings. (A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words.) All suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
Richard

The Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Turning from Richard Raffan ISBN 978--1-56158-672-1, year 2005.

Richard Raffan has another one "Turning Wood" by the Taunton Press as well, ISBN-13:978-1-56158-417-8, year 2001.

[crokett]

I have the book "Turning Wood" and some day I will have the lathe in my shop and can actually practice.

[warrenp]

Although I bought several books about turning, one of the most helpful things were the youtube videos.

And there are several basic books to purchase that would help...just like those suggested above.

I have been turning less than a year, but if you start with a spindle gouge and turn a few spindles, then you can move up.

It really helps to have the right tool for each type of turning. I tried turning a very small bowl with a spindle gouge...definitely not a good idea.

Good luck

Warren

[woodturner]

If you could buy only one book about woodturning and/or lathes, which one would it be?

Woodturning, a Foundation Course
If you work through the examples in that book, you will learn all the basics - including the 7 rules of woodturning.

[gerti]

Learning turning from a book is like learning to ride a bicycle from a book. Your best bet is to look for a local woodturners club like this one:

http://www.tristatewoodturners.org/

Take the money you'd spend on a book and spring for a years membership. You can thank me later.

[Rich P]

I second the recommendation by woodturner for the Foundation Course book. The book is appropriately titled...if you learn each of it's lessons well, you will have a solid foundation to build on. Keith Rowley is British but the text is easy to follow.

You will also want to pick up at least one video. I happen to like Richard Raffin's "Turning Wood". And while books and videos are good, there is no substitute for time spent at the lathe practicing and practicing and practicing. Sounds boring but it is actually quite relaxing (at least until you get a catch!).

And don't even turn the lathe on until you have your sharpening station in place.

[Al R.]

As was above mentioned YouTube has a lot of woodturning-videos. It was a time (until recently) that you could download them and have it in your computer, as I did, giving you the choice to watch it a hundred times, having internet connection or not. Now I see they do not give you that choice; maybe is related with somebody trying to sue them, etc.

As a person that has spent some yrs in education I disagree with the statement about resting importance on books, I rather would say that books are very-very important.

Buying a good book is always a good investment in your life and the lives of those surrounding you. Yes, you must practice a lot (all together) and watch others, and…but knowledge is the foundation to excellence and durability. Never ignore good books; many intelligent people have died not without before imprint their wisdom in what they did so it could be transmitted to the next generation.

[woodturner]

Learning turning from a book is like learning to ride a bicycle from a book. Your best bet is to look for a local woodturners club like this one:

http://www.tristatewoodturners.org/

Back in the early 1990's, we started an AAW local chapter in the Cincinnati area called the tristate woodturners. Looks like another group has subsequently adopted the same name.

Is this the same club that used to be the Chatanooga Woodturners? If so, any idea why they changed the name?

[woodturner]

As a person that has spent some yrs in education I disagree with the statement about resting importance on books, I rather would say that books are very-very important.

Perhaps the issue is more one of individual learning style. Some people learn well from books. Others learn better from demonstrations. Others learn better from a lecture. We all have somewhat different learning styles, so unfortunately "one size fits all" doesn't work for everyone.

[phrog]

Back in the early 1990's, we started an AAW local chapter in the Cincinnati area called the tristate woodturners. Looks like another group has subsequently adopted the same name.

Is this the same club that used to be the Chatanooga Woodturners? If so, any idea why they changed the name?

I live in Chattanooga but am new to turning and don't have a clue. Sorry.
Richard