Author Topic: Any lefties? (left handed!)  (Read 1644 times)

Offline welly

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Any lefties? (left handed!)
« on: July 22, 2018, 10:53:01 PM »
I'm left handed and am wondering if there's any value in doing my turning reversed? As in the head stock on the right and tail stock on the left? I found myself in a few awkward positions today that I wondered might have been easier to work if the whole thing was the other way round. Does anyone turn with that configuration?

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: Any lefties? (left handed!)
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2018, 11:01:04 PM »
as long as the chuck or the faceplate is secured in a way so it can't come off the spindle then i don't see why not.

it's quite easy to adjust yourself to account for the way lathes are set out thought (designed for right handers) as i do the occasional bit of turning left handed even though i'm right handed but this is only done when the grain dictates it.

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Any lefties? (left handed!)
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2018, 11:07:32 PM »
Sorry, are you talking about reversing the positions of the headstock and tailstock or standing on the wrongs side of the lathe and reversing the lathe direction.

Firstly, Being left handed is only an issue when bowl turning, spindle turning can be either handed or as me, ambidextrous. My teacher made me turn left handed (I did not know) until I could do it, then let me turn right handed. Now I'm happy turning with either hand.

Truthfully, if you are just learning, keep things as they are and turn right handed, yes it sounds wrong, but you are learning a new skill and your body has no reference, so will adapt quite readily to using your hands that way.
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Offline Les Symonds

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Re: Any lefties? (left handed!)
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2018, 06:07:47 AM »
I think that whether you're left handed or right handed, it makes little or no difference. Both hands are used to hold and to control the tools; when bowl turning, the right hand is generally on the very end of the handle, doing little more than countering the leverage forces and adjusting the tool's angle of presentation. The left hand is doing a lot of the fine control, keeping the tool from extending too far over the tool rest, as well as adding rotational movement. As Bryan says, given that this is a new skill that you are acquiring, it makes sense to acquire it in the way in which the lathe was constructed to be used. Also, as Steve says, there are occasions when all turners swap hands with the tool and work left/right handed; you'll just be at a slight advantage at such times.

I've had a few south-paws in for training and none of them has ever resorted to swapping the lathe configuration around. Rather, they learn their new skill as it is taught and don't seem to have any difficulty.

Les
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Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Any lefties? (left handed!)
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2018, 07:50:21 AM »
Doesn't really matter whether you are right or left handed as you will need to learn to turn both ways in time.

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Offline welly

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Re: Any lefties? (left handed!)
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2018, 12:01:06 AM »
Thanks all! I shall continue as I am and keep practicing. I've joined a local wood turners group so will be getting help and advice from members of the group.