5 Quick Essential Tips to Maximize a Lathe

With all the awesome things a wood lathe can produce, it's not hard to understand why woodworkers find the machine a must-have. It's like talent. You either have it or you don't. But if you have a lathe, that would mean making a baseball bat, a table's legs or a custom travel mug.

It's the "mother of all power tools". And this notion certainly holds water when you're talking about the lathe. Also dubbed as the oldest power tool in history, the wood lathe has made possible art on wood. Fact is the potter's act of shaping the clay while turning the material is an elementary example of how the wood lathe operates.

Now, as in everything else in your woodworking craft, you will have to learn the basics to master lathe operation. Before you fall into any untoward events, here are 5 helpful tips to guide your wood-turning. So you come up with great wood designs at lesser time. And with no incidents whatsoever.

1. Know the parts well 

For you to effectively and properly use a lathe you would have to know that parts well enough. Once you know the parts very well then you wouldn’t have a problem handling the machine.

• Stand and bed

Obviously from the name you can easily tell that the function of the stand is to hold the wood lathe. The type of stand a wood lathe has would determine its stability. The stand also helps raise the bed to different height.

The interesting thing is that most wood lathes have stands and beds. While those that don’t have are mounted on a table or workbench.

• Power source

Every wood lathe has a power source but the power varies. Anyway, in modern wood lathes the power is driven by a belt or even a gear drive. That sure wasn’t the case with traditional wood lathes. They were actually driven by a flywheel or a treadle.

Most times the motor is located in the stand or is located in the headstock. Either way the wood lathe would still function effectively.

• Headstock

The headstock is actually located on one end of its bed. And it also contains spinning bearings that are highly precise. The spindle is actually located within these bearings.

• Speed changing mechanism

The headstock actually has parts that help convert motor speed into different spindle speeds. That way the wood lathe is able to move at a controlled speed. And with this a better result is obtained.

• Tailstock

They are also known as loose head. It’s quite simple, by loosening a locking nut you can easily position the tailstock on any part of the bed. Once you’ve moved it to where it’s comfortable for you then you can now re-lock it.

2. Understand the basics 

Every wood worker knows the importance of a wood lathe when handling projects. But not all wood worker knows the necessary steps and guides to take while using it.

Once you have a wood lathe in your workshop it’s advisable to go through the manufacturer’s manual. Get a glimpse of how to operate it. Things you have to do and things you must not do. That way it’s a lot easier for you.

At the same time you would have to go through the safety guides. So that when working you wouldn’t make a mistake that can cause you any form of injury.

Here are some of the basic steps you have to take.

• Select the right tools

With so many brands and types out there you wouldn’t want to make the mistake of getting a tool that wouldn’t be useful for you. When you have a project at hand it’s important that you get the right tools.

First, choose the right wood lathe that would work well for that project. Depending on the type of finishing you want. Sometimes the size of the work piece would determine the size of the wood lathe.

Next, choose tools that would help in giving you a better result. With good tools you can be sure that your work will be a lot easier.

Now to the work piece. Choose the right dimension and thickness for your work piece. That way you wouldn’t overwork your wood lathe.

• Prepare the wood

Once you have the work piece with you, you would have to prepare the wood for turning. In doing this you would have to square the stock and bevel its corners. That way it helps reduce the amount of wood to be removed.

Now you can cut the work piece into a desired length. It’s important that you cut the work piece according to the size of the wood lathe. That way it’s easier for the wood lathe to turn it.

• Position the work piece

One thing you have to do is to position the work piece well on the wood lathe. You would have to push the tailstock until it’s positioned on the tail end of the stock.

Also the tool rest should be made parallel to the length of the work piece. It should be a bit close but not too close so that the stock would be able to move without hitting the tool rest.

• Start turning

At first make sure that the wood lathe is in the lowest speed setting. Then you would have to place the chisel on the cutting edge and make sure that it’s clear of the work piece that’s rotating.

From time to time you would have to check on the progress of the cutting process. You have to clear away debris that accumulate while turning. At the same time you have to ensure that the diameter and length of the stock are even.

• Finish the piece

One other thing you would have to do is finish the piece. You would have to do this using a sander. Smoothening out the surface of the wood provides for a very good finish. And gives the work piece a better look.

3. Maintain the wood lathe 

One important thing you would have to do when using an equipment or machine is keeping it in good shape. If you fail to do this the equipment would suddenly stop working one day.

Before you use a wood lathe it’s important that you check for adjustments and lubrication. Ensure that everything is in order. Make sure that all the parts are well-lubricated. And that the bolts and nuts are not loose.

That way you are sure that the wood lathe would function properly.

The extent to which you use the wood lathe would determine how frequently maintenance should be. For frequent users you would have to worry about maintaining it frequently.

One thing you should always ensure as a user is that your lathe is always clean and free of grit.

4. Always take safety precautions 

One thing a wood worker must always bear in mind is that staying safe is the most important thing while working. Since wood working deals with a lot of tools it’s important that you always protect yourself.

You would have to put on the necessary safety precautions wears. This way you know that you’re a bit safe while using the wood lathe.

At the same time don’t wear loose clothes while using a wood lathe. It can be very dangerous. Also wearing dangling jewelry as well could be very dangerous.

You have to put all these into consideration if you don’t want to harm youself while working.

5. Sharpen the tools 

As much as you use the tools you would have to keep them sharp. Using blunt tools can be very annoying, stressful and also time consuming. So if you don’t want to go through all that always keep the tools sharp.

Also, for turning tools it’s a lot more delicate. The edges of the tools does not last long.

You could actually sharpen it yourself with a stone but it takes times and also requires skill. But with a dry grinder that isn’t needed. It easily sharpens the tools with ease.

6 Most Practical Safety Tips to Steer Clear of Injuries While Woodworking

Losing just strands of hair at times can be very disheartening for ladies. A part of their body is now gone. The full, good looking hair is becoming that scanty rough hair. A solution is the next thought that pops out of their minds.

Well, that’s actually understandable. Nobody wants to lose any part of the body.

But with woodworking so many workers are prone to so many injuries. And that’s actually because of the tools and equipment that is being used.

Is it possible to steer clear from all the injuries you could get in a workshop? Of course that’s possible. That’s why we’ve come up with this section.

Here you would find out 6 safety tips that would help you out. Read on.

1. Always pay attention 

As much as driving is very interesting it could also be very dangerous. With driving there are a lot of rules to abide by. And not following one single rule out of the many could actually be very dangerous.

The same goes for woodworking. That’s why as a woodworker one skill you would have to learn is concentration. Not concentrating on your work can cause an injury.

If you’re a music lover, playing your favourite album could help a bit. But if not, then you would have to opt for other options.

2. Be at alert 

It’s dangerous to drive when you’re feeling sleepy. You could hit someone or even run into a packed vehicle. That’s also how woodworking is.

Well, woodworking could be very tiring. But you have to make sure that you aren’t depriving your body of rest. You would have to rest well so that while working you’re at alert.

Not being at alert when using a table saw could cost you a finger. Especially if the table saw doesn’t have any mechanism to stop the saw from working when it comes in contact with your skin.

Once you feel sleepy you should just go get enough rest.

3. Follow the rules 

As difficult as it is to follow the rules at times it’s also very important. If you don’t follow the rules then you should be ready to face the consequence.

The interesting thing is that rules are set in place to avoid these injuries. So to remain save you have to follow them strictly.

4. Use safety features 

Wearing safety wears could also help save you from injuries. You have to put on the proper safety glasses, ear protection and hand gloves. That way you know that is anything is about the happen the safety wear would be attacked first before you.

5. Maintain machines and also tools 

Even though this is very stressful you still have to do it. Once your tools and machine are in good shape they wouldn’t malfunction. As long as they don’t malfunction it reduces the risk of you getting injured.

With dull tools you would have to exert so much force. And the truth is that more force means less control. And once you lose control that can be very dangerous.

6. Give listening ear to your fear

In a workshop your fear isn’t your enemy instead it’s the other way round. When you feel something isn’t right stop what you’re doing and try to check. Check the bolts, screws and also other parts of the machine or tool.

Also if you don’t have the confidence to use a machine a tool then don’t use it. You might not be able to control it. And that can lead to an injury.