What do you think?
Rate this book
Woodturning for Beginners Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide with Tools, Techniques, Tips and Starter Projects
When Rude Osolnik was asked, "Rude, how do I become a good turner?" he replied , Well, that's the key! Of all the woodworking crafts I have practiced, Turning demands most patience and focus. As you start, you have to find your comfort zone with a lathe, chisels, and other tools. After some practice, your mind and body would get attenuated to the ecosystem of Turning. As lathe is involved and the wood item revolves fast, always remember that overconfidence and lack of focus are not options. So find your sweet spot of how long you can work at a stretch. When I first started woodcraft, I looked desperately for a go-to guide about the processes and tools I would need. The content I found online was total information overload and wasn't presented sequentially. The books I looked at were either focused on just a few processes or assumed that I already had the necessary information. A lot of the books were also very dated. There are two ways of learning; one is learning from SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) with years of experience, and the other is to learn from people who are just a few steps ahead of you in their journey. I fall into the latter group. I have spent five years on this hobby and am still learning from the experts. I still remember the initial doubts I had and the tips that helped me. This book is for those who are still running their first lap (0-3 years) in wood-crafting and want to have a holistic idea of the processes and tools they need. Topics Covered ✓ Introduction to Wood Turning ✓ Process & Techniques ✓ Finishing ✓ Safety and Best Practices ✓ 10 Beginner Woodturning Projects ✓ Tips, Glossary, and Conclusion I have included ample photographs of realistic beginner projects, and I will explain the processes and standard operating procedures associated with them. In the last chapter, I have provided tips for beginners and a glossary of woodturning terms. So what are you waiting for? Get this updated book from someone who is a few steps ahead in the Wood Turning journey! "If you don't blow up a bowl now and then, you are not aren't trying hard enough"- D. Raffin, Master Woodturner.
114 pages, Hardcover
Published November 7, 2023
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 23, 2020
3 1/2 stars
This is a fairly simple book for beginners of woodturning and from someone with a few more years’ experience than a beginner, but who is not an expert as they put it. They have learnt from people that are slightly ahead of them in woodturning experience, rather than experts in turning. Some of this shows in the manner in which the book is laid out. The author lays out what woodturning is and describes the parts of the lathe and the types of special tools used, as well as sanding the finished turned piece and how to seal it.
There is, as expected, a section on safety and also the safety equipment and PPE that you should use when woodturning, due to the large amount of debris that will come off the piece as you work. Simple common sense on the type of clothing and footwear you have on as well. There is a list of ten beginner’ projects, the first one being a bowl and I think it would have helped to have an image of the tenon once cut, to show what was meant by that, for use in chuck jaws, which most beginners probably wouldn’t have.
The other projects are a rolling pin, a baseball bat, a wood canteen which looked a bit rough, a candle holder which should always have a metal or glass candle holder when used with a piece of wood, a spoon which might be easier to do with the band saw or a scroll saw, a ladle, a wooden ring which is built around a metal ring more like a covering, turning tops or spinning tops, and finally a mushroom. The end part of the book repeats a lot of the information given before the list of projects, re-iterating the tips and safety guidance to adhere to when using a lathe.
Overall, a much better book than one of their other ones that I have read. Some of the terminology and wording used still confused me and the author needs to take a bit more care with spacing and sentence structure, for example ‘for food call?’ doesn’t make much sense and if using terminology such as ‘negative rake scraper’, to please include that in your list of terminology at the end of the book, alongside much simpler ones. Three and a half stars for this one. This is the type of book that needed more images, rather than less. Especially for the actual projects, I felt there should have been more images, showing each major step, such as cutting a tenon, or what to do when you don’t have a chuck, but just a faceplate, headstock and tailstock. If this is for beginners, then the equipment, finishes and projects need to be more targeted to this group. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
This is a fairly simple book for beginners of woodturning and from someone with a few more years’ experience than a beginner, but who is not an expert as they put it. They have learnt from people that are slightly ahead of them in woodturning experience, rather than experts in turning. Some of this shows in the manner in which the book is laid out. The author lays out what woodturning is and describes the parts of the lathe and the types of special tools used, as well as sanding the finished turned piece and how to seal it.
There is, as expected, a section on safety and also the safety equipment and PPE that you should use when woodturning, due to the large amount of debris that will come off the piece as you work. Simple common sense on the type of clothing and footwear you have on as well. There is a list of ten beginner’ projects, the first one being a bowl and I think it would have helped to have an image of the tenon once cut, to show what was meant by that, for use in chuck jaws, which most beginners probably wouldn’t have.
The other projects are a rolling pin, a baseball bat, a wood canteen which looked a bit rough, a candle holder which should always have a metal or glass candle holder when used with a piece of wood, a spoon which might be easier to do with the band saw or a scroll saw, a ladle, a wooden ring which is built around a metal ring more like a covering, turning tops or spinning tops, and finally a mushroom. The end part of the book repeats a lot of the information given before the list of projects, re-iterating the tips and safety guidance to adhere to when using a lathe.
Overall, a much better book than one of their other ones that I have read. Some of the terminology and wording used still confused me and the author needs to take a bit more care with spacing and sentence structure, for example ‘for food call?’ doesn’t make much sense and if using terminology such as ‘negative rake scraper’, to please include that in your list of terminology at the end of the book, alongside much simpler ones. Three and a half stars for this one. This is the type of book that needed more images, rather than less. Especially for the actual projects, I felt there should have been more images, showing each major step, such as cutting a tenon, or what to do when you don’t have a chuck, but just a faceplate, headstock and tailstock. If this is for beginners, then the equipment, finishes and projects need to be more targeted to this group. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
September 22, 2020
Woodturning Basics, Safety, and Projects
I have read and reviewed a number of books by this author, mostly on what I would consider to be lost arts like leatherworking and pyrography. This is another such book, and as I have come to expect from this author, it is well done. He first explains precisely what woodturning is and stresses the safety aspects. He then goes into tools and techniques. What I love is that he has a lot of photographs showing the tools and how to work with them. Unlike some of the other books he's written, you will most likely need some other resources to be able to do woodturning, like how to work with your specific lathe. I like the 10 projects given at the end. Most seem very straightforward, like making bowls, spoons, rolling pins, etc., that can help you practice various woodturning techniques while actually producing objects that would be of use. If you have an interest in learning the art of woodturning or if you are just beginning, this book would likely be a helpful addition to your craft library.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
I have read and reviewed a number of books by this author, mostly on what I would consider to be lost arts like leatherworking and pyrography. This is another such book, and as I have come to expect from this author, it is well done. He first explains precisely what woodturning is and stresses the safety aspects. He then goes into tools and techniques. What I love is that he has a lot of photographs showing the tools and how to work with them. Unlike some of the other books he's written, you will most likely need some other resources to be able to do woodturning, like how to work with your specific lathe. I like the 10 projects given at the end. Most seem very straightforward, like making bowls, spoons, rolling pins, etc., that can help you practice various woodturning techniques while actually producing objects that would be of use. If you have an interest in learning the art of woodturning or if you are just beginning, this book would likely be a helpful addition to your craft library.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
September 4, 2020
A good reference.
My son has been thinking about trying this for some time but other than YouTube I have not found books on the subject. When I saw this on Booksprout I knew we should pick it up. My son and I found the book pretty straight forward and a good reference for someone new to this craft. The list of wood allergies and toxicity was very good information to have. If you are new to this craft form you would not go wrong having this book in your library. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
My son has been thinking about trying this for some time but other than YouTube I have not found books on the subject. When I saw this on Booksprout I knew we should pick it up. My son and I found the book pretty straight forward and a good reference for someone new to this craft. The list of wood allergies and toxicity was very good information to have. If you are new to this craft form you would not go wrong having this book in your library. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
March 6, 2024
Wouldn't buy
Very little detailed content, basics not covered, does not live up to the description. Riddled with irritating typos, diagrams/ pictures often don't link to text. Very disappointed, glad I only brought the kindle version.
Very little detailed content, basics not covered, does not live up to the description. Riddled with irritating typos, diagrams/ pictures often don't link to text. Very disappointed, glad I only brought the kindle version.
December 3, 2024
No explanation of turning the tenon. No explanation of the types and uses of glues.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews