The benefits of using the lathe wood are to create the functional furniture component as well as for the beautiful wooden items like bowls and candlesticks. It can also be used for making the toys like yo yos and tops. The lathe machine is available in different sizes but the basic elements are the same in all options.
Simple Steps for Using A Lathe Wood
The user can follow the below-mentioned steps in order to use the Lathe Wood:
- Select A Lathe: The first step is to select the suitable lathe for the project, which totally depends on the need of the user like Benchtop lathes which is best suited for turning small projects like yo-yos and ink pens.
- Choose The Operation: In this step the user needs to choose the operation for lathe. A simple operation may be to turn any irregularly shaped lathe into the cylindrical shape.
- Select The Tools: Now it's very important to select the correct tools usually the lathe tools are known as chisels for the solid grip they have the long curved handles. The other tools that are very useful are Gouges, Scrapers, Parting tools, fluted gouges, spindle gouges, and nose chisels.
- Components: Its very important to learn the components of the lathe wood. The basic lathe consists of a bed, tailstock, headstock and tool rest.
- Owners Manual: Now the next step is to read the owners manual before heading towards actual lathe work for specific features, instructions, and for all the detailed safety instructions.
- Type Of Wood: Selecting type of wood is also an important thing for the beginner, softwood is the best option like southern yellow pine, lodge-pole pine, or balsam. Always look for the piece that has fairly straight grains and has few knots.
- Cut: Cut the lathe wood to the desired length, in case of the beginner start with a short size that should be less than 2 feet. This is because Longer work pieces are very difficult to cut, and it takes a lot of time in maintaining a uniform diameter along the length of the longer piece.
- Mark The Center: The user needs to mark the center of the end of every stock piece, then place it between the center of the lathe. While placing it in the lathe make sure that it is securely held and all the clamps are tightened, otherwise the piece of wood can fly off from the lathe while turning.
- Tool Rest: In this step the user needs to position the tool rest to parallel to the length of the wood piece, It is advisable to keep it far enough back as that allows the wood to rotate without hitting lathe but as close as possible.
- Free Spin Or Hand Turn: It is advisable to turn the piece of wood by hand before turning the lathe on, the user also needs to make sure it has the sufficient clearance.
- Choose The Chisel: Always choose the chisel that best suits to the operation(turning). The roughing gouge is a good choice for beginning to turn an irregular shaped wood down to a round shape.
- Turn The Lathe On: Here the user needs to make sure that while turning the lathe on, keep the speed at low setting.
- Resistance Of The Cutting Edge: The user can feel the resistance of the cutting edge and can easily see the chips of the wood being cut. Cut the small piece while turning.
- Begin Moving: Now in this step the user needs to start moving the cutting edge exactly parallel to the rotation of the wood piece and continue to make a light cut along all its length.
- Pushing: Now continue, pushing the tool in the wood slowly in passes, this will help to remove an equal amount of the wood in passes, besides that this will cut away the angular corners, and makes work piece round.
- Stop Frequently: It is very important to stop the lathe frequently in beginning, to check the results. Clear the debris and look for the stress cracks in wood.
- Smooth: In order to smooth the wood slowly increase the work speed, and hold the cutting tool in a way that it barely touches the wood move slowly along the length of the piece.
- Sanding: At last sand the wood piece.