Why do most new Woodturners Fail?

I have been Turning Professionally since 2015 although I personally tend to disregard the first few years of that as I was teaching myself the ropes so to speak. Yes, I was earning money direct from my Craft but I feel I was not yet experienced enough to be a true Professional in my own opinion. I have argued this point with another Woodturner who disagreed with my assessment but I didn't want to cheapen the Craft by saying I was when I felt I wasn't. I hope that makes sense to people.

Turning a Decorative Finial

My Background

I started Turning in 1996, never got a lesson and thought I was doing well. I spent very little money on machinery and tools and wondered why I rarely sold anything or why I wasn't improving. It wasn't until I went for proper Tuition that I realised how bad I actually was and why I had never achieved anything.

After about a year of solid but disastrous attempts in 2014 to 2015 I eventually made myself go to my first lesson with a Professional Woodturner in late 2015. I finally realised that I was getting nowhere on my own and I needed guidance. It was only after that first lesson that the real work began. I spent the next 2 years developing my own skills and product lines making mistakes and learning along the way.

Patterns of Failure - Why Woodturners Fail

I have taught enough Students at this point to see the patterns of failure early on and crystal clear. Although I have touched upon this subject in other Blog Posts I have never dedicated one entirely to the specific reasons why most new Woodturners fail so early on in the process. Hopefully, you the reader will see these things in yourself as you read on and this may help you. I will list a number of fail points below in no particular order of relevance but the first few are really important.

Never going for proper Tuition

This has turned out to be my biggest regret over the years. Had I reached out to a Professional early on, I could have shortened my extremely long learning curve, bought the correct tools & machines and saved myself from wasting lots of time & money.

I finally went to Glenn Lucas in Co Carlow in late 2015 and my whole world changed from then on. Many worry about the cost of Tuition but the reality is you generally save multiples of that cost over time by fixing your techniques and adding new products to your repertoire. Not to mention following the right advice on Equipment & Tools and being safe while Turning.

If you’ve never taken a lesson before, my post Your First Woodturning Lesson — What to Expect gives a realistic look at what actually happens during a session. And if you’re still at the very early stage of deciding whether woodturning is for you at all, my post So You Want to Be a Woodturner will ease you into the decision-making process and help you understand what’s involved before you commit.

Buying Inferior Tools & Equipment

I bought 2 cheap Lathes at different times in the beginning and didn't realise anything was wrong until a few months afterwards with both of them. An inferior Lathe will have lots of drawbacks and will have a limiting effect on your Turning abilities.

You will often find a new Woodturner using a light machine with an inappropriately big piece of wood. This is not smart and could be potentially dangerous. Cheap machines can also have inferior motors, are lightweight with a tendency to bounce around and have parts that break easily. On the other hand and I have to say this, cheaper machines may give you a start that you otherwise won't have, you may have no choice but to go that route. Conflicting statements, I know but I had to say it because sometimes it is a reality.

My advice however is to start as you mean to go on and buy a decent machine that will last you many years to come. Remember, a cheap Lathe will stunt your growth as a Woodturner and hinder any progress you could potentially make going forward. My learned opinion.

Not Spending Enough Money

This is a big one. Woodturning is probably the most expensive hobby on the planet, in my humble opinion. Most new Woodturners (myself included back in the 90s) will buy a Lathe with the money they have in hand at that time. This normally means buying a Lathe that will only suit them for the next 6 to 12 months.

If they are still Turning after this point their skill level will have outgrown the machine they are using. My advice to Students currently is to borrow the money from a Credit Union and spend 3 or 4 times their budget to get the machine they should be starting with. If you are spending €1,500 and up on a Lathe you are probably buying a machine that should grow your abilities for a few years at least, maybe longer. Most people will still balk at the entry level Lathes that are about €1,000 but spending more will nearly always benefit you long term.

The problem for most Students I find is they don't know if they like Woodturning enough yet to justify spending €2,500 or more just to get started. It's your decision I'm afraid, only you know the answer. I generally advise students that if you find that you are able to turn your hand to a lot of different things in life easily enough then you should do well with Woodturning. I was fascinated by my first experienced Turning so if you are that way, you should probably just go ahead and buy now.

Setting Up in the Wrong Space

This is something I’ve seen more and more in recent years, and it catches beginners out before they even start. Many new woodturners set up their lathe in whatever corner is free and hope for the best, but a poor workshop layout will hold you back faster than bad tools ever will. If your shed is freezing, dripping with condensation or so cramped that you can’t move your elbows, you will struggle from the very beginning.

A bad environment affects everything. Cold sheds make you rush, damp sheds rust your tools, and tight corners make simple cuts feel harder than they should. Some people give up without ever realising that the problem wasn’t their skill level, it was the space they were working in.

I go into this in more detail in my post 8 Things New Woodturners Forget When Setting Up Space for a Lathe, because workshop layout has a far bigger impact on progress than most people realise. If you’re trying to learn in the wrong environment, even the best tuition won’t feel as effective as it should.

Not Enough Practice Time

Woodturning is one of those Crafts that requires a lot of time and effort to become proficient. I often ask Students if they spent much time practising between Tuition Sessions and watch them backpedal their responses by saying how busy they were and they only managed an hour or two here and there. I know as soon as you start Turning in front of me whether you practised or not. I can also hear it if I have my back turned by the way.

You are not Turning for my benefit, you are Turning for your own. Please remember that! If you have a Lathe, you should be using it. Turning between TV Show ad breaks on television won't do I'm afraid, you will have to commit to it. Constant practice develops muscle memory and Turning becomes so much easier over time.

Buying a Bad Sharpening System

A decent Sharpening system should be very high on your list from the beginning but from my experience many skimp on this because they have outlayed so much money on a Lathe and Handtools that they feel they cannot afford what is recommended. They in turn buy a cheap machine with a bad motor, cheap wheels and limited functionality which is next to useless and will not last long term.

If you buy a top of the range machine with great grinding wheels and sharpening platforms from the very beginning your Woodturning journey will be so much easier. Sharp Tools make Woodturning safer and infinitely much more fun to do. I show my Students 4 different machines that I have and explain the pros and cons of each.

If you spend €800 on what I recommend you will have a great machine which will last you the rest of your life if you continue to Turn or have a very good machine for resale if you choose to give up at any stage.

Using Bad Handtools

Some cheap brand Lathes come with Tools included, never use these as they are normally rubbish and not fit for purpose. Some second hand Lathes come with Tools that the previous owner used, always take advice from a Professional like me before using these as even if they are quality Tools they probably need to be reshaped and properly sharpened prior to first use.

Never buy the Woodturning sets of 6 to 8 Tools as they are probably not the right tools for you going forward. If you’re not sure whether you’ll be doing spindle work, bowl work or a mix of both, my post Spindle Turning vs Bowl Turning explains the differences clearly so you can choose the right tools for the type of turning you want to do.

I normally recommend 6 individual Tools for Spindle Turning and another 3 for Bowl Turning. You can buy more and probably will as you go on but 9 is all you really need to get started. Check out this Blog Post on Woodturning Chisel Sets I wrote for greater detail on this subject.

I sell a range of quality Hamlet Woodturning Tools on my Website should you want to buy top Tools instead of rubbish.

Lack of a proper Workshop

I touched on this earlier in the section Setting Up in the Wrong Space, but this takes the idea a step further. Space is one thing, but how you look after that space is a whole other issue. A lot of beginners imagine that any shed or garage will do, but they rarely think about the day-to-day conditions they’ll actually be working in. Even if you have enough room, a workshop still needs to be safe, dry and comfortable if you expect to make progress.

Cold, damp or poorly ventilated spaces make you rush, lose focus and cut corners. Dampness also ruins tools faster than people realise. A lathe bed can rust within days if it isn’t cared for, and electrics don’t appreciate condensation either. Good lighting, safe heating and even the most basic dust extraction make a huge difference to your motivation and your results.

I speak from experience here. I’ve had winters where the workshop was so cold I avoided it entirely, and nothing slows your progress faster than not wanting to be in the space you need to practise in. A heater helps, but it still needs to be used safely. Always make sure it’s well away from shavings and switch it off long before you finish. The same goes for motor heat — get into the habit of checking your lathe and clearing shavings at the end of every session. Small habits like these prevent bigger problems later.

A proper workshop isn’t about having a fancy setup. It’s about creating a place you actually want to spend time in, one that keeps you safe and lets you concentrate on learning rather than dealing with avoidable annoyances.

Following Bad Advice

YouTube is not a proper teacher so if you are following videos online be aware that the creator may not know everything about what they are doing or talking about on screen. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of excellent Woodturners out there to follow and I wish that YouTube had been around in the 90s when I started out. Where would I be know if it had been I wonder?

I have videos on YouTube myself but I find that I am not great at explaining or demonstrating as soon as the camera is rolling. I forget to explain certain things or over explain others. I realise my shortcomings, would you? If you take a lesson early on you should be able to discern if a video creator is doing the right thing or the wrong thing. I followed bad advice in a video when making my earliest Spinning Tops and made bad pieces as a result.

Waning Interest

Over time, the initial excitement that Woodturning elicited may wane and you find other activities including watching TV a better use of your time. You spent a fortune on tools and machines but are not getting the results you expected to make.

Try and make yourself go to the Lathe, it cost you money so why not use it and be creative for an hour a day. If you get into the habit of avoiding the Lathe, you will soon fail as a Woodturner. Try and remember that you are doing this because it's for you and for you alone and you are not doing it for the benefit of someone else.

Woodturning can be very therapeutic for people so enjoy it for what it is. If you are married or living with someone, your Lathe can be a great refuge; take advantage of that whenever the situation arises lol.

Lack of Sales

This was very difficult for me in the 90s when I couldn't sell my early design Candle Holders. Hours of work and people didn't appreciate what I had created or so I thought. When I started my business I had similar experiences of sales droughts which are difficult to bear. You can't help but take these things personally especially in your early days Woodturning.

Remember, not everyone has the money to buy luxury items (which your pieces will be) and what you make may not appeal to everyone. There is no point in making products that you like when the masses have no interest.

Instead, look to current trends and try to come up with your own unusual take on a product. Don't just copy someone else's ideas, make your own. Unfortunately, there are Woodturners out there who steal ideas, I have had some of mine copied by others who should know better and it doesn't feel very nice. I always avoid replicating other Woodturner's products, it's just the decent thing to do!

In Conclusion

Go and get a lesson before you do anything. Trust me, it will be the best money you ever spend. If you enjoy your lesson, go ahead and spend money on the recommended gear. If it's just an OK experience, maybe Woodturning isn't for you. Better to find out now before splashing out thousands of Euro on equipment that will be idle in a few months.

If you didn't like it, you are only out of pocket for €150 or so and a few hours of your time but at least you had an experience and you can cross off Woodturning from your wishlist. Whatever the outcome, just go and do it and you will know where you stand regardless.

Hopefully the paragraphs about will strike a chord with you and you will go forward armed with information that will help you make good decisions. I had a difficult relationship with woodturning when I started but with proper Tuition, good machines and Tools I love what I do now. Maybe you will too!

For anyone interested, my listing options can be found on the page Woodturning Tuition.

Thanks for Reading and safe Turning!

David

About the Author

I’m David Condon, a woodturner and small business owner based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. I’ve been working with wood for most of my life — 11 years as a carpenter and over a decade running my own woodturning business.

During that time, I’ve worked with Irish hardwoods, taught woodturning, and run my workshop full-time. On this site, I share the same knowledge I pass on to my students — from choosing the right wood and tools to finishing techniques that make every project shine.

I also stock a carefully chosen range of turning blanks, tools, and craft supplies that I use every day in my own work. You can explore more of my handcrafted pieces and classes at David Condon Woodcraft.

© David Condon Woodcraft – All Rights Reserved.

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More Pages to Explore

• Household Woodcraft Gifts - Discover my range of Household Woodcraft for everyday use or special occasions, each crafted with care from exquisite Irish hardwood.

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• Hamlet Tools - Fantastic Woodturning Tools from a well trusted brand

• New Crafter's Haven - Browse a large selection of craft supplies I also sell, including gift bags and ribbon that would accentuate my wood products when giving as a gift.

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