The PSI LCHSS8 HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set - Where To Get The Best Deal

Are you looking for the PSI LCHSS8 HSS Wood lathe Chisel Set? If so it would certainly be a good idea to get a good deal on it.

The PSI LCHSS8 HSS wood lathe chisel set is a very versatile tool to use at home or at work. For busy people shopping online is a smart thing to do because it very fast and it is also where we get the best deals.

The PSI LCHSS8 HSS Wood lathe Chisel Set is a very versatile tool

The PSI LCHSS8 HSS Wood lathe Chisel Set is the ideal kit for turning pens, spindles, bowls and larger projects. It is very convenient to have a tool which can be used for most of the small, medium or even larger projects.

This 8-piece set will also suit turner of all skill levels, it doesn't matter if you are a very skilled turner or just an apprentice still learning woodworking, this PSI LCHSS8 HSS Wood lathe chisel set will be right for you.

Then when we add to this the beautifully turned 10-3/4-Inch hardwood handles that each chisel is mounted on, it makes this set a very good choice for your entire home or work woodworking activities.

Shopping online is a smart thing to do nowadays

Shopping online is really a smart thing to do, because you don't need to spend time around town to find out where to buy the ideal tool. It can be quite tiring and stressful to find out which specialized store sells that kind of woodworking tools.

Instead you can stay home, you purchase from your computer and the online store will deliver your product to you directly, free of charge.

How and where to get the best deal

If you agree that shopping online is the smart thing to do, then here is how to get the best deal with free shipping.

You can for example visit various online stores and check out their prices and shipping policy.

This on the other hand could become very time consuming and as you know shopping online is meant to be fast.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Setting Up Your Wood Lathe: Where Will It Fit In The Shop?

If you have a little, portable wood lathe, setting it in the woodworking shop is not a huge question, it can always be moved. However, most are large machines and will remain in one place for a long time. There are a few considerations when selecting a spot for it to live.

Kitchen design has long decided on using a work triangle to position major appliances. A cook will wish to be near the sink for water; a counter area for cutting and mixing; the refrigerator for supplies and temporary food holding; and the stove for cooking. These all should fit into a triangular arrangement for easy movement and efficiency. Similarly, such a triangle is needed for a woodturning station.

In general the positioning for work preparation is not a great need to be immediately in the triangle because the wood is prepared for the lathe and mounted but the preparation area may not be visited for some time. This is particularly true for large pieces but a different case may be in order for small pieces. If your turning tends to be mainly of small, repetitive projects such as pens, tea lights or ornaments, it is good to have either a work preparation spot or a materials holding spot in easy walking distance.

Tools need to be in a spot that is out of the way but easily reached. They need to be out of the way simply because they are sharp and a sharp tool cuts if walked into or hit in the wrong way. However, woodturners are often reaching for a different tool and they should be at arms length. It is a good idea to have them racked with the tips down and distinctive handles for easy selection. Also, any accessories such as chucks, faceplates, centres and the like should be nearby.

Sharp tools are an enjoyment to a turner and dull ones are a dangerous curse. However, the reality of the craft is tools dull quickly and need to be sharpened often and well. The sharpening station needs to be a step or two away and all the sharpening needs with it. At a minimum, any jigs should be set and ready and a wheel dresser handy to keep the wheels in good shape.

We sometimes forget that sanding and finishing is a big part of wood turning. Sand paper should be stored near the lathe in appropriate grits and sizes along with whatever sanding aids are typically used. Finishing supplies may be stored for safety but brought out to the turning as required.

Not absolutely necessary but a good addition is a small bench to hold extras that are needed for some projects. This area should be kept clean except when needed.

While all these need to be within the work triangle, room needs to be left around the lathe to work in safety. Sometimes an extra step to get a piece of sandpaper or run a new edge on a skew gives just the bit of a break that is needed to catch a breath and enjoy the whole woodturning process for which the lathe was set up in the first place.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Choosing A Wood Lathe: Make Sure The Tool Fits The Shop

Wood lathes are generally substantial tools that are going to be part of a general woodworking shop. As such, some consideration needs to be given to ensure that they fit the shop well. At least three areas need to be looked at, namely the type of the shop, the size of the workshop and the woodturner concerned.

Woodworking shops come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and characters. Either form the beginning or over time they develop a personality depending on the work that is done in them. As woodturning either develops in them or is introduced, they ten to fit three large groups. One is the furniture shop, another an all purpose wood shop, and finally the dedicated woodturning centre.

For the furniture shop, a wood lathe will likely be used to turn both small items such as speciality door knobs and larger items such as table legs. A typical lathe for this shop would be one that can turn a twelve inch diameter spindle up to thirty eight inches long. It needs to be remembered that small items such as those door knobs can be turned on a large lathe but a large item can not be turned on a small lathe. The capacity to make a sturdy bench for the lathe is inherent in a furniture shop and it can be produced to hold a lot of the tools and accessories needed for turning wood.

The all purpose wood shop will likely want a similar lathe to the furniture shop but may want it to be able to turn larger pieces. Many of today's lathes allow for the headstock to swing and handle large pieces for outboard faceplate work. If this is desired, it is a good idea to get a lathe that will have a minimum speed of four hundred revolutions per minute or even lower to reduce vibration.

The dedicated woodturning centre will need at least the second type of lathe and may be better served with a family of lathes that allow for various work to be going on at various times. One lathe may be dedicated to spindle work while another without ways is designed for faceplate work alone. Still another mini lathe may be available for small work at high speeds.

With these considerations comes the need for the lathe or lathes to fit the shop. Not only does a larger lathe require more floorspace for its footprint, it also needs a fair amount of room around it for the woodturner to move in safety while turning. It will also need to fit itself around the other tools to give a good feel to the shop work flow.

Finally, every woodturner will develop his or her own style and desire of woodturning. While the first lathe will seldom truly reflect this except by chance, the second and subsequent lathes can be chosen to make the preferred choices in wood turning more enjoyable and perhaps safer as well.

Wood lathes are tools that tend to be a part of the woodworking shop for a long time and due consideration should be given to their purchase. It is an opportunity for reflection on our craft and in itself can be an enjoyable part of the process.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Finding the Right Lathe

A lathe is one of the more important tools used in carpentry. If you want to start collecting your own tools so you could make your own carpentry and woodworking projects you have to include it in your list. With it you can create beautiful pieces of wood craft. Once you get the hang of using this great tool you would certainly enjoy using it that you would never want to give it up. Symmetrical and even pieces of wooden furniture can be produced using this piece of equipment. Now if you are wondering how to pick a wood lathe there are certain things that you should now.

A lathe is made of three main parts. The main one is the motor which is the most crucial component since it is the driving force behind the tool. So the motor will have to be the main thing to check. Make sure that you are picking a powerful and reliable motor. One that would not burn out or breakdown while yo are using. The other main parts that make up a lathe are the stocks on both ends which will hold the piece of wood so you can work on it. Another thing to consider when you are thinking of buying this type of tool is that you have to make sure that there will be enough space for it. When using a lathe you will need a lot of space to move in so you could turn the piece of wood while you are working on it.

There are all kinds of lathe so make sure that you know the types of wood craft that you will be working on it before you actually buy one. If you are planning on working on small pieces of wood then a table top lathe should be okay. If you are thinking of working on large pieces of wood then you have to buy the bigger type of lathe, the one that can be balanced on its own weight.

These are just some simple things to remember on how to pick the best lathe. It helps to be armed with these simple gems of wisdom so you don't regret any purchase that you make. The idea of carefully scrutinizing a product first before actually deciding on buying it should apply with other tools as well. make sure that you consider all the factors that will be involved in their use before you buy them.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathes? - A Couple of Things to Think About When Buying a Used One

Wood lathes come on the used market in a fairly regular fashion and can be a great way to get a good wood lathe for the money. On the other hand some of the used lathes are lemons. Here are a few suggestions for the shopping trip.

First of all have some idea of what you want to do with a wood lathe in your shop. If you are upgrading from your present machine then you have some opinions as to what things are needed. The novice buyer has a harder road to follow.

There are two main ways to turn wood, spindle and faceplate. Spindle turning includes such things and chair and table legs and is normal way to general woodworkers to enter the woodturning world. Making turned legs for a table eventually leads to making a table as an excuse for turning legs. Faceplate work includes pieces such as round table tops, bowls and vases. Most people who take up faceplate work desire to turn bowls and go from there.

Most beginner lathes will be suitable for spindles and bowls. Older wood lathes used a system of working over the bed of the lathe for spindles and at the other end of the headstock worked "offside" for bowls and such. This required faceplates and other materials to have "left handed" threads. In effect, the bother of setting up for outboard turning meant that most woodturners could not be bothered and settled for making the largest bowl that would fit over the lathe bed. Today's manufacturers often compromise with a headstock that rotates and allows for bigger pieces using the same holding equipment as over the bed.

The problem that arises with this setup comes from lathe speeds. Generally spindles are turned much faster than faceplate work. Large bowl blanks, if unbalanced as most are, can at high speeds shake a lathe apart; cause the lathe to walk across the floor; or turn the wood into a projectile. At slow speeds none of these occur. Six hundred rpm is just slow enough for a twelve inch bowl, but slower is better.

So when looking for a lathe, get one that fits your preferred style of turning. For spindles a solid set of ways making up the lathe bed are important. Faceplate lathes should be very sturdy at the headstock, handle a large piece of wood, and have a low speed. Remember that a wood lathe is a basic power tool and look for the finish and quality you would normally desire in a good tool.

Wood lathes are a lot of fun in the woodworking shop. There are some great bargains on the used market and with a bit of insight, a used lathe is a wonderful way to get started in the woodturning craft.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodturners And The Band Saw: Getting A Good Start On Round

Woodturning is the art and craft of taking wood and making it round in decorative and utilitarian ways. In order to do this it is necessary to mount the wood onto the wood lathe. Preparation for doing so, particularly in faceplate work, can be greatly aided by the band saw.

Faceplate work generally consists of turning rounds and disks into various forms. Consider the challenge of getting a ten inch bowl blank onto a twelve inch lathe. While it sounds like a great fit, consider yourself looking down at the top of the blank as it is cut from the log. Most likely it started as a ten inch round and ten inch long section. Once cut lengthwise in two it now has semicircular ends and a flat top. That top measures roughly ten inches on a side which sounds good for the lathe until one looks at the diagonals. They will be roughly fourteen inches long and are going to hit the lathe bed preventing it form turning. The corners need to be removed.

While it can be done with a chain saw, many turners find it easier to do so with a band saw. One method is to flip the blank over so the flat side is down and able to sit on the band saw table. A cardboard or thin wood disk of appropriate size, ten inches in our example, is tacked to the rounded center of the section. This serves as a template to cut around. With the flat side on the table, this is now a supported cut.

Green wood cutting such as this requires a blade with coarse teeth, good gullets and a wide set. Three eighths inch blades with three hook teeth fer inch tend to work well. Care is needed as for part of the cut as the wood curves down there is a lot of blade exposed, but it is easy to keep ones fingers away from the blade with reasonable caution. Sometimes a spray of cooking oil on the balde will help to relieve binding as green wood can swell with the friction of a cut. Once the blank is round it can then be mounted on the wood lathe with plenty of clearance.

Band saws can also be used for straight cuts. Again, if cutting boards and squares for spindle projects and small items, it is important to establish a flat to move on the table. Unsupported cuts can cause the blade to bind pulling the work at high speed and power to the table. This can cause a broken blade or, worse, pull hands and fingers into the moving blade. If round work is to be cut it needs to be stabilized so it can not be caught or rotated by the blade.

The band saw is often considered one of the safest of all the cutting tools in the power woodworking shop as it does not cause kickback as might a table saw or radial arm saw. It also provides for the curved cuts so often needed by woodturners. With simple caution and good set up it is an excellent addition to the craft.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathe Turning Tools - Are The Different Steels Necessary?

While there are a myriad of wood turning tools for the myriad of lathes now available, the quandary of which tools to purchase can be broken down by knowing a few simple rules. For the beginning wood turner this can be invaluable so as not to break the bank buying tools that will never be used or used so seldom as to be not worth the purchase price.

First it should be noted that all turning tools follow the same pattern regardless of their being a gouge, chisel, skew, parting tool or what have you. They all have a handle for control, a shaft to hold the cutting tip and the cutting tip itself. The shaft and cutting tip may be one piece or the tip may be inserted into the shaft as in the case of an Oland tool, or screwed on to it such as is the manner of many scrapers.

The differences in the cutting tips are generally obvious. Bowl gouges, for instance, will have a deeper flute in the shaft than will spindle gouges. This results in a deeper cutting tip with heavier wings than the shallow gouges used for spindles.

Not so obvious is the type of steel used to make the tool. For all intents and purposes there are three types of steel used for wood turning tools; high carbon, high speed and specialty. Until fairly recently, most woodturning tools were made from high carbon steel but now the vast majority use high speed steel.

High carbon steels take a sharper edge than do high speed steels but it does not last long under the stress of turning that modern wood lathes give. While many woodturners use it for tools just for the last finishing cuts, high carbon steel tools are not recommended for the beginner. They are tricky to sharpen without losing the temper and the edge does not last.

High speed steels, on the other hand, can handle a lot of abuse at the grinding wheel and it is believed that they can not lose their temper under the conditions of a general home woodworking shop. While they will not become as sharp as will high carbon steels they will hold a sufficiently sharp edge for a lot longer. This is the recommended steel for most turners, whether beginner or experienced.

The specialty steels tend to hold an edge for a long time. Whether they can be sharpened to a finer edge than high speed steels is open for debate but they can certainly be sharpened to a sufficient sharpness for wood turning. They are more expensive than high speed steel and purchasing them may be more a question of cash flow than of actual need.

Regardless of the steel used, a sufficient array of tools to make the necessary cuts at the wood lathe need to be purchased. In most cases, high speed steel tools are a good buy and will make for an enjoyable time at the wood lathe.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Beginning Woodturning - Mounting the Wood

While it is obvious that wood is spun on the wood lathe and then shaped with various hand tools, it is less obvious how to mount the wood on to the lathe in the first place. A bit of observation and common sense can turn this into an easy and safe operation.

Wood is mounted to the lathe in either spindle or faceplate orientation. Spindle turning means the grain of the wood will run parallel to the ground while faceplate implies the grain runs perpendicular to the ground. While there can be variations on this theme, the beginner is advised to follow the scheme until sufficient practise is obtained to change it with safety.

Chair legs and rungs are almost always turned in spindle orientation for reasons of strength. The pieces that join the legs together are often called spindles, hence the use of the term in woodturning.

Most wood lathes come with a spur center for the headstock and a tail center for the tailstock. Each of these has a center point. Many tail centers have ball bearings and turn freely. Spur centers are surrounded by two, three or more spurs that engage the wood. Spindle stock is mounted between these centers. Be sure to place the centers into the appropriate head and tail stocks. Ensure they are seated so that the spurs engage the wood and make it turn. From time to time while turning, tighten the tailstock to keep the spurs working. They will try to bore their way into the wood somewhat like a drill bit.

Again, most wood lathes will come with a faceplate. Like spur and tail centers they are also readily available from a variety of after market suppliers. Just get one that fits the threads on your lathe. The larger the piece of wood that is to be turned, the larger the faceplate that may be required, however, it is rare for most home wood lathes to require a faceplate larger than six inches.

Faceplates are used to turn objects such as bowls, platters, vases and hollow forms. They are mounted to the wood with screws and number fourteen, self tapping, sheet metal screws are advised. These have deep threads that hold the work well and are extremely strong. Usually screws that allow the threads to go three quarter inches deep are sufficient for most turning but longer ones give more security if needed. Be sure that the wood surface to which the faceplate attaches is flat. This gives a great deal of the holding power of the faceplate.

While there are other means of mounting the wood such as dedicated chucks, glue blocks, and four jaw chucks, centers and faceplates will allow the beginning turner to mount wood to the lathe for a great many projects. The old time wood turners used just these to outfit homes and businesses with wood turned essentials and art work.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathe Chucks - A New Look at an Old Trick

When the old timers talked about chucks for the wood lathe, they meant either a Jacob's chuck, a screw chuck or a glue block chuck. Glue chucks took a long time to set but were convenient to use. New glues make the convenience even greater and the old chucks more versatile for the home turner looking for an easy and effective way to hold work on the lathe.

Glue chucks are almost always used for faceplate work. In fact they start with a faceplate. Let us assume that a bowl was being turned and no screw holes were desired in the bottom. Instead of screwing the a faceplate to the bottom of the bowl a piece of scrap wood was screwed to the faceplate. This was then turned round and faced flat. Then the bowl was glued to the scrap wood.

Because it would be hard to get the scrap wood off the bowl, a piece of paper was glued between the wood and the bowl bottom. Once the bowl was finish turned it was removed from the chuck by placing a chisel or plane blade at the paper and striking it. The paper would split leaving half on the bowl and half on the chuck. With a bit of sanding the bowl was ready to finish and the chuck was ready for the next gluing.

The only problem with the old glue chuck was the time it took for the glue to set, generally overnight. Two of today's glues speed up the process and lend a great deal of convenience, hot glue and super glue.

The same hot glue used by the crafters does a great job in mounting a dry bowl blank to a glue chuck. No paper is used. The glue is simply applied from a well heated gun to the scrap block and then immediately pressed to the bowl bottom. Withing a couple of minutes it can be mounted on the lathe and turned. Once finished it can be removed with a friction cut of a parting tool into the waste block to loosen the glue or by striking the glue line with a chisel.

Unfortunately hot glue will not work with wet wood which many wood turners like to use. Super glue or cyanoacrylate glue does a fine job. First a shot of accelerator is applied to the bowl bottom. Then a bead of super glue is applied to the waste block on the glue chuck. Both are pressed together and again withing a couple of minutes the piece is ready to mount on the wood lathe. Once finished the nature of the glue allows separation from the glue chuck with a sharp rap on a chisel held at the glue line.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathe Safety: Keep Your Lathe In Good Condition

Power tools such as table saws and wood lathes are inherently dangerous although the wood lathe is likely one the safest of the larger power tools in the woodworking shop. Yet there are some considerations in the maintenance of a wood lathe that keep safety standards high.

Maintenance for the wood lathe may be channelled into three categories, long term, regular and steady. For the amateur woodturner this can for all intents and purposes be thought of as yearly, monthly, and by the session. With a little thought and preparation, this need not be a tedious set of procedures but simply a part of the woodturning experience. Too often we ignore the bigger parts of a lathe until they break. This causes frustration an interruption in work flow that may last for weeks waiting for parts.

Yearly maintenance looks at the overall health of the lathe. Wood lathes rotate wood between head stocks and tail stocks while allowing the turner to move tools back and forth to remove wood. This means there are bearings for things that rotate, motors that drive the rotations, belts to move power from one location to another, and metal sliding on metal to allow tools to move.

The simplest of these to check is the sliding of tools rests and tailstocks over the ways of a lathe to manoeuvre tools and hold wood. If there is hesitation in the movement of either it is usually due to rust on the ways or finishes that have hardened on the metal. Remove the tailstock and the tool rest banjo from the lathe and check for either on the bottom of each. Clean rust and finish from the ways, banjo and tailstock with fine sandpaper, steel wool or cleaner and apply wax to the ways for easier movement and rust prevention before replacing the tailstock and banjo.

Check belts for wear and replace them from spare belts that you have on hand. Belts tend to be the inexpensive side of lathe repair and it is good to have a spare one in the shop. Likewise, bearing will likely announce incipient wear with noise or movement and should be ordered before demanding replacement. Each lathe is slightly different for bearing replacement so follow your manufacturers advice.

At least monthly blow any dust out of the motor and inspect the wiring for good repair. Mounting bolts can loosen with vibration from turning wood and should be checked for tightness. This is a good time to look at belts and bearings for wear and to order new ones for the annual checkup.

Before every turning session make sure that the lathe is not crowded with other tools and there is plenty of room to move around it while turning. Be sure all tools are sharp and the sharpening station is ready to go with a cleaned wheel. Just before turning the lathe on check one more time to be certain the moving wood will clear the tool rest and all parts of the lathe are tightened down.

Very quickly this all becomes second nature and adds to the enjoyment of turning wood. The satisfaction of knowing the tools are in order will only add to the satisfaction and pleasure of the wood turning experience.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

CNC Wood Lathe

CNC wood lathes can come in handy for many different wood working projects. You can create one-of-a-kind projects, beautiful spindles and stair rails, among other things. There is no more hand turning or cranking. This computer operated machine does all of the work for you.

The CNC wood lathe can be a great addition to any woodworking shop or hobby shop. If you are into furniture making or remodeling homes, this can also be the perfect machine for you. You can use this machine to not only sculpt and mold the perfect spindles or stair railings; you can use it for many other things such as putting designs into other projects.

The CNC wood lathe can also be used with other materials. Aluminum and brass works great with the wood lathe. The materials can stand up to the numerous and continuous turning process and this gives you even more possibilities for creativity and design. This machine could be the one addition to your shop that induces more creativity and customers, as well as income.

The CNC wood lathes are available in various sizes, and the one that you want will depend upon the type of work that you normally do. Smaller models can be mounted onto benches and are semi-portable. Portability offers new avenues for your business.

Remember that lathes operate on a spinning process; therefore, you must always practice safety precautions when working with a lathe. The CNC wood lathe means that it is controlled through the computer and once the machine begins to start it will continue to make the number of turns that the program specifies until it is done. This could cause major safety issues if one is not careful when working around it.

Make sure you do not wear loose sleeves that could potentially get caught in the machine. Do not wear any watches or rings. These too can get caught in a machine like this. Always make sure that you wear safety goggles to help protect your eyes, even if there is no flying debris. It's just a good habit to get into. Another good idea is to wear earplugs around any type of machinery.

Other safety precaution could be simple things like making sure that the machine has completely stopped before attempting to make adjustments or changing the speed of the spindles on the machine.

When it comes to the CNC wood lathes, make sure that you always have the correct cutting tool for the material. This is a major factor in determining how precise and finished the product will turn out once the machine has finished its process. The wrong tool can lead to disastrous effects.

To learn more about the CNC wood lathe and the process that it entails, ask your dealer. They will be able to answer any other questions that you may have. They will also be able to instruct you on the type and size of the machine that you will need for the jobs that you want to do.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Making a Pen with Your New Wood Lathe

So you just purchased a wood lathe but do not know what kind of project you should start out with. As soon as the right amount of skill is obtained, beautiful pieces of woodwork can be created with a wood lathe. However, before you get too over your head, it is best to start out with a basic woodturning project. My recommendation would be beginning by carving your very own pen.

Pen turning is a common hobby or past time. These homemade pens can make excellent gifts for any event. Pen turning is a fun yet practical project that can help you get a taste of the capabilities of your wood lathe. The following are some tips in preparing your wood for the lathe that will help you make your first wood lathe experience successful.

1. Pick an interesting wood blank. One of the great things

about pen turning is you can use any sort of wood you want, including scrap pieces from other projects. Pick out a piece of wood with interesting figuring. Be aware that some wood changes appearance with light and air exposure and will begin to look dull with time, such as Paduak or Purple Heart wood. If you are not comfortable using a scrap piece of wood there are numerous wood blanks that can be purchased in all sorts of exotic woods.

2. Examine your wood. It is very important that you examine the wood you are using for your pen project. Make sure that your wood is dry and without faults or cracks. Damp and cracked wood will make for a lousy pen, if you can even make one out of that type of wood at all.

3. It is better to be oversized than undersized. If you have to choose between an oversized wood blank and an undersized blank, always choose the oversized one. This will give you some leeway just in case you make a mistake.

4. Have an idea. As with everything else in life, your pen will turn out better if you have an idea on what you want to create before you start. Decide before using the wood lathe on what type of shape you want your pen to be.

5. Mark the wood blank before you cut. It is nice to put a pencil mark across the grain of the wood before you start. This will make it easier to match up the grain pattern after you cut the wood blank.

6. Make sure your ends are square. If the ends of your wood blank are not perfectly square before using the wood lathe, there will be possibilities of cracking when the pen is assembled.

7. The smaller wood lathe the better. This tip is really just meant to make your life easier. Any wood lathe is suitable for pen turning; however, the smaller the wood lathe the easier your job is.

8. Keep it simple the first couple of times. It is tempting to want to do some fun and intricate pen shapes the first couple of times but stick to the basics until you figure out just exactly what it is you are doing.

A pen is an easy project that can help you with the beginning possibilities of your new wood lathe. After you conquer creating your own pen, there are several other projects to start with such as table and chair legs, wooden bowls, wooden hammers, candle sticks, or even pieces to a chess set. Just remember to begin with a simple project with your wood lathe to get use to your new tool before attempting more difficult projects.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Choosing A Wood Lathe: Remember The Budget

Buying a wood lathe sounds like a simple proposition. Check the budget, look at the lathes in the budget category, choose the one that seems good and away we go. However, like most things in life, it is not that simple. One of the more difficult things for the beginner or first time buyer, is knowing how to gauge the budget in the first place.

Wood lathes are more individual than many other woodworking tools. While there are certainly many models of tools such as table saws, for example, there are certain features expected in particular price ranges and the saws will be fairly uniform in that range. It is expected that one may purchase one, put it in the work shop, and go to work. The wood lathe is a different proposition.

While most wood lathes in a given price range will generally be similar in quality this is not always so. A mini lathe will usually be better quality than a full size lathe in the same cost bracket, for instance. Two lathes of the same price may have different mechanisms for controlling speeds and overall quality of the lathe with the more expensive speed controller will likely be less than that of the other machine. It is necessary in the budget to question what is wanted in the lathe for weight, quality of construction, type of speed control and size among other things.

All other things being equal among lathes, there is the extra strain on the budget to consider. That table saw will be ready to work right out of the box, but not so for most lathes. The typical wood lathe comes with the basic machine ready to run and with centers and a faceplate to hold the wood, but without tools to cut the wood nor any means to keep them sharp. Again in contrast to the table saw that came with a blade that rarely needs sharpening and then by a professional shop, the lathe comes with no tools and no means to sharpen them even though they will need frequent sharpening. It often comes as a surprise to a beginning wood turner that in some circumstances tools need to be sharpened every couple of minutes.

So the budget will need to stretch to a set of woodturning tools, a grinder and a set of aluminium oxide wheels at the very least, not to mention sundries like sandpaper and finishes. All of these should be allowed for in the budget before shopping for the wood lathe. It should be noted that a decent set of woodturning tools or a four jaw chuck may each be more expensive than a beginner's wood lathe.

It is possible to get started turning wood on a modest budget. Some reasonable planning is necessary but many woodturners have begun on light lathes and used them for many years.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

What Is a Wood Lathe?

A wood lathe is a type of machinery, generally used in turning industrial products for ornamental purposes. In a nutshell, a lathe uses a rotation device that spins parallel to the surface, and with the help of different tools, it can create unique cuts and designs with a solid block of material. Lathe tools reformat an object by cutting, drilling, knurling and sanding, providing symmetrically designed products turned on a lathe.

From all types of lathe machinery, including the lathes used for pottery or jewelry, the wood lathe is the oldest. And without doubt, the different tools used for wood turning are the most part of the entire lathe machinery. This variety of tools used with wood lathes consists of different chisels, used for creating the unique designs and patterns resulted from wood turning. And the amazing thing about a wood lathe is not the unique designs or patterns, but the fact that it can produce a completely finished work entirely on its own. While most tools employed in industrial production require tools that are separate from the machine to finish the design, a lathe has its chisel tools attached directly to the lathe, allowing it to do all the work at once.

To better understand the concept, these wood turning tools of a wood lathe take a solid wood object and turn it into a symmetrical ornament, such as a table or chair leg. With the help of a wood setup, a woodworker will be able to duplicate identical wood parts, so all table or chair legs are the same.

Wood turning has a lot of different shapes, styles and designs to offer, possible through a wide range of accessories for wood lathes. And with nowadays' amazing advances in technology and machinery, the accessories are more proficient than ever. The most commonly used tools in wood turning are the gouge, the spear chisel, the skew chisel, the parting chisel and the round-nose chisel.

In order to get the best results and products, a woodworker has to know all the different tools used in a wood lathe, and understand their unique characteristics, features and capabilities. Understanding how each tool works is essential for the proper usage of a wood chisel, and the best results come with a lot of practice. For more detailed information, search online for the different types of wood lathe tools, and read about each tool in particular. And remember, practice makes perfect.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Setting Up Your Wood Lathe: Lighting Makes A Big Difference

When the wood lathe moves into the woodworking shop or when a new shop is set up around the lathe itself, lighting is a big consideration. Like most stationary tools, wood lathes are heavy, powerful and dangerous. This is only aggravated by poor lighting. With the alternatives offered to day, adequate lighting is inexpensive and easy to acquire.

Good lighting will make a difference to way you turn, sand and finish your woodturnings. The best is available daylight. If possible it good to situate the lathe in front of a large, south facing window. If this is not possible, any other window will do. Some turners so like the idea that they take their lathe sout on the lawn for the summer. However, not everyone has a window handy and daylight only helps in the daytime, so artificial light will be needed.

An overhead fluorescent fixture is a good starting place for shop lighting. If one is not available where it is intended to set up the lathe one can be easily obtained. Shop light fixtures are easily and inexpensively obtained in styles that either require wiring into the lighting system or may be plugged in. Both are good. The plug in style may be more convenient to start with but a wired light is better in the long run, especially if an extension cord needs to be used.

These lights should be shielded from projectiles by a screen. It is possible to get a catch and launch a piece of wood at one of the bulbs, showering glass in all directions. Most shop lights have protective covers available.

Incandescent lighting on stands that are fastened to or near by the lathe add a different aspect to the lighting. This can be especially important when turning small, delicate pieces or when sanding before a finish is applied. Light from different directions tends to lay shadows that display unseen scratches from tools of sandpaper. These scratches will show up when the finish goes on. Good lighting prompts the removal of the defects with the proper sanding.

While the lighting needs to show the work in progress it needs to be set up so as to not glare in the turner's face or distract from the work being produced. Flexibility in the set up is a good idea as much as is possible.

Good lighting is not only an additional tool for the wood turner, it is also a safety feature allowing more comfortable and safer turning. In other words it adds to the enjoyment of an already enjoyable craft.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathes - What to Look For When You Buy Your First One

Most people involved in woodworking for a while are in good shape when they are going to buy their first wood lathe. Many of the things to look for in a wood lathe are the same things one looks for in other woodworking machinery such as quality of finish and heavy material. However, there are some things specially to look for as a wood lathe is different from the other power tools in the typical woodworking shop.

First of all, look for a lathe that is built to absorb vibration. Many of today's tools are manufactured of steel or aluminum. Either can be made to have great strength compared to lightness, but either material requires extensive and expensive engineering to absorb vibration. This is an issue because of the way in which wood is treated on the lathe compared to something like a band saw or table saw. In the latter cases wood, generally in the form of uniform boards, is placed on a stable table and fed through a blade. There is little vibration involved assuming the blade is balanced.

Wood lathes, on the other hand, hold the wood and turn it at fairly high speeds. Often the wood is rough and unbalanced. This is something like driving an unbalanced tire at highway speeds. Just like the car will rattle and sway, so will the lathe. In the case of the wood lathe, cast iron is the answer and even the lower priced beginner's lathes will have some models with cast iron head and tail stocks. At a little higher price even the ways will be cast iron and it is generally worth it. Many woodturners have begun, however, on a model of lathe that has a single way made of a steel tube and yet with cast iron head and tail stocks. These have worked quite well for many turners.

The finish needs to be adequate on the head and tail stock and great on the ways. If the ways are finished properly the tail stock and tool rest will move well and freely. This makes turning a pleasure. On the other hand, a poor finish on the ways make it a pain to move either one and a frustration to a turner.

Make sure the head and tail stocks line up. Put a center in each one and bring them together. They should line up both vertically and horizontally. Some lathes will have measures to line up the centers but this is seldom seen in beginner's models.

All that is needed now is a good stand. Most beginner's level wood lathes have no stand or a poorly made pressed steel one. Making a solid one out of wood or metal is the best bet in either case.

These tips should help in choosing a first wood lathe. Just remember that, like most tools, it is easy to grow out of the first lathe so getting one with a good resale value helps too.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wood Lathe Safety: Getting the Woodturner Ready To Turn

Woodworking is a reasonably dangerous hobby or occupation. By that, I mean that a bit of reason does a lot to remove many dangers. Wood lathes are among the safest of woodworking stationary tools because, unlike table and band saws, instead of wood heading into a moving blade, a hand held blade is directed into the moving wood. However, it is still necessary to do some basic preparation in order to ensure safety at the wood lathe.

While woodturners are good to ready the lathe by making wood and machinery secure and the tools sharpened, they also need to prepare themselves for a safe experience. Amateurs in particular turn wood when opportunity presents itself, often after a hard day at work. This can mean a drowsy period and it should not be spent near power tools. Such time is better spent first having a nap or even cleaning the shop. Sometimes all that is needed to clear the cobwebs is a bit of simple movement in a pleasant atmosphere.

It should not need to be said, but the woodturning shop with its chain saws, wood lathes, and band saws is not the place for alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs or over the counter medications. Check with your doctor for side effects including drowsiness before turning while using medications.

It is necessary to dress for woodturning. Loose clothing can easily catch on spinning wood, especially rough or burled pieces. A turner can easily be caught and hauled into the lathe. Considering that even small lathes often have half horsepower motors, this can be extremely dangerous. Neckties and jewellery are particularly to be avoided. Even rings can be caught on the spinning wood resulting in an accident called degloving wherein the bone is left on the finger and the skin and muscles are removed. A small turned box near the lathe for rings and other jewellery is a good reminder of safety first.

Clothing that is tight at the cuffs and neck prevents annoying and distracting shavings from becoming an irritant against the skin. Face masks and goggles prevent flying wood from doing damage to the face and eyes while dust masks can prevent damage to the lungs.

Many turners forget the dangers of chemicals in finishes. Latex or vinyl gloves help prevent contact problems and a good chemical mask can prevent lung damage. Even better is the use of finishes that are safe for breathing and contact.

Safety is an issue that faces all of us at the wood lathe. It is possible to use common sense and be safe in this very enjoyable craft for a lifetime of shavings.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

The Other Woodturning Tools: More Than The Wood Lathe

When woodworkers begin tho think about taking up woodturning the first thing they consider is buying a lathe. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to woodturning tools. Of course the cutting tools themselves, gouges, chisels, parting tools and so on need to be gotten but so are a few other tools which can be considered necessary for the craft. Thankfully, many of them are already in many home workshops.

Tools obviously need to be kept sharp whether they be lathe tools or plane irons. However, instead of an array of hones and whetstones, woodturners instead use tools straight from the grinder. While the typical shop grinder will work well it should be enhanced with aluminium oxide wheels. A course wheel on one side to shape tools and remove nicks is handy while a fine wheel of about eighty grit is good for sharpening. Wheel dressers will be needed to keep the wheels flat and clean. A sharpening jig is a great tool for new turners and old ones alike.

Wood needs to be gotten ready for the lathe. Especially when it comes to faceplate turning, blocks of wood are best mounted after being cut into disks. The band saw is the ideal tool for this. As green wood is often used for faceplate work, a course blade should be used such as three eighths with three teeth per inch. It is always a good idea to have extra blades on hand in case of breakage.

For getting larger blocks ready to mount, a chainsaw is a great tool. It is also one of the more dangerous tools to use and great care is needed. However, many bowl turners will be working straight from the log and a chainsaw is a necessity. Many turners will find an electric model satisfactory although it will be somewhat slower than many gas ones and of course requires a heavy cord.

The table saw is the mainstay of many flat woodworking shops and can be a great aid to the woodturner, especially for smaller projects or in the preparation of laminated work. While it is not used as much as is the band saw pen turners use it frequently for the preparation of blanks and turners of other small objects often turn to it for the preparation of production runs.

One of the most used tools in many woodworking shops is the electric drill. While it is often used for drilling holes, it is also used as a power driver for mounting faceplates and in particular by woodturners as a power sander. Small drill powered disks, usually padded, are faced with sandpaper and rotated in the opposite direction to the spinning wood. This greatly speeds up the sanding process, especially for faceplate work.

Other shop tools certainly come into play, especially when one considers the vast array of decorative opportunities which woodturning presents to carvers and the like. However, these are some of the most used by woodturners and should be considered when setting up the woodturning workshop, both for purposes of budgeting and for increasing the enjoyment of the craft.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking With the Lathe

Woodworkers sometimes view the lathe as an exotic or unneeded tool. This view is short sighted in the extreme and removes a lot of enjoyment from a woodworker's time in the shop. Perhaps the view is caused by the nature of the wood turning lathe itself.

Most woodworking tools, and power tools in particular, are used to remove bits and pieces from boards prior to reassembling those bits into a finished article. For instance, table saws saw boards with cross cuts and rip cuts into smaller boards while drill presses remove wood from circular areas to allow bolts or screws entrance or to make a decorative area. Jigs are often used to make cuts more precise and to keep hands away from the cutting areas. The rapidly moving saw blades and cutting surfaces discourage a close approach to the work.

Hand tools meanwhile are regarded by many woodworkers as needing an extraordinary amount of time and talent to learn to use them well. In many cases this is true. However, if we look at the work of craftsmen prior to the industrial age we realize that a lot of beautiful work was done by a lot of people, not all of them classically trained nor apprenticed workmen, but rather homeowners making something for the family, much as do the hobby woodworkers of today.

The wood lathe enters somewhere in between power and hand tools. In the days gone by the lathe was often turned by hand or foot power. As time progressed, water wheels may have been used in the factories while treadle lathes were used in smaller businesses and homes. Perhaps with the emphasis on home gym equipment today, the treadle lathe could make a comeback. For most woodworkers though, a modern lathe with an electric motor is the way to go. Hence it is viewed as a power tool because it uses an electric motor to make it work.

The difference between the lathe and most power tools comes in the handling of wood and cutting tools. A table saw, the mainstay of many woodworking shops, has a rapidly rotating blade fixed in position and a piece of wood is carefully manipulated through the cut. Wood lathes are made to hold the wood and to rotate it, the direct opposite function. Meanwhile various cutting tools are held in the hands of the woodturner, one by one, and manipulated to remove pieces of the wood in various ways and patterns so as to complete the piece of work. In some sense, the nature of a wood lathe being a power tool or a hand tool becomes quickly blurred.

This moves a woodworker to new realms of thought and enjoyment. While most saws are used for straight cuts or perhaps a curve, the lathe opens up circles and rounds to the woodworking vocabulary. Table legs for instance, move from being straight lines with at most a taper, to being rounded with curves, grooves, beads and tapers. New design possibilities are opened up and new ways of looking at things develop. Plus, for most hobbyists who work with wood, there is the delight in having and learning a new tool. Woodworkers can expand into a whole new realm of pleasure and satisfaction.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Setting Up The Wood Lathe: Clearing the Shavings

One of the great problems of turning wood as well as other types of woodworking is the difficulty of disposing of large amounts of dust and shavings. This is of course aggravated if the workshop is in the basement of another area of the house, as are many workshops of amateur woodturners. Some thought is given here to the reduction of the shavings while dust will be considered in future articles.

Shavings are considered the evidence of enjoyment in woodturning. Many woodworkers are seduced into moving from flat work such as desks and tables to the round work of bowls and platters by watching a woodturning demonstration where a turner casts streams of shavings over a shoulder and into a pile of the floor. Accomplished woodturners often measure the satisfaction of the day's work by the depth of shavings on the chop floor. However, removal of the shavings is also a concern of the craft.

That pile of realized enjoyment is also a safety hazard. It can be a slippery mass waiting for the unwary step of the turner. Farmers would recognize the similarity between a large pile of wet shavings from trees such as freshly cut paper birch and a pile of wet hay. Spontaneous combustion is possible, while not likely. More likely, if the wet shavings are allowed to remain, is the growth of fungi and bacteria which may be a hazard to health.

Containing the problem is the first step in reducing the problem. Setting the lathe near a wall provides a first backstop for the shavings. When doing so it is necessary to remember that room must be left to get behind the lathe with broom or vacuum to remove the shavings. Since shavings will also be propelled in the direction of the woodturner and another wall is unlikely, simply hanging a shower curtain from the ceiling will give a simple and inexpensive solution to the problem.

Some people put a great deal of time, effort and money into using a dust collection system to collect shavings. Dust collection systems are meant to collect dust and generally clog very quickly with shavings as do most shop vacuums. A more viable albeit low tech solution is a good broom combined with a dust pan or snow shovel and a garbage can lined with large bags, especially with the majority of shavings trapped between a wall and a curtain. It is quick and efficient.

Shavings are a great measure of the enjoyment of turning. They can easily be used in the compost pile, horse bedding for a friend or mulch for the garden paths so the enjoyment continues. It is a simple win, win situation.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Using the Wood Lathe - Design to Final Product

Having a workshop project that you want to take from the design stages to final product may include a lot of factors. One of the most important factors is having the correct tools for the job. This article will talk about how to incorporate usages of the wood lathe and when to use this machine with your woodworking projects.

The wood lathe is a great machine for creating projects that require symmetry along a center line. Examples can include bedroom furniture, lounge furniture, vases, bowls, and battens. While it is a great machine to use, there are some important factors to consider beforehand. Having a good plan or technical drawings is crucial before and while doing wood turning.

A good plan should consist of good drawings that are annotated and marked up properly. Getting time on a lathe, unless it is your own, can be expensive. So knowing exactly what you will be producing and working towards templates or drawings will save you a lot of time, cost and material. The last thing you want to do when using a lathe is to take too much material away. This is an avoidable problem with the use of good working drawings.

Having good drawings to work from is nothing, if the execution is not up to standard. Make sure you have the right chisels and wood turning tools to get the best effect. It is often worth making the investment on good wood chisels, as this will save on cost and a lot of time in the long run.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Setting Up The Wood Lathe: Getting The Height Right

While many wood lathes these days are sold as portable models, most are considered to be stationary machines. As such they are mounted on benches and stands and left for in the same spot for long periods of time. In order for work to be performed well, comfortably, and without injury, the lathe needs to be at a proper height for long term usage.

As a general rule of thumb, start to determine the height of the lathe by standing comfortably with your hands by your sides and feet about shoulder width apart. Measure from the bend of your elbow to the floor. This is the height to make the center line of the lathe.

Now measure from the tip of the spur center to the bottom of the lathe itself, not the stand if it is on one. Subtract this from your elbow height and you have the desired height of the stand.

This is of course, a compromise. Every turner is a bit different with different heights and body types. However, over the years this has been a good starting point for wood lathe setup. It can easily be upset by manufacturers who supply stands with their lathes. A good idea is to stand at a lathe on its stand in the store and actually hold a tool over the tool rest to find out if that is comfortable and then ask yourself if it would still feel good an hour later after wrestling with a piece of wood.

It may be that the best avenue is not to get a supplied stand but rather to make your own. However this is not always possible or reasonable. Sometimes the lathe you want is only available with the stand, the manufacturer's stand may be far superior to one you can build, the lathe and stand were a gift, the lathe and stand are integral or something else get sin the way.

There are two simple solutions depending on circumstance and these solutions are also usable if more than one person is going to use the lathe. The first is to raise the lathe by using pads under the feet of the stand or by adding support pads to the stand under the lathe so as to add height. While the height may be lowered by cutting down the stand this may be seen as a drastic measure and it is often easier and better to raise the floor area around the lathe with a low, wide and very stable box on which to stand. Above all, make sure the footing for both lathe and person is safe and secure.

Following these simple guidelines will give a goos start to lathe height. With experience do not fail to remember that persons and preferences differ and your preferred height of your preferred lathe may be different than someone else's. The idea is to find what works for maximum health, safety and enjoyment.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

An Introduction to the Wood Lathe Chuck

A wood lathe chuck can be an excellent addition to any wood lathe. A chuck allows one to turn smaller pieces of wood with a high degree of flexibility while avoiding the inconvenience supporting the wood with the tailstock.

Many people use wood lathe chucks for smaller projects. They are an absolutely necessary tool for anyone who would like to turn wooden bowls or similar items.

You can choose your wood lathe chuck from two different options. Three-jaw chucks center the wood in the lathe automatically and are well suited for symmetrical projects. That is because these chucks basically immobilize the wood, which means all rounding will be toward the true center of the wood. These are the lathe chucks with which most woodworkers first experiment. They produce great results, even though they are somewhat limited in what they can do.

A four-jaw wood lathe chuck offers more flexibility. These chucks allow the lathe user to move the wood during the turning process. This allows the operator to create rounded pieces that are not necessarily symmetrical or centered. These chucks are ideal for those who are handling very specialized aspects of custom projects and for artists who do not want to find themselves limited any more than necessary.

Suppliers provide three-jaw and four-jaw chucks in multiple sizes. A jewelry maker may find himself using a tiny, one-inch chuck. Meanwhile, a turner of a large wooden bowl may work with a chuck with a full two-foot diameter! There is a chuck for every project and every preference.

Your choice of a chuck size must be governed by two factors: the size of the lathe upon which the chuck will be used and the size of the wood pieces you plan to turn. Before you purchase a wood lathe chuck, double check your lathe's capacity and determine the chuck's intended use. That will help you to secure the right tool for your specific needs.

Lathe chucks can produce some amazing effects. Any lathe-using woodworker will be able to find a number of uses for these tools.

At the same time, it is important to note that these devices are best managed by experienced lathe users. That is particularly true of the manually manipulate four-jaw chuck. Additionally, numerous accidents occur when chucks become stuck. Anyone using a wood lathe chuck should make safety a top priority and should know the proper procedure for handling a stuck chuck.

If you are serious about woodworking and love your lathe, you can make it even more valuable, flexible and enjoyable by adding a three-jaw or four-jaw chuck to the mix. These great tools make it possible to use your lathe to complete a number of gorgeous products.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Setting Up The Wood Lathe: Six Considerations To Follow

Once a wood lathe has come into the woodworking shop there are a few things to consider as far as setting it up for work. It will likely be in use a fair amount of the time and the enjoyment of the tool will depend on the setup and installation. Here are six things to work on to make the craft more efficient and enjoyable.

First is the question of where the tool is going to sit in the shop. This may mean the movement of some other tools and in most shops once a tool is established it is seldom moved so this is a matter of some importance. Many shops place the major tools against the walls and leave the center free for assembly. If this is the case be careful not to place the lathe too close to the wall as it throws a lot of shavings and cleaning behind it can be a difficult proposition. Be sure to leave plenty of room for large pieces of wood to be turned and for dust collection and other tools to be used in connection with the lathe.

Second is the lighting for the tool. Good lighting is necessary not only for careful cutting but also for safety. It is easiest to install the lathe below good lights but if they are in use for other stationary tools it may be necessary to install some new ones.

Third is the need for a good stand. While some lathes come with floor stands many do not and will need one made. It will need to be sturdy to withstand the forces of turning out of balance wood. Some provision may need to be made for holding sand to add stability to the lathe.

This introduces the forth consideration which is the height of the lathe. As a general rule for long term comfortable turning, the height of the lathe center should be at the elbow height of the turner. While this can be adjusted with rising blocks under the stand legs or a thick mat for the turner to stand on, it is easier by far to make the lathe stand the right height in the first place.

Fifth there is the question of how the rest of the shop will work in relation to the lathe. In particular, the sharpening station, band saw and drill press are often used in lathe work. The sharpening station especially should be so close as to be easily moved to while turning so as not to interfere with the flow of the work.

Sixth is the matter of dust collection. Shavings are easily swept up and disposed of in the compost pile or to a friend's horse bedding. Fine dust from sanding, however, is a major health hazard and needs to be removed as soon as possible. A dust collection system needs to be handy to the lathe and a good sanding mask should also be used.

Taking care of these simple considerations will make the whole experience of setting up and using the wood lathe much easier. A little thought ahead of time will make the craft more enjoyable for a long time to come.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking And The Wood Lathe: Woodworkers Use The Tools They Have

When moving from flat style woodworking like cabinet work and jewelry boxes to round work like bowls and pens, it appears that all that is needed will be a wood lathe and a few cutting tools. While there are many wood turning tools that could be gotten over the years, there are many other tools that are needed in order to explore the world of wood turning. Thankfully, many of these tools are already owned by the typical woodworker as are the skills to use them.

Wood needs to be prepared for the wood lathe. This begins for many projects with a log. One of the things that the typical woodworker needs to do when changing to work with the wood lathe is alter the way he or she thinks of getting wood. Instead of beginning with a nice, flat board from the local lumber dealer, a wood turner often starts with a felled log from the local tree surgeon or firewood supplier. The principle tool for beginning this procedure is a chain saw. Many woodworkers will have one of these for rough work and if not, an electric one will suffice for most needs.

Following the roughing of wood with the chain saw, there is the need to get it into reasonable shape for the lathe. This often means cutting it round or into long squares. One of the best tools for this is the band saw, owned by many woodworkers. It is also regarded as one of the safest saws in the shop and some would consider it one of the safest tools generally. It excels at long, circular cuts and with a bit of practice will do an admirable job at straight cuts as well. The fourteen inch band saw which will generally cut to a depth of six inches through hardwood, is a common feature in many woodworking shops. It is seldom that a wood turner will need a greater depth of cut but risers can be obtained for most fourteen inch saws on the market and they can be retrofitted to cut to depth of up to twelve inches.

Lathe tools need to be frequently sharpened. Some of the wood that turners like to work with will have lots of knots, included bark or grit from the felling of the tree. These conditions combined with the high speeds of the moving wood tend to quickly dull a tool. Most woodworking shops have a grinder used to remove nicks from plane blades and chisels and to reshape an edge before using whet stones to fine tune the cutting edge. Replacing one of the wheels with a fine grit aluminum oxide wheel and adding a sharpening jig quickly and simply turns the the grinder into a lathe tool sharpener and also allows its original use at the other wheel. The sharpening jig is not necessary but very nice and can be easily made in the home woodworking shop.

So the need for wood lathe tools for the home woodworker quickly becomes reduced to the lathe itself and the various cutting tools that may be needed. Many if not all of the other tools will be found already in the home woodworking shop. Of course, this is all followed by the enjoyment of learning new woodworking skills at the wood lathe and the continued pleasure of making new works in wood.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking And The Wood Lathe: Moving With Wood Turning Projects Into The Craft

Seasoned woodworkers who have gotten a wood lathe are often confused at what to do with it after they get it. After all, most woodworking confines itself to flat work with the occasional decorative curve. The wood lathe operates somewhat like a potter's wheel on it side, demanding thought in circles and spheres. The transition can be a freeing moment and a dramatic turn in the enjoyment of working with wood.

For many flat woodworkers the first move is to attempt turning a piece that compliments their regular woodworking, such as a table leg. This is an excellent transition project as it is an example of spindle turning where the wood is held on the wood lathe with centres, two points that jam into each end of the wood. The wood itself is also generally a square which flat woodworkers deal with on a regular basis, making sure it is a true square with flat ends. Most legs leave a square section and transition to various beads and coves, the mainstays of a woodturner's decorative efforts on a spindle. Thus this is excellent practise for moving on to other projects with more elaborate decoration.

Speaking of the word practise, it quickly becomes evident to the new wood turner that almost any wood can be mounted to the wood lathe and turned to elaborate shapes. One of the best exercises for most projects is to go first to the wood pile and get some free wood to make a sample project or two. If the whole project is not practised, the various coves and beads can be cut a time or two before more expensive wood is used.

Once some table legs have been made and perhaps a decorative finial or two, many woodworkers will wish to proceed to projects that focus on the turned wood itself. It is an easy step to move from the table leg to a candlestick for instance. Some new techniques will be necessary to learn, such as cutting a cup for the candle to rest, and this in turn adds interest to the process. Very quickly, it will become evident to the new wood turner that an endless possibility of decoration exists in the development of various cuts, beads and coves that can be made. Old habits of looking at line and space will readily adapt to looking at curved lines and round spaces so as to prevent the opportunities to decorate from becoming the perils of gaudy overdecorating.

Of course, one of the best sources for woodturning projects lies in the preceding work of other wood turners. These projects can be found in abundance in books, magazines and web sites as well as other venues. There is no lack of possibility or direction for the wood turner either just beginning a transition to the wood lathe or having years of experience and just looking for new ideas.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking And The Wood Lathe: The Challenge In Finding Wood For The Woodturner

As woodworkers move from flat woodworking such as jewelry boxes, desks and wall cabinets to woodturning round objects such as candlesticks and bowls, there arises a new challenge in finding the wood with which one works. The old familiar places may not fit the new requirements and the results may be pleasantly less expensive.

People doing woodworking that results in flat objects generally start a project at the local lumber merchant, looking for boards that are dry, flat, straight and clear of knots or other defects. There are a few stalwarts who will fell their own logs and mill them to lumber that will then air or kiln dry but these are few and far between. Woodturners are closer to these folk than to the former as they will often be looking for logs to start the work. Their wood is likely to be a log that is solid, green, and has knots, bark inclusions, and forks. To a woodturner these are character.

Most of the wood carried by the lumber yards is unsuitable for woodturning especially when the turner is contemplating faceplate work which usually requires wood thicker than two inches. This is either difficult to find dry or will be split in the drying process or be prohibitively expensive.

On the other hand firewood or landfill logs are comparatively cheap. They require some thought in obtaining them and some additional tooling to be able to process them, but will give a wealth of turning material. It is not inconceivable to obtain over two hundred bowl blanks of good size along with a lot of smaller pieces and lots of spindle material from a single cord of firewood. A chainsaw and a good homemade saw buck will easily enable the turner to produce plenty of turning blanks.

While there is a great variety of hardwoods suitable for turning found growing as ornamentals in many yards of the world, it can be difficult to obtain them for the woodturner. However, in most communities there are lawn companies and arborists who specialize in tree removal when the trees get too large for the properties, diseased or in the way. These logs are generally deemed unsuitable for lumber or processing because metal is often found in yard wood and it does a lot of damage to commercial processing equipment. Instead of sending them to an expensive landfill facility, many arborists will happily call a woodturner and allow them to have the wood.

So the woodturner can find themselves easily in the position of someone who save trees from firewood and landfill, eliminates excess wood in the landfill when it should be compost anyway, and produced art and craft from the savings. This allows the turner to enter into a win win situation with all concerned.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking And The Wood Lathe: Finding Wood Turning Projects That Suit You

While the nature of the wood lathe forces roundness into virtually all woodturning projects, as with most other types of woodworking, it is easy to fall into the rut of making the same thing over and over with little variation. New projects are needed to break the cycle and generate new interest in the craft. Fortunately, these are extremely varied and easy to find.

First one should examine what projects might catch ones interest. This may be as simple as deciding to make a table for a change and then wanting round legs. In turn this leads to determining what the legs will look like and how they will be decorated. It may also lead to considering that the table top might be round and then the whole table could be made into a pedestal table and so on. Of course there is no particular reason that this has to be considered as only one project. Instead it could be decided to make a rectangular table with round legs as well as a round, pedestal table or indeed more than one.

Perhaps it would be good to start with a question of scale. Some wood turners consider themselves to be pen turners and almost everything they turn will be a pen. This is itself leads to small scale turning. Among others, two obvious questions may be raised. First, what about moving to larger scale items? Second, what else might be turned using the same scale? In the first case, one will find that the spindle techniques used in making pens lend themselves quite well to larger items such as tool handles, candlesticks and mallets as well as many others. Some thoughts for the latter might be light pulls, key chains and Christmas ornaments.

One of the best things that wood turners can do for project ideas is to look at what other people are turning now or have turned in the past. Magazines abound with turned items. Not all of these are wood turning magazines or for that matter even woodworking magazines. Instead, architecture, housekeeping and design magazines often have turned objects in many of the pictures. If it is desired to have greater instruction, there are many woodworking magazines with woodturning projects having detailed information. Even more prolific is the web where ideas abound. Looking over a selection of projects can often lead to intrigue as what it would be like to make some of those things.

Woodturning is known for its diversity. It may be necessary for some woodturners to think not only outside the box but also outside the bowl or outside the pen to move on with new skills and even greater enjoyment for this craft of the ages.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking With the Wood Lathe - Learning to Relax

For most of us who work with wood, especially in the home shop where anything from a jewelry box to a full desk may be attempted, the table saw has the honoured position of center of the shop, in importance if not actual geography. However, the table saw is known as a dangerous enemy as well as a welcome friend and a certain amount of tension is always associated with its use. Acquiring and learning to use the wood lathe brings a new relaxation to the woodworking shop somewhat similar to the days when a craftsman laid a rough board on his bench and picked up a hand plane to smooth it down to the sound of shavings gently swishing to the floor.

Like the table saw, many of our power tools exist as cutting tools to which we bring boards to carefully cut them to length and width. That same table saw that has brought precise cuts into the ability level of people who do not have the time or chance for long apprenticeships, also brings with it the chance wood to be grabbed and hauled into the blade with terrible cuts or to be bound with blade and through with devastating force. Band saws have been known to rotate improperly secured wood and rotate a hand into the cut. Routers are the seeming exception as they are guided by hand onto a piece of well clamped wood, but many use them in a more versatile fashion by inverting the tool under a surface and making a router table. All of sudden the very rapidly rotating cutting tool is all to available for an unwary finger.

The wood lathe changes all this. Here the tool does not hold the cutter, it holds the wood. There are reasonable precautions that must be followed for safety, but they are not unusual for the woodworker.

One realizes that wood shavings will fly from the lathe and many will fly at the wood turner. A full face shield is worn which is simply safer than mere safety glasses. Sharp tools are a necessity but this is no new to anyone who tries to cut wood and all know that sharp tools are safer than dull ones. Very quickly it will be realized that hands should be kept away from rapidly spinning wood. As in all woodworking, a proper dust mask should be worn when sanding and a proper mask used for some of the more exotic and dangerous finishes. The only new rule to learn for safety is to turn the wood at a reasonable speed for its size and balance.

Woodturning tools are easy to learn to use and can take a lifetime to master as is true for most any craft. However, the first few cuts and indeed the first few mistakes make one realize that the tool is a safe one. In fact, one of the more difficult things to teach a new turner is to relax ones grip on the tool and generally relax all over. It makes the turning easier and a lot of fun as the shavings come off the swish on to the floor.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking And The Wood Lathe: Five Reasons That Woodworkers Can Easily Move Into Woodturning

Woodworkers can get into ruts but they also like to look for new challenges and opportunities to explore their personal relationship with wood. Getting a wood lathe and learning to use it open up a new dimension in woodworking. While many of the talents learnt in flat woodworking carry over to the round world of woodturning, new talents in the craft need to be developed, leading to new excitement in an old field.

First, while woodturners need extra tools other than a wood lathe and lathe tools, for many woodworkers this is a minor requirement. The other tools needed to prepare wood for the lathe are usually present in the form of band saws and table saws which are common for the woodworker's shop. Wood lathe tools need to be sharpened for use, but most woodworkers already have a tool grinder for the purpose of removing nicks from chisels and the like. This is easily transformed to lathe tool sharpener by replacing a grinder wheel with an inexpensive, aluminum oxide, fine grit wheel and making a sharpening jig.

Second, once the lathe is set up and ready and the tools sharpened, the question is what to turn. For many woodworkers this at first becomes an extension of flat woodworking. Making table legs allows for more individual expression than buying preturned ones from a catalogue or making them all straight lined from necessity. While there are many variations of cabinet knobs available in various materials, personal ones may be turned from wood, brass or plastics very easily on the wood lathe and many can be easily decorated. Small casework is easily decorated with escutcheons or finials.

Third, after the practise of turning parts for furniture and other casework, many woodworkers will move on to other types of woodturning. There are many ideas for wood turning projects available in magazines, books and the web. Many of these will already be in the possession of most woodworkers. Such projects range from candlesticks, tool handles and tea lights, to pens, bowls, vases and almost anything round. Some of these will need to glued up from several parts and once again the typical woodworker's abilities come into play with knowledge of jointing, clamping and gluing.

Fourth, an aspect that is sometimes overlooked as one contemplates woodworking in general is the acquiring of wood with which we work. For the majority of woodworkers this is a simple albeit expensive trip to the local lumber merchant. While this can also be of advantage to a woodturner, many prefer to start with a log section. This type of wood is generally much cheaper to get than prepared lumber and is often free. A chainsaw may be required but many woodworkers will already own one, either electric or gas powered.

Fifth and along the same lines is the question that many woodworkers have as to what to do with all the pretty offcuts of wood that accumulate in the home workshop? They are often too small to do anything with but too nice to throw out. Woodturners often made small items that will use up many small pieces or they glue them together to make segmented turnings. The woodworker's workshop with its jointer and planer can make this much easier than it is for many wood turners who do not have these tools.

Thus the acquisition of a wood lathe can open a new world of woodworking to the flat woodworker. Many of the already practised skills move easily to the wood lathe and wood preparation while the tools of the workshop prove to be greatly useful in the new part of the woodworking craft. Woodworking is done for fun and adding this new dimension will add greatly to the overall enjoyment.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Woodworking With the Wood Lathe - A Change of Pace

Typically, a weekend woodworker needs more than a weekend for all but the most simple of projects. Some time is spent cutting large pieces of wood into smaller pieces and then assembling them in elaborate ways. The assembling tends to involve various fasteners and glues which need a fair amount of time to set up and harden before the next stage of assembly with its glues and drying time and so on. A wood lathe changes that for all but the most serious of laminated wood turnings.

First of all, a wood lathe is the opposite in performance from that mainstay of the flat woodworker's tool arsenal, the table saw. To use a table saw, boards are carefully squared and then the mitre gauge or the table fence is itself carefully aligned and the boards are moved through the cutting action of a rotating blade while keeping hands carefully distant. A woodworker at the lathe is more likely to install a rough piece of wood between centres and start it spinning. Using various tools held by hand the piece is brought into round and balance.

Second, wood turners tend to work with only one or two pieces of wood in a finished project. Instead of gluing up a block of wood, the woodturner is more likely to use a chain saw or other saw to quickly produce a blank piece of wood ready to be made into some kind of finished object. Glue times virtually disappear as does the wait for the real start of the project.

It should be noted that there are three exceptions to the rule of no glue time. The first is the segmented woodturner, a special class of turner who likes to make woodturning blanks of various small bits of multi coloured woods for turning into works of art, much as a quilter works with various fabrics. More time is generally spent cutting and gluing than turning. Second is the spindle turner who likes to make blanks of various woods for items such as pepper mills and pens. Most of these spend a weekend or afternoon making blanks and then having them on hand for quick turning. Third is the woodturner who uses the lathe to make parts for other projects such as legs for a table. While the legs are quickly turned, they must in turn be glued to the table top.

Third is simply the scale of most woodturnings. Generally a turning can be created, sanded and finished on the lathe in a matter of a few hours. Many turnings take much less time and of course some large or artistic pieces may take much more. However, for the hobbyist, woodworking on the lathe allows for great satisfaction in a short period of time.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Finding Discounted Woodworking Tools

Do you like woodworking? Do you like getting discounts on woodworking tools? I thought so. But how do you find a source for discount equipment? As it turns out, there are a number of different stores that are now offering woodworking tools at a discount.

Everybody likes a deal. And when buying discount woodworking tools you get the opportunity to purchase more tools for your money rather then just the one tool you would have bought before. A discount tool store often refers to a company that sells several types of tools at prices that are lower then their competition. However, those types of discount woodworking stores are not the only place you can find great prices on the tools you want. You can often find deals online, in mail order catalogs, at garage sales, and even flea markets.

Let's look at a few of the different places to purchase woodworking tools at a bargain price.

Online auctions: eBay.com

Most bargain priced tool dealers that have a presence on the Internet will sell through eBay. Many of them specifically set up online stores just to get customers to their business. And because of that they draw your attention by providing a significant discount on their listed items. In addition, theses stores also uses eBay's "Buy Now" option so you can purchase your item immediately instead of waiting for the auction to end. But buyers beware; these tools are often refurbished rather then new items.

Mail Order Catalogs: Northern Tool & Equipment

With 10,000+ products in their print and online catalogs they often have exclusive sale items. Combine this with their other great deals, clearance items, and product previews and you have and excellent discount tool store.

Brick & Mortar: Ace Hardware

Although Ace Hardware has a great online store, they also have 5,000+ retail stores. Their large volume buying power helps them leverage great prices on a variety of the basic woodworking tools that you use regularly.

There are, of course, many more places to find great prices on woodworking tools. Take your time and compare prices. After a while you will notice a few of the places you check regularly have better prices then their competition. Keep it up and you may soon find that special tool that used to be just a little to pricey is now affordable.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

The Beginners Guide To Buying Used Woodworking Tools

Whether you're an experienced woodworking craftsman or a total rookie you can save money by purchasing used woodworking equipment instead of new tools. Used woodworking tools still have plenty of useful life left in them and usually are being sold by someone who is looking to find a good home for them.

Where to buy used tools

When looking for used woodworking tools, several sources come to mind.

The first is garage sales and estate sales. Many people buy tools with great intentions but after a few years of the tools collecting dust in the garage or cellar, the original owner is ready to part with them. That's good news for you because you just know that they have barely been used and the seller needs the cash. The next place I would look is in the local classified ads and the local thrift paper or penny saver newspaper. Weekend flea markets are another good place to find used tools, and lastly I would look on eBay.

When buying woodworking tools, be sure to inspect them closely before parting with your money. Yes, there will be some wear on them, but they should not be worn out. Hammer handles should be tight in the hammer-head. Saws should be still sharp, not bent or missing teeth. Hand planes should have blades without any nicks or gouges. Chisels should not have any deep gouges in the cutting edge (although chisels are fairly easy to get sharpened). Rulers should have legible markings. If you are buying power tools, be sure to ask the owner to plug them in and demonstrate that they actually work. Don't forget your most important tool and that is your Eye Safety Glasses or goggles!

When buying tools, be sure to buy the tools you need to complete your project. Your woodworking project plans should be telling you what tools and materials you need to complete the project. Be sure you have the right tools for the job. If you cannot find the tools you need used, then by all means, go to your local home improvement store and buy new. While you are there, ask the floor person if they have a bargain bin or a section where returned tools are on clearance. In this slow economy it's not unusual for people to by a tool for a home improvement job and then return it when they are done using it. You might pick up a good used power tool like a circular saw just because someone decided to return it to the store. By the way, if you have any doubts about what tools you need for your woodworking project, your local home improvement store is a great place to get advice from the pros who are happy to help you.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.