Documents for Downloading

September Highlight: check out this page for a huge variety of flatwork, shop and turning projects, hints and tips: https://jayscustomcreations.com/. Spend some time drillling down into Jay’s pages to see an incredible array of great stuff!

Online Stores – Can Be Helpful Reference Sources


Sites of Interest


YouTube, Vimeo & Embedded Videos

Nationally Known Turners

The following web videos are of specific value for beginning and novice woodturners. Where applicable, the run time of each video is listed in parentheses.

Getting started

  • Selecting a wood lathe. (8:49)
  • Brendan Stemp’s choosing a wood lathe (21:40)
  • Anatomy of a wood lathe. AAW video by Lauren Zenreich (5:59)
  • How to get started in woodturning. Shows the components of a small and large lathe and demonstrates some basic turning.  (20:51)
  • Another video on how to get started in woodturning. Focusing on choosing a lathe based on what you intend to turn, how to hold wood to the lathe, and some basic tools and equipment you need to get started. (23:02)
  • Tool rest adjustments. What’s the correct height and position for various tasks at the lathe. (15:16)

Turning safety and dust control

Tool sharpening

Holding wood blanks on your lathe

  • Ways to mount wood on the lathe without using a scroll chuck. Part 1  (16:08) and Part 2 (15:37)
  • Techniques for using a faceplate to attach wood to your lathe.  (19:51)
  • Using scroll chucks and jaws to attach wood to your lathe (14:17)
  • How to create a tenon on your blank for your scroll chuck to grasp. (22:46)

  Tool selection and uses

  • Woodturning tool identification (18:48)
  • Mike Waldt’s thoughts regarding tool selection when you start out with woodturning  (13:36)
  • Sam Angelo’s must-have tools for woodturning (10:30)
  • Basics on tool sharpening for beginning woodturners  (11:17)
  • Beginners guide to the spindle roughing gouge  (14:52)
  • Beginners guide to the spindle gouge including the basic use of the spindle gouge, how to present it to the work, and how to avoid catches.  (14:11)
  • How a detail gouge is sharpened and how it is used to create coves, beads, and other details.  (14:30)
  • Parting tools can be used to “part” wood but also to create beads and turn other details. (20:58)
  • Information about scrapers (19:13) and an explanation of the negative-rake scraper (15:24)
  • The basics of the skew chisel (25:02)

 Basic cuts and practice methods


Cap’n Eddie’s Tip Section