Recently I was asked what was necessary to start turning as a hobby. I thought of what the masters might have written in books I have read. I pondered all the magazine articles I’ve seen, and then tried to give sound advice. After mentioning various schools and speaking of local chapters of AAW the obvious came to mind. A lathe, centers, a skew, one gouge, a parting tool and something about safety came to mind.
From there, I warned, it seems the sky is the limit; all depending on the type of forms you may be interested in turning. Spindles, bowls or platters or just pens each could have a dedicated catalog of related tools and merchandise. Reading some articles by professional turners it would seem that a 6 figure investment would still leave you wanting for one more tool.
Unfortunately, I hear many of the tools end up being “collectables” for their owners. Collectables meaning they collect dust! While I have made my share of mistakes, there have also been times, in retrospect, when I wished I purchased a tool much sooner… had I known how beneficial it was.
A case in point would be a center finder. If you are new to turning or just never went to the trouble, do yourself a favor and make or purchase a center finder. I get ticked when I think of the time and agony spent over years, measuring for center and adjusting blocks or rounds on the lathe in an attempt to balance the weight or maximize use of the wood.
With a decent center finder and a couple of marks to reference one side to the other you can have blocks mounted in seconds accurately. A correctly positioned block reduces time to round significantly and reduces the excess waste of blocks that are out of balance.
This jig was made in less than 30 minutes and will save hours in measuring and adjusting. If your new to turning, or like me just never got around to it, do yourself a favor and make or purchase a center finder!
