Wood Turning - Beginning by Choosing a Lathe - Seven Points to Consider

Obviously, to begin to turn wood you will need a lathe. These are not complicated machines when it comes to wood lathes and have been around for at least three thousand years. The first lathes were simply two points that held a piece of wood in place while the assistant to the turner used a rope to make the wood rotate and the turner cut the shapes. Today's wood lathes are made of steel or cast iron or some combination of the two and are powered by electric motors. They still use two points to hold the wood although some other attachment devices may be used. Here are seven points to look for when choosing a lathe.

1. Decide what you would most like to turn and get a lathe big enough to do so. Some people will want to turn little other than writing pens while others will want to make lamps, table legs, salad bowls or even wearable wooden hats. Lathe size will be indicated by a number such as the common 12 x 36, meaning the lathe will hold a piece of wood up to twelve inches in diameter and thirty-six inches long.
2. Make sure the lathe is sturdy enough to hold the wood you intend to turn. Obviously a lathe made to turn pens can be a lot lighter than one intended for large, unbalanced locks of green hardwood for salad bowls. Many lathes advertised as "professional" or "heavy duty" are anything but substantial. Be careful to buy from a reputable dealer and look for lots of cast iron and steel. Remember that you can turn small items on a big lathe but not the reverse.
3. Get a lathe that has appropriate speeds available for your preferred turning. Spindles such as chair legs, candle sticks and writing pens will want a higher speed than bowls. Speed is adjusted by moving belts along different pulleys or with mechanical or electronic variable speed drives. The latter are the more expensive but both work well. Rather than the adjustment procedure, which should be simple to do, it is the adjustment range with which we are concerned. Generally a low end of at most 600 rpm (revolutions per minute) and a high end of at least 2000 rpm is sufficient on most beginner lathes.
4. Be sure that the lathe will easily handle readily available accessories. It is frustrating to want a particular accessory and find that is extremely rare in sizes that fit your lathe. The two sizes that are most important for accessories are the head stock spindle thread and the head stock and tail stock tapers. Common thread sizes for most beginner lathes will be 1" x 8 tpi and 3/4" x 16 tpi with the former more common all the time. Accessories are readily available for either. Most spindles will be sizes with a Morse taper which will accommodate a number of accessories. Look for either a #1 or #2 Morse taper with #2 slightly preferred.
5. If the lathe comes with a stand or legs, be sure it is at your correct height. The accepted standard is to place the center of the spindle at the height of your elbow above the floor with your arm loosely at your side. This is not crucial as the lathe can be set up on blocks for tall people and short people can stand on a raised floor or box, but it is more convenient. Most beginner lathes will avoid this problem all together by needing a stand built for them. Make sure it is sturdy and of course the right height.
6. The lathe should be an appropriate size for the shop. Do not get more than your shop can accommodate.
7. If at all possible, get advice from a local turner. Remember that someone who has been turning a long time will have likely upgraded their first lathe to a higher standard and will want to boast of the accomplishments of the newest acquisition, however it is likely to be more than a beginner needs. On the other hand, this tends to be a highly addictive hobby and it makes sense to buy all your budget can afford. Above all, prepare to have fun and take care to be safe. Remember that the lathe is only the start and tools will be needed so be careful to leave room in the budget for those and other accessories.

   Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, http://aroundthewoods.com , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video. http://aroundthewoods.com You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog at http://roundopinions.blogspot.com as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.

Lathe Tools And Uses

The spindle rotates by means of an electric motor and a system of belts and pulleys and gear trains. Altering the setup of the drive train varies the speed. The part is secured in the rotating spindle by various means including three-jawed chucks, collets and centres. A tailstock fixes the end of the part with a centre. It can also be used to hold tools, which can be used for drilling, threading, reaming or cutting tapers. Different length parts can be accommodated easily by moving the tailstock to different sections of the bed to which it is attached.

A carriage holds and controls the tool used for cutting. It consists of a saddle, which can slide along the bed, an apron from which the tool is fed against the rotating part, a cross slide which regulates the traversing motion of the tool, a tool compound which enables the tool to be set at various angles and a tool post slot that houses the tool post.

The shape of the tool used varies depending upon the type of work required. Facing tools are ground to have sufficient clearance, finishing tools have a rounded nose to provide a fine finish, roughing tools leave more surface area behind for support to enable deeper cuts. There are also left hand cutting tools and tools for cutting aluminum which are angled differently again with the cutting edge above centre to reduce vibration. The tool is secured on the top of the tool post by bolts or alternatively by a quick release lever.

Moving the tool is accomplished by hand rotation of a slide mechanism or sometimes by an automatic or power feed, depending on the model of lathe. Another movement axis is the compound, which enables cuts of varying angles to be made. All these movements can be measured against a micrometer dial indicator to allow for minute adjustments.

The cutting speed of the machine is the rotation of the part against the tool measured in feet per minute. Another measurement is the feed rate, which is the distance of tool travel during one revolution of the part. The variables, applied to the cutting speed and feed, dictate the smoothness of the finished product. Therefore, the type of material to be cut is a deciding factor when determining the correct speed and feed rate. Other factors to be considered are the depth of the cut and condition of the tools and the lathe. Trial and error is sometimes the best way to determine the correct settings to achieve the best result as all of these factors vary greatly among different machines.

During operation the lathe reduces the diameter of a part to the required dimension with a roughing or finishing tool. A flat face can be achieved, which is perfectly perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical section using a facing tool. A parting tool is used for manufacturing narrow grooves and for cutting parts. A parting tool must be positioned so that it will clear the part throughout the horizontal movement and so that the tip of the tool is aligned with the exact centre of the part. Drilling is another operation, which can be conducted on a lathe with the holes accurately aligned with the centre axis of the part. Boring is similar to drilling in that a hole is made through the centre of the part but with boring, the hole is enlarged with the tip of the tool being extended into the hole and wound outwards. A part can have an external thread cut with a die and internal threads can be created using a tap. Another method for creating a thread is to cut the thread on the lathe using a special cutting tool with an angled nose.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Lathe

 

An Introduction To Engine Lathe

An engine lathe is a flat shaped piece of workholding, which is most frequently used to turn metal manually. By turning the metal and by using particular cutting devices, the engine lathe is competent of forming the metal into exact shapes. As its name goes, the engine lathe is over and over again used to make metal pieces for use in an engine, whether it could be for an automobile, a tractor, a boat, or as well for any other motorized vehicle or machine.
Even though people may use the engine lathe initially for spinning sheet metals, it is as well used for drilling, making square blocks, and for shaping shafts. Candle cup dies, copy burner nozzles, foundry pattern core boxes, and other prints are products an engine lathe could produce. Most modern tools were shaped with the assistance of an engine lathe. In addition, those who own an engine lathe could create their own devices with the machine. For these reasons, the engine lathe is regularly referred as a workholding machine.
Further features of an engine lathe consist of gears, a carriage, a tailstock, and a stepped pulley that are generally used for different kinds of spindle speeds. The workings in the engine lathe are used to control the carriage. Simultaneously, the carriage bolsters of the cutting tools. The tailstock is commonly used to hold up the hole-drilling process, which takes place in the spindle.
Engine lathes were in style in the 19th and 20th centuries at blacksmith shops and are yet far and wide used today. There have, on the other hand, been a few amendments to the engine lathe over the following years. In the unique engine lathe, the carriage might catch all the dust and dirt. When this mixed with the oil in the engine, it would shape up a grinding motion as the carriage moved back and forth while turning and for shaping the metal. The steady grinding finally wore the machine down and made it useless.
Today, the cart on an engine lathe is self-oiling further on and the rear. The carriage on the engine lathe has as well been improved, and is built to defend the machine from the remnants of the jobs it performs.
Article Tags: carriage, engine, lathe

Wood Turning - Beginning by Choosing a Lathe - Seven Points to Consider

Obviously, to begin to turn wood you will need a lathe. These are not complicated machines when it comes to wood lathes and have been around for at least three thousand years. The first lathes were simply two points that held a piece of wood in place while the assistant to the turner used a rope to make the wood rotate and the turner cut the shapes. Today's wood lathes are made of steel or cast iron or some combination of the two and are powered by electric motors. They still use two points to hold the wood although some other attachment devices may be used. Here are seven points to look for when choosing a lathe.
 

1. Decide what you would most like to turn and get a lathe big enough to do so. Some people will want to turn little other than writing pens while others will want to make lamps, table legs, salad bowls or even wearable wooden hats. Lathe size will be indicated by a number such as the common 12 x 36, meaning the lathe will hold a piece of wood up to twelve inches in diameter and thirty-six inches long.
2. Make sure the lathe is sturdy enough to hold the wood you intend to turn. Obviously a lathe made to turn pens can be a lot lighter than one intended for large, unbalanced locks of green hardwood for salad bowls. Many lathes advertised as "professional" or "heavy duty" are anything but substantial. Be careful to buy from a reputable dealer and look for lots of cast iron and steel. Remember that you can turn small items on a big lathe but not the reverse.
3. Get a lathe that has appropriate speeds available for your preferred turning. Spindles such as chair legs, candle sticks and writing pens will want a higher speed than bowls. Speed is adjusted by moving belts along different pulleys or with mechanical or electronic variable speed drives. The latter are the more expensive but both work well. Rather than the adjustment procedure, which should be simple to do, it is the adjustment range with which we are concerned. Generally a low end of at most 600 rpm (revolutions per minute) and a high end of at least 2000 rpm is sufficient on most beginner lathes.
4. Be sure that the lathe will easily handle readily available accessories. It is frustrating to want a particular accessory and find that is extremely rare in sizes that fit your lathe. The two sizes that are most important for accessories are the head stock spindle thread and the head stock and tail stock tapers. Common thread sizes for most beginner lathes will be 1" x 8 tpi and 3/4" x 16 tpi with the former more common all the time. Accessories are readily available for either. Most spindles will be sizes with a Morse taper which will accommodate a number of accessories. Look for either a #1 or #2 Morse taper with #2 slightly preferred.
5. If the lathe comes with a stand or legs, be sure it is at your correct height. The accepted standard is to place the center of the spindle at the height of your elbow above the floor with your arm loosely at your side. This is not crucial as the lathe can be set up on blocks for tall people and short people can stand on a raised floor or box, but it is more convenient. Most beginner lathes will avoid this problem all together by needing a stand built for them. Make sure it is sturdy and of course the right height.
6. The lathe should be an appropriate size for the shop. Do not get more than your shop can accommodate.
7. If at all possible, get advice from a local turner. Remember that someone who has been turning a long time will have likely upgraded their first lathe to a higher standard and will want to boast of the accomplishments of the newest acquisition, however it is likely to be more than a beginner needs. On the other hand, this tends to be a highly addictive hobby and it makes sense to buy all your budget can afford. Above all, prepare to have fun and take care to be safe. Remember that the lathe is only the start and tools will be needed so be careful to leave room in the budget for those and other accessories.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, http://aroundthewoods.com , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video. http://aroundthewoods.comYou can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog athttp://roundopinions.blogspot.com as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.

Lathe Art - How To Start Doing Lathe Art By Creating A Picture With Wood Strips

Years ago, my family enjoyed going to a small chain restaurant in town called the Ponderosa. It was affordable, and they served solid food. I liked it myself. But the thing that really stayed with me after the meal was over was the artwork they decorated with. The pictures were made out of thin strips of wood, fixed together to create landscapes, seascapes and scenery. It was so very comfortable to look at. Well, the Ponderosa here eventually went out of business, and now there is yet one more hamburger joint in town. That makes at least six, and this is a small town. Does this not seem a bit much?

In the years that have since gone by, there were a lot of bills to pay, sports and dances to take the kids to, and just plain things to do. I was busy. What can I say? A while back, I met a lady. It was not really spare time that she used in which to paint, but she painted every night after work. She was, and still is relentless about it. Painting is important to her, so she keeps doing it. Eventually, I told her about the art work I remembered from the Ponderosa. She must have held on to the idea, because the next year for Christmas, I got a precut kit of a seascape in lathe art.

At that time, it seemed to me that it would take a very gifted and artistic type of a person to create one of these pictures. I had no idea that I was able to do it! Now that lady that I was telling you about, has a work shop. Complete with all the tools. I was a little surprised too. She even knew how to use the tools! On our day off in the winter, she would have a fire going in the wood stove, and work on her projects all day out there. She did furniture refinishing and repairs. That was where my lathe art project was assembled.

After I put it together, it was easy to see that it would not be hard to continue, and create my own unique piece. All that was needed was a flat background to glue the wood strips to, and of coarse the wooden strips of wood. Where the edges needed to be formed for the strips, was an easy cut out on her band saw. All it took to get me going was a piece of 3/8" plywood, about 2' wide by 16" tall, and a two foot long 2"x4" that I ripped into 1/4" stats on the table saw.

I then drew a very simple picture to begin with on the plywood. It was an old red barn, with hills in the background. Almost like some of the folk art paintings. Just totally simple. The wood strips were placed on the plywood to be marked for each of the cuts. After all of the cuts were made to the wood strips, I assembled them, and glued them in place on the plywood. And voila! So easy to paint when all of the edges are already there for you! To keep the theme of the painting simple, I bordered it with straight cut and thinner strips, then framed it by cutting right angles on the end of 2" wide strips of wood, a little thicker than the slats that made up the picture.

The lady thinks that the piece is beautiful. It now hangs in our living room. Now I ask myself why I ever waited so long to try it. It's even a little easier to look forward to cold winter days!
To see more of the work I have done in lathe art, please visit my lady's website at http://www.reversepaintinglady.com and look for the Lathe Art page. Since beginning to work in this medium, I have also done some pictures in natural wood tones, using only different types of wood with varying grains to create the scenery.

Wood Turning Lathe - Is Bigger Better?

Wood turning lathes seem to be machines on steroids some days. They are getting bigger and more massive all the time. This is likely in response to two trends in the wood turning world. First is the response from manufacturers to a tendency among turners to make bigger and bigger pieces. Second is the prevailing idea that bigger is always better in almost every part of life. Sometimes it is just not so.

Ed Moulthrop was likely not the first to turn large pieces but he became famous for them in the twentieth century. His yard would be filled with huge sections of tree trunk more than three feet in diameter, awaiting their turn on his home made lathe. Most of them would be arranged on a slope above the shop to make them easier to manage when trying to get them indoors. He had to use a block and tackle to get them to and on the lathe and the lathe was home made to get something big enough and slow enough to turn them safely.

Here we get an idea of what the turner of large pieces of wood has to contend with each time a piece goes on the lathe. Wood is heavy and the hardwood that most turners work with is heavier still. When you consider that most of us start with green wood, the weight is even greater. How many people will really want to wrestle with a chunk of wood more than 150 pounds in weight each time they wish to turn? That is a section of log big enough to turn a 24 inch bowl. A 24 inch hollow form will easily start at 300 pounds for the blank. Considering that some turners turn upwards of four foot diameter bowls, the weight is considerable. In maple the blank, assuming you could find a tree 4 feet in diameter, would be about 1200 pounds.

For the average turner, if such a person exists, a big bowl tends to be 12 inches in diameter and for the beginner, 10 inches is a good size. It will hold a lot of salad, is large enough to handle, and can appear more intimidating than it needs to be. Many beginner level lathes will handle a 10 to 11 inch bowl and will generally serve for several years to come.

What is important for the beginner is to obtain a lathe. Be sure it is sturdy enough to use with safety and enjoyment. Wood turning is growing quickly and wood turning lathes for beginners are becoming popular with the manufacturers. This is a good time to begin your enjoyment with a wood turning lathe.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, Around the Woods , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video.

You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog atRound Opinions as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.

Wood Turning Lathe - the Heart of the Hobby

Wood turning has swept the wood working world as the fastest growing part of its methods. This of course has meant the growth of the wood lathe manufacturing industry as more and greater styles of lathe are being made. While this has meant a great deal of choice for the advanced turner with some idea of what he or she may desire in a machine, the buyer of one's first wood turning lathe may be in for a shock and a quandary over what lathe to buy.

The wood turning web sites do not in general come as any great help. While there are lots of places to learn to turn, most wood turners are self taught and are experienced in using only one lathe, perhaps two if they have upgraded along the way. Also there may be a lot of opinions given from people who have only one turning interest in life. The turner of large bowls who can not imagine that any one would like to turn anything else has a hard time recommending a lathe to someone who wishes to make intricate lace bobbins weighing less than an ounce.

Of course the other side of the picture is the web sites give a glimpse into the world of many kinds of wood turners using many wood turning lathes and making a wide range of round objects. Many of them have at least a picture of their lathes and some have personal reviews of their machines and tooling. It is a good idea for the beginner to get an idea of what is available.

Even better is the local wood turning club. Examine your local paper or bulletin board or contact the American Association of Woodturners which has branches in many countries. Wood turning clubs tend to be some of the friendliest places on earth with a great deal of information mixed with camaraderie. A typical meeting will deal with minimal business, a demonstration of wood turning and a members show and tell. Most clubs have a lathe that can be seen and some have one or more to lend.

Then there are the club members. Most clubs will have people who have turned for years and may be professional as well as intermediate and beginning hobbyists. It is normal for people of all levels to exchange opinions and ideas without prejudice for age or experience. What is more useful still for our discussion is most turners would welcome a newcomer into their midst to come and try their lathe. This is a great way to see what a lathe can do under some experienced instruction. Looking at a series of lathes should give an idea of what you would like to turn and what sort of wood turning lathe you would like to have.

While you are with the other turners do not neglect to get a lesson or two and perhaps a piece of wood. Turners as a group love to teach and each one has something unique to give. As a group they tend to be self taught for the most part, thus opinionated and stubborn over those opinions but great to one another and to anyone who wants to share the addiction. Wood turners and wood turning lathes, in their own way each is the heart of the hobby.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, Around the Woods , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video.

You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog atRound Opinions as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.