Wood turning is one of the most admired crafts in woodworking. It’s an artistic way of transforming wood into ornate items without cutting it down into pieces just to put them together with nails or wood glue.
In wood turning, wood is fashioned in a similar way as wood sculpting. The wood is carefully carved out in various places and phases to create an entirely new product or object. And, this is made possible by the use of a woodworking lathe.
In this article, you’ll learn about what is a modern wood lathe and how to use this, wood turning for beginners safety tips, and how to choose the right lathe.
What is a Woodworking Lathe?
A wood lathe or woodworking lathe is a machine that’s used to hold and rotate wood blocks during wood turning. With its help, woodworkers can carve out shapes from the wood as it rotates in place, using gouges and chisels.
The goal is to transform a block of wood into a symmetrical product. The products that can be made include decorative wood pieces like ornate vases and everyday items such as wood bowls.
This process is virtually impossible without a woodworking lathe. If you don’t use a lathe, you can’t achieve an almost perfect symmetry—which is the main characteristic of wood-turned products.
Aside from a wood lathe, other important things you need to create symmetrical products are the right set of carving tools and a pair of steady, sure hands.
How do You Safely Use a Lathe?
Wood turning is basically a safe process. But since it involves the use of sharp carving tools, safety should still be given priority.
To safely use a lathe in wood turning, you should keep the following guidelines in mind:
• Always use protective eyewear when wood turning. This will protect your eyes in case the wood splinters or catches tools and spins it out.
• Use fitted working gloves. This will protect your hands as you work with sharp tools.
• Make sure there’s adequate lighting in the room so you can clearly see everything while you work.
• Keep your tools clean and sharp so they carve smoothly and are less likely to get caught in the rotating work piece.
• Keep the area around the lathe clean. Make sure there are no nearby objects that can catch into the rotating piece.
• Always use quality wood stock that don’t easily crack or splinter.
• Always inspect your lathe and tools for wear before each use.
How do You Choose the Right Lathe for Beginner Wood Turning?
There are different types and brands of wood lathe out there, but the differences are often minimal. Basically, you just need to choose a lathe that has the following characteristics:
• It should have a solid bed or base. This helps ensure the lathe’s stability while wood turning.
• It should have an adjustable tool rest. The tool rest is where your tools should be placed when wood turning, so it must be easily adjustable and must lock securely in position.
• It should have the right type of motor and head stock for the kind of products you will work on.
• It should have a tail stock that keeps the spindle rotating steadily and evenly.
• It should have an easily accessible power switch. You need to be able to reach the power switch easily in any position.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced wood turner, you need to make sure that you use the right lathe based on the wood products you plan to make. Also, no matter how small or big your project is, safety should be the first thing on your mind.
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