# Kind of embarrasing



## lucywoodturner (May 5, 2010)

I am new to turning pens. I have made about 5 slimlines. They turned out ok, a little crooked but I love it! There is one problem. I am afraid of the lathe. I have never had anything happen to scare me but I am so nervous when I am turning. I want to make more projects but I can't get past it. Any suggestions?


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## skiprat (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to IAP.:biggrin:

Even the biggest baddest macho men can have fear of a fast rotating machine. This is actually a very good thing because even as your confidence grows ( and it will ) you will still retain a respect for the machine.

Normally most people are wary around louder tools, like routers and table saws.  But it is just your basic human instinct to look after itself.

NEVER loose that respect!!:wink:


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## snowman56 (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to Iap.Just pretend you are dancing.


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## Craftdiggity (May 5, 2010)

You have to face your fears.  LOL.  Just keep turning.  Pens are a great place to start since they are on a mandrel and it is a bit more controlled.  Keep your tools sharp and take light cuts until you feel more comfortable with how things work.  

As an aside, if your pens are turning out crooked, you might have the nut too tight.  If you squeeze those bushings and blanks too tight, it will bend the mandrel slightly, and you will end up with one side of the blanks flush with the bushings, and the other side will be proud of the bushings.  I loosen the nut up and just barely tighten it.  This will also help you to take very light cuts, because if you take too aggressive a cut, you will stop the blank from spinning.

Chris


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## beck3906 (May 5, 2010)

You should always have respect for the tools you use and be aware of the inherent dangers they pose.  Your comfort level with using tools only comes with practice and more use.  Never let your comfort level become one of complacency as we'll read about you loosing a finger or other injury as some have shown recently.

Keep working with the lathe and you'll become one of the folks we'll take classes from in the future.  It just takes time.


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## mbroberg (May 5, 2010)

Hi Lucy,

If you have a nearby woodturning cub, IAP chapter or a store like Woodcraft that offers classes, you may want to check them out.  It can be reassuring to have a more experienced turner work with you, watch you work and critique your technique.  Most of the turners I have run into are more than happy to mentor  new turners.


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## lucywoodturner (May 5, 2010)

I feel so much better. Thank you all for the welcome and for the advice. I am not one to give up. I'll just take it slow and maybe one day I will have a pen nice enough to show you all.


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## ed4copies (May 5, 2010)

Try to isolate WHAT scares you.  The noise? Get a set of headphones.  That thick piece of wood coming at you? Use a belt sander (or bandsaw) to make your wood less intimidating, before you put it on the lathe.  

Get some wood doweling, about an inch in diameter, mount it between centers in 6" or so lengths.  As you turn more and more, you will become more comfortable--but as Skippy (and many others while I was typing)  says, NEVER lose your RESPECT for the potential injuries.  DON'T put your fingers on the moving piece (the distance between it and the toolrest allows for finger pinches or worse).

And, if you lose a tool, GET OUT OF THE WAY, DON'T try to catch it!!!!!

Feel better now???  You will, after turning several wood dowels, 6" at a time!!!

Have FUN!!!!!


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## lazyguy (May 5, 2010)

snowman56 said:


> Welcome to Iap.Just pretend you are dancing.


 In that case the lathe would be afraid of me. :biggrin:


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## Toni (May 5, 2010)

Hi Lucy~welcome to IAP!! I dont turn, so I cant be of help. Just wanted to say welcome.


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## Mark (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to the IAP. Like Ed said, what is making you nervous?

I'm very new also. Before I even had a blank or a mandrel for that matter, I had the lathe. Yeah, a bit backwards. Anyway, I probably turned 8 to 10 feet of 2x4 that I had cut into 3/4 x3/4 x 5" (blanks) For several days I did nothing but turn between centers and make a ton of sawdust.

I believe what it did for me was allow me time to learn use the tools, understand how they cut, when they cut and how to get the result I was looking for. I even CA'd a couple to start learning the process.

It may have been considered a waste of material as well as time, but it taught me a lot. It probably allowed me to get used to the machine and be less apprehensive around it.


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## wolftat (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to the group. You don't have to fear your machine, but never loss the respect for it that it deserves. It will take a little while for you to become comfortable with it, once that happens you will find a happy median that will allow you to get the most from your machine. In the mean time, just take your time getting to know it.


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## cnccutter (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to IAP !

As others have said it will get easier over time. I would defendantly try to find another wood turner that come come over and hang out with a cup of coffee and give you a few pointers and even give a few demos for you. sometimes all it takes is someone standing there rutting you on to get you over the preturning gitters. I have helped others over the years just as they have helped me so don't be afraid to ask for guidance. most wood workers froth at the chance to help out.

Erik


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## CSue (May 5, 2010)

Hi Lucy.  Welcome to IAP.  When I first began turning, I was afraid of turning on the lathe, too.  I bought a bunch of dowels and cut them in 5"-6" pieces like Ed said.  For awhile I'd just use the tool in the center of the dowels till I became more confortable.  What my problem was, the skew catching in the wood . . . I was afraid I'd knock it out of the lathe.  Take your time, go slowly (in your learning process) and you will get a better feel of what the lathe does, what the wood does and how your tools interact with the wood turning on the lathe.  The more you understand the process, the less fear will be there.

Below are links to two threads/articles that have lots of information on pen turning. The first one is a very basic overview of the many aspects of getting into turning pens.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42446

The second link has postings by different pen turners and what they wish they had known earlier:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46654


Here is another link - a PDF on the acronyms used here. I am sure you know many but this will help with those you don't.

http://content.penturners.org/articl...9/Acronyms.pdf


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## RAdams (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to IAP and the addiction!! I was the same way. When i got my first machine (A 1236) i was so scared, I dodnt hardly want to turn it on... 

Three things that really helped my confidence:

I bought a full face shield. That way if something bad happened, at least i wouldnt take a shot to the kisser. 

I only used small diameter material and i stayed between centers. Any huge hunks of wood freaked me out, as did anything that was not supported by both the head and tailstock.

And finally, Keep the lathe speed slow. There is a rule about not having the lathe too fast for the work, but there is no such rule about going too slow. It will take longer to complete each piece, but that time spent turning is what will hone your skills and build your confidence! 

I also agree with the practice pieces. If it is difficult to get dowels, then prune a tree! Green wood will turn and makes super sweet curls!! Plus if you use limbs, you get the experience of roughing the material as well! With a dowel, there isnt much roughing going on. Just clean the bed ways afterwards to remove any moisture so they dont rust.

Hope that helps!


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## Rmartin (May 5, 2010)

Welcome to the IAP

Wear eye protection. A full face sheld is even better. I had a few pens blow up on me when I first started and it still happens from time to time, but the funny thing is, it's not that big a deal. I think the secret is to never get too comfortable, always keep a little fear.


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## yost69 (May 5, 2010)

As wolftat stated. You dont have to fear it but never lose respect for it. 

I got a little to comfortable with mine and was drilling a blank out by hand, which I have done several times with no problems. Had the drill bit chucked up in the live center and was pressing the blank on with my hand. The bit went off center and poked through the side it hit my hand so on instinct I let go. When I did the wobble of the blank broke the bit and the whole contraption came up and hit me in the eye (wasnt wearing safety glasses). Thought for sure I lost it buy turns out the only effect it had was when I look up I see a big black spot out of that eye.  All this took place in about 1/2 a second.

Anyway always wear your protection at all times.

Ben


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## CaptG (May 5, 2010)

Welcome from Michigan.  Keep on practicing and you will get comfortable with your machine.


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## Smitty37 (May 6, 2010)

*Fear.....*

Welcome to IAP. Speaking as one who nearly lost 3 fingers to a table saw about three years ago (that's why I took up pen turning) I will tell you ..... stay afraid and use that fear to remind you to keep your fingers out of fast moving machines...they can bite.  I'm not experienced enough to know for sure but I would think that perhaps flying chips (especially when a blank "blows" up on you) and catching a polishing cloth in the rotating  lathe are the two most physically dangerous things to care about....for me though the biggest danger and the easiest to forget is breathing the sanding dust...

Don't give it up though....it is entirely too satisfying to look at a nice pen and think "Wow! I made that."


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## Chris Bar (May 6, 2010)

Buy a simple 3/4 inch roughing gouge, learn how to sharpen it properly and use just this gouge until you are comfortable. Read, read, read about the angle at which you present the tool to the blank. Learn the right way, hang onto the gouge (*don't get lax or too comfy...i.e., oh, gee this is so easy!!!!*), and you should be safe . A sharp gouge can cut such a smooth finish that sanding will not be necessary. 

As already said, start with a piece of round stock to learn cutting technique, and when using square stock, go slow and use other hand to grasp tool just behind the tool rest to not let tool accidentally protrude too far when roughing a square to round. Check out some videos on line, or a little personal instruction should do it. Not sure how much instruction you have already had.

And it is always safe to have respect for hand tools and power tools. Its unsafe not to.


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## Rick_G (May 6, 2010)

Hi Lucy and welcome to IAP.  A good healthy respect for the machine is always good.  A little time and practice you will lose the fear but don't ever lose the respect for what it can do.  Safety is #1.   Haven't seen this mentioned in other replies and don't know how long your hair is but make sure it can never come near the spinning lathe.  If it's long keep it tied back and under a headpiece of some kind so it can never get near the lathe.  Eye protection is a must and a faceshield is a better idea.  Most of all have fun and post photo's of your work we love photos.


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## airborne_r6 (May 6, 2010)

Welcome to IAP.  My wife was and to a certain extent still feels the same as you.  It just took her spending more time at the lathe.  

Where in Utah are you, if you are close she could probably get together with you and help you out if you want.


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## Moosewatcher (May 6, 2010)

Fear is the mechanism that keeps us safe.  I have the same issues with table saws.  Have bad dreams about them sometimes.

Ken


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## its_virgil (May 7, 2010)

You should be at the Utah Woodturning Symposium that is currently under way. Being around 20 lathes for a couple of days will scare that fear away. Be safe, be respectful of the tools, don't try something  beyond your ability and skills but most of all have fun and let us see some of those "scary made" pens.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


lucywoodturner said:


> I am new to turning pens. I have made about 5 slimlines. They turned out ok, a little crooked but I love it! There is one problem. I am afraid of the lathe. I have never had anything happen to scare me but I am so nervous when I am turning. I want to make more projects but I can't get past it. Any suggestions?


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## nava1uni (May 7, 2010)

Welcome.  It gets easier the more you do it.  Where is Utah are you?  There are a lot of turning clubs in Utah.  At the moment I am at the Utah Woodturning Symposium in Orem.  There are a lot of turners here from Utah and several advertisements for wood and penturning.  There is a pen turning club in Wasatch.  You can contact Craft Supplies for contacts, they are in Provo.


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## aplpickr (May 7, 2010)

My wife is not afraid of the lathe, but she fears our slow speed grinder. The sparks, the noise, it is too fast! She was always using DULL tools. I bought her a Tormek, she loves it. Please do not flame me about other systems. It was expensive, but she now turns with sharp tools. She sold enough stuff to pay for it.


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## leestoresund (May 7, 2010)

Lucy
There is a big pen turning seminar in Provo this weekend.
You don't say where you are in Utah but it can't be that far away.
Check out Craft Supplies.

Lee


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## n5zkz (May 10, 2010)

*I’m afraid of my table saw!*

Ok, if you’ve read some of my past posts I’ve been around these machines a good part of my life.
  I’m more afraid of cutting my finger off than anything else.:doctor:
  Therefore I have a great amount of respect for my saw, and all of my tools for that matter.
  However, this slight nagging voice I hear every time I turn on a tool causes me to make sure all of the blades are kept sharp (I detest dull cutting tools), and guards in place and machines in good working order.
  As in my other posts, I stress safety! If you put safety first the rest will fall into place.
  As most replies have stated, practice, practice, practice! Get comfortable with your lathe but never loose respect.
  Before long you’ll be showing us a few tips.:biggrin:
oh yea, welcome to the forum.


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## airborne_r6 (May 10, 2010)

There is also a basic turning class at Woodcraft in Sandy almost every Saturday.  Some of them teach pens and some of them teach other things.  My wife is going to one in June where they will be learning to turn a bowl.  There is also a couple of different pen turning clubs and turning clubs here in Utah.


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## airborne_r6 (May 10, 2010)

leestoresund said:


> Lucy
> You don't say where you are in Utah but it can't be that far away.
> 
> Lee


 
Actually it can, she could easily be 3 1/2 hours drive from Provo.


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## Daniel (May 10, 2010)

Welcome Lucy, I honestly suspect you will overcome most of your fear with nothing more than time and just getting more comfortable with what you are doing. There is a lot to be apprehensive about as you start out. So a fairly high level of anxiety is pretty much expected.


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## sbwertz (May 12, 2010)

*I'm new too*

Hi Lucy

I just got back into turning after 30 years.  I did some spindle turning in the theater workshop, and have always wanted a lathe.  Got one for my birthday a few weeks ago. 

So far I've turned 18 pens and pencils and one cane.  I'm not afraid of the lathe, but I'm scared to death of the skew!  The turning set I got as a gift had a half inch skew with square sides.  About all I can do with it is cut v grooves.  I just bought a 1" skew with rounded sides.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  It hasn't caught once, and I can actually plane with it. it is so much easier to roll it up to a 45 degree angle and it slides along the rest much easier.  

Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am having.  

Sharon


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