Newbie & advice

[gtm41658]

Evening All,

Became the owner of a Draper WTL 90 wood lathe last weekend ( more by chance and right place right time)... having never ventured in to woodturning before (have thought about it tho) the only drawback is I have no equipment (gouges etc) and would like to know what is a good starter kit.... speaking with the person who passed it on to me he does a lot of pen making so was wondering if this is something to pursue??!!!

[Les Symonds]

There are pros and cons to starting woodturning as a pen-turner. In its favour are factors like the limited number of tools that you'll need, the small amount of timber that you'll be turning, but against it are factors such as the precision needed to make pens and the relatively low level of experience that you will gain. Woodturning is a massively wide discipline, so it seems a shame to specialise from the outset.
My best advise would be to find a woodturning club near you and get some hands-on experience with people who can guide you through the various skills and techniques. You might also consider finding a professional nearby and getting some professional training....there really is no better way to get experience.
Les

[Wood spinner]

Hi , You are now on the edge of  a slippery slope

Being given a lathe is not always a good thing , Maybe better buying a up and running kit from someone who is selling up / downsizing , This normally includes everything you will need , The list of things you need will be quite considerable , so my advice would be as already stated open a day with a pro woodturner see whats needed ask all the questions , Make sure its what you really want to do , Good luck , If you have the back drive and insertion its a awesome hobby 

[edbanger]

Welcome to the world of woodturning.

I can only echo what been said go along to your local woodturning club you can find a list here as a starting point http://www.awgb.co.uk/club-list these are all clubs that have something to do with the AWGB there are others and a search on google should bring up a few more.

Also there is a list of turners that give lessons http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgb-tutors-map

I own/run Olivers Woodturning and supply all kinds of woodturning tools, so feel free to contact me and I can talk you through some of the tools that you will need. But there will be substitute to do some hands-on first.

Ed

[mickdundee]

A lathe turned out to be the most expensive thing I was ever given 
But it can definitely be a very rewarding hobby, and you never know you might even be able to earn a few quid back as you improve