where to start

[waterbuffalo]

well, ill start by wishing you all a very happy christmas and a safe and prosperous new year..
its been a funny ( not ha ha funny ) year for me and my family..between all the personal stuff thats been going i decided i should give up my motorcycle for safety reasons, mainly other bonehead drivers around where i live, this left me with a newly built large shed and no hobby...i have wanted a lathe since i worked at a special school over 20 years ago, i was able to play on their union graduate, and this idea seemed to fit with the new shed, so i went and got an axminster awvsl1000 on market place, reasonably priced it was too...i have been slowly building my tool, accessory and wood collection since, difficult when youre skint...so here i am, all the gear and no idea, so i watch untold videos, join some forums, ask lots of questions and take the plunge...the first thing i made was just that....a thing....it served no purpose other than to prove to myself i could use this machine properly and not die or otherwise maim myself...since then i have made a stack of different things, mostly useful, some not so and i have enjoyed every second of it....i try to make something i have not made before, mainly to prove to myself that i can do it...i have made a goblet with a captive ring that was 11mm tall, ive made a platter that is 16 inches across...although i have made all this stuff, my confidence in the quality, design and aesthetics has always been low, as in why would someone pay money for this....so here we are finally at the point of this post....my confidence in what i make has increased greatly of late, and this, my friends, is down to you all...to have professional and seasoned turners tell me that my stuff is good means more to me than you can imagine, and add to that one of my creations being used as the group photo is astonishing to me...so to all of you i say a huge thankyou, for your advice and kind words... i will do my best to continue to improve and, maybe one day, even sell something that i think is good enough...once again, a very happy christmas to one and all

 

[Garno]

Nice Post Nigel.

You are doing ok. Keep doing what you are doing and eventually sales will come

 

[Dalboy]

Been there done that Nigel like many others. The first things we make is always a very memorable piece worth keeping to look back on. Then we feel confident to offer bits for sale after the initial giving away to family and friends. I fit my turning in between making wooden toys and models which at one time I use to write for the woodworker magazine but found that I was not getting the time I wanted in the shed and now still not getting the time despite building a larger workshop which now is being used to paint repair and fit new handles on during decorating.
I have promised myself that will change after Christmas I may even turn something in wood or even metal.

Anyway have a good Christmas and a happy new year

 

[alan morrison]

Thanks for the post, Nigel, and the sentiments expressed.
When you joined this forum you linked in with a great bunch of guys who all started at the same place. ( and not too many of us made the front page )
Keep improving your techniques and just enjoy the journey.

Alan

 

[pittswood]

As Alan has just said, enjoy your new hobby. Enjoyment is half of the experience and making something that other like is the other half of the enjoyment. Don't rush, explore each step for a better way that suits your style even at times, experiment with different idea's.
Above all, be safe and relish your new experience of your new found release.
Kelvin

 

[Bill Mooney]

Thank you for the post Nigel & seasonal greetings to you. Enjoy your turning &practice. Make something then a month or so later make another one & compare the two to see your improvement. We are all our own worst critics so don’t be too hard on yourself. Show your turnings to others & let them tell you f it’s worth buying, they may ask to buy something.

 

[Penpal]

Nigel always threes ie the object you made,the object you wished you had made,then the one you have. Go for the third option and enjoy this forum.

 

[wm460]

Large shed, wish I had one.

Merry Christmas to you Nigel.

 

[waterbuffalo]

Large shed, wish I had one.

Merry Christmas to you Nigel.View attachment 44635

when i say " large shed ", i mean its bigger than my old shed which was 7x5 feet....the one i have now is still not particularly large, about 11x7 feet i think ...still not big enough but you gotta work with what ya got aint ya

 

[Phil Dart]

Every single person here started out in the same place as you Nigel, so just keep doing what your doing, keep learning from your experiences and enjoy the journey - you are definitely travelling the right road.