QUESTION 2: WHAT DO I WANT TO TURN?
Not surprisingly, this is a question many prospective turners fail to ask themselves. Perhaps you were lured to turning by those beautiful pens in the display case at your local woodworking store. Or maybe you have a specific project in mind (i.e. table legs, balusters, etc.). For some it is simply a case of the infamous and dreaded YAPT ("Yet-Another-Power-Tool") syndrome.
So what types of projects can you do with turning?
All woodturning can be broken down into two basic categories:
Spindle Turning - Spindle turning generally involves turning a cylindrical object where no hollowing is done. Spindles are usually turned "between centers", simply meaning you mount the piece between the headstock and tailstock. Turning is done at higher RPMs than used on face plate work.
Common spindle projects include pens/pencils, candlesticks, bottle stoppers, table legs, balusters, wands, telephone poles, knitting needles, finials, pedestals, Christmas ornaments, etc.
Just to keep things confusing, note that chucks are sometimes used in spindle turning. Also, some forms of spindle turning are done without use of the tailstock. Clear as mud?
Most lathes on the market are suitable for spindle turning with the limiting factor being the length of the bed.
Face Plate/Chuck Turning - This category involves using a face plate or chuck to mount your blank directly to the headstock spindle (although the tailstock is still often used for safety and support). Many forms of face plate work involve some form of hollowing.
Common face plate / chuck projects include bowls, hollow forms, urns, vases, platters, wall hangings, goblets, etc.
"Swing is King" to face plate turners. A lathe's "swing" is defined as the maximum diameter you can turn (i.e. distance from bed to center x 2). Work pieces in face plate turning are generally larger in diameter and must be turned at much lower speeds than used in spindle work.
Unfortunately, not all lathes on the market today are suitable for face plate work due to their speed range (more on this later). This is also true for many older used lathes, most of which were made specifically for spindle work before bowl turning came into fashion.
If you don't have anything specific in mind but are simply looking for fun projects to get started, I recommend browsing the project pages at Woodturning Online. Another fun resource is the online catalog at CraftUSA. Both have great projects for turners of all levels.
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