It seems that everyone loves to learn more about woodturning, from those just starting out, to the professionals who earn their living in the field. In a sense, the entire woodturningonline site is dedicated to helping with that passion to learn by presenting a comprehensive collection of the best woodturning resources available on the web and elsewhere.

For the experienced turner, we suggest that you simply jump right into the Turning Articles, Turning Projects, Publications and all the other areas of the site.

On the other hand, if you are relatively new to turning, the sheer number of ways to learn and the vast quantity of information available can sometimes lead to overload. To help you get stared, we have used our personal experiences to make some suggestions in the following categories.

Books and Videos

There are a multitude of excellent books available, and two of our favorites are:

If you click on the links, you will be taken to our book section where you will be able to purchase it directly.

These books also have companion videos that are available from many of the retailers in our Vendor Directory section.

Clubs and Associations

One of the best ways to bring the turning experience alive is to visit the local turning clubs in your area. The members share your interest and usually have a wide range of experience and knowledge. Talking with them about courses to take, where to get wood, new and used turning equipment and all the other aspects of tuning can save a lot of time and money. Our Club Directory section lists all the clubs we could find, but if there is not one listed for your area, check around at local woodworking stores and lumber yards. You can also try to locate a professional woodturner or woodworker in local directories and Yellow pages. They will usually be very helpful and generally know the local woodturning scene.

Many countries have a national woodturning association, which genreally provides a wide range of member benefits. The largest of these usually sponsor major symposia on turning and often have an excellent magazine for members. You will find a listing by country in our Turning Associations section.

Courses

Taking an introductory course is a wonderful way to learn a great deal in a short period of time, and likely will also boost your confidence and provide a human connection or two to the world of turning.

If possible, try to take your first course close to home so that you meet some local people that share your interest in turning, including an experienced instructor. For example, Woodcraft in the US conducts introductory courses at most of their retail stores. Many local craft schools also offer introductory classes. many of these are listed in our Courses and Schools section.

More Resources

Here are a few more suggestions to help expand your woodturning knowledge.

• Request catalogs from the Full Line Retailers, which are a treasure trove of information.
• Subscribe to the major woodturning magazines though the national turning associations or its publisher.
• Check out our Calendar of Events to see if there are any that you can attend locally or in your regular travels.