New Woodturners from Brisbane

Hi All,
My 13 year old son Tim discovered wood turning on a visit to Echuca last year, spending most of the day watching a turner there doing demonstrations. We both signed up for a spindle turning course with Rob McKee and had to wait for Santa to bring us a shiny new lathe for Christmas, a Woodfast M305 midi. Since then we've been spending our toy money on a Vicmarc chuck and a some chisels.

We've both joined the Woodturners Society of Qld, and am looking forward to attending demos and workshops.

The biggest challenge we've got at the moment is getting wood to practice on without breaking the bank. I'm lucky enough to have a big slab of camphor laurel that I got from a working with wood show about ten years ago, but this is not going to last long. Can anyone suggest the best timber and source for practice material? I'm not really set up to be able to break down big logs, but that does seem to be the best way to get material.

I've managed to turn out a couple of small bowels (plates) from the camphor, but am going to have to do some learning about the best ways to finish them. The Wife has asked us to start producing Christmas presents for next year and I'm looking forward to trying out some simple boxes. Tim might even get a chance to use the lathe... we might have to come up with a time share arrangement where he can use it after school and I get to use it later in the evening.

I'm enjoying looking through these forums, lots of useful and inspiring information, I hope in the future to post up some of our first attempts.

Peter.

Welcome to the forum Peter and Tim.

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Peter & your son".
There are a heap of members in Brisbane and across S.E. Queensland.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork/turning...
Cheers crowie

PS - Well done upon encouraging your son in the art of working with timber, so rewarding in many ways.....
You two will just have to take turns and share the shed...
May I suggest the timber question in the turnings and maybe timber sections of the forum for a wider audience to receive the answers...
And one other little suggest; do your wife's list of projects first, especially when you are looking to buy some new toys/tools.....

Hey guys, welcome aboard

Hi Pete and Tim, welcome to the forums I'm sure you will find lots to keep you both busy in here :-)
Cheers
Tony

Ah Peter. You lucky man. To have an activity that you and Tim can enjoy and discover together. Thirteen is an age where he will be your buddy or he will think that Dad is not cool to be seen with. The woodturning experience will be the glue to keep you together.

As source for timber....if you approached a frame and truss company they may let you have the off cuts. It would be mostly Radiata and framing sizes but there is no reason why you couldn't glue pieces to make bowls and things. Radiata isn't the greatest of stuff but if you can get it cheap its a great material to practice with so when you want to use some special timber your experience will make a descent job of it.

I have 2 girls. The eldest would come out to the shed to see what I was up to and assoon as I turned on a machine she would scoot. The other one 4 years younger would come out and play "cars" in the dust on the floor by pushing around small offcut blocks. She has turned a few things on the lathe. She made a very good student and followed my coaching well. She hasn't asked for another run on the lathe for a long time, maybe she thinks its not cool. She was 14 (I think) when she had the first go and then she might have been 18 or 19 since she did a bowl, she is 23 now.

Welcome to the forum.

Great to have a father and son team I see you have made thr right move and joined up with QWT's they should help with sources of timber. Besides that watch forum for timber sales and Freebies.

As Rod said off cuts are a great source but remember Pine frames are treated, never use pine logs used for gardening.:no:

Clean up days are a good source of tree off cuts, old furniture and timber stashes. Listen for the familiar sounds of chainsaw in your area you'll soon pick up a stash.

Check out Maple Man on here he has some beaut timbers.

Finishes there is a lot to chose from check out the section of the forum on Finishes eveything from home made to spray type. its experimentation for you and what you guys like and can handle as some of. As have found Nut oils can cause problems not just for the turner but end user, CA superglue has its own problems, Lacquer, Shellac wax the list goes on.

Ray

Thanks for the comments. We've certainly taken on an interesting craft and it is going to take a long time for us to explore what is possible.

We've had an offer of timber from one of the members of the woodturners society, they are a great bunch, so we can get on with some decent practice.

I'll be sure to post up some of our attempts.

Peter.


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Welcome to the forum.