Wood Lathe

Owned by Michael Giannattasio
Last updated: Feb 01, 2021 by Andrew Molloy
7 min read

Wood Lathe

There is a PPE tag mounted to the front of the Lathe which indicates that the operator must wear a full-face shield, contain or remove loose clothing items and jewelry, and to remove any extraneous materials from the work area. Also note that this machine is “locked out” during night hours, as it requires immersive instruction / training and staff monitoring during the daytime only. Further safety precautions are listed later in this document.

Description

A lathe is a machine tool that rotates a workpiece about an axis of rotation to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, drilling, spindle turning and face turning. There are numerous ways to mount a work piece, and once this is done properly, hand-held tools are applied to the work piece while it spins, to create an object with symmetry about that axis. Axially symmetrical parts such as spindles, balusters, vases, columns, domes and bowl shapes can be created using this machine.

Parts

Here is a Parts Diagram poster of the lathe. The Wood Lathe in the SOA has a bed, which is a horizontal beam with a slot through the center to ensure that wood shavings and chips, fall free of the bed. At the left end of the bed (as the operator faces the lathe) is a headstock. The headstock contains high-precision spinning bearings. Rotating within the bearings is a horizontal axle, with an axis parallel to the bed, called the spindle. The spindle is hollow and has an interior Morse taper on the "inboard" (i.e., facing to the right / towards the bed), and also has exterior threads. Both of these features of the spindle allow various work-holding accessories to be mounted to the spindle. The outboard end of the spindle has a hand wheel to aid in mounting accessories and work pieces.  The spindle is motor driven to impart motion to the work piece. The motor is beneath the headstock, concealed in the stand, and has an electronic rheostat-type speed control located on the pendant arm, which you can see in this photo and can learn more about later in this document.

The counterpoint to the headstock is the tailstock, sometimes referred to as the “loose head”, as it can be positioned at any convenient point on the bed by sliding it to the required area. The tailstock contains a barrel, which does not rotate, but can slide in and out parallel to the axis of the bed and directly in line with the headstock spindle. The barrel is hollow and usually contains a taper to facilitate the gripping of various types of tooling. Its most common uses are to hold a hardened steel center, which is used to support long thin shafts while turning, or to hold drill bits for drilling axial holes in the work piece. Many other uses are possible.

Another part of this lathe, which serves as a tool support structure, is called a “banjo”, which is a cast iron piece that sits crosswise on the bed. The position of the banjo can be adjusted by hand; no gearing is involved. Ascending vertically from the banjo is another part called a “tool-post”, at the top of which is a horizontal piece called a “tool-rest” or “steady rest”. In woodturning, hand tools resembling woodcarving chisels are braced on top of the tool rest and levered into the work piece as it spins, allowing the carving of axially symmetrical shapes.

Accessories

Accessories must be used to mount a work piece to the head stock spindle and add support for long work pieces at the tailstock.

These accessories include the following:

  • Face Plate
  • Chuck
  • Spur Drive
  • Live Center
  • Faceplate

A work piece may be bolted or screwed to a faceplate a large, flat disk that mounts to the headstock spindle. We have faceplates in four sizes: 3”, 4” 6” and 8” diameters.

4-Jaw Chuck

A work piece may be mounted / clamped in a three or 4-Jaw Chuck. We have two different types of chucks with various types of jaws used to grip a work piece. These holding devices mount directly to the lathe headstock spindle.

Spur Drive Center / Live Center

For small diameter spindle turnings, a work piece may be pinched between centers (at the head stock and tail stock) by using a Spur Drive Center at the headstock, which bites into the wood and imparts torque to it. The tailstock would have a Live Center installed to support the other end of the work piece. It has bearings, which allow it to spin with the work piece.

Methods

There are two basic types of wood turning methods, which are based on the ways in which a work piece is mounted to the lathe. When a work piece is held only by one side with a faceplate or 4-jaw chuck, it is prepared for “Face turning”. When a work piece is held at both ends by a plate, chuck or spur drive at the headstock and a live center at the tailstock, it is prepared for “Spindle turning”.

Wood Lathe Turning Tools

Wood Lathe turning tools come in a wide variety of sizes and cutting profiles. They are hand-held by the lathe operator while bracing them against the tool rest and levering them into the spinning work piece.

Each tool has a specific purpose. Immersive training and practice is needed to understand their specific uses to avoid injury and equipment damage. Please request training from a qualified shop technician.

Lathe Controls

The Pendant Arm of the lathe has a movable control box, which houses all of the operating controls, including the On-Off switch, Emergency Off switch, speed dial knob, etc. The control box should be positioned within reach of the operator by swinging the pendant arm into an adequate location.

General safety

Wood turning is an activity that can involve heavy work pieces revolving at high-speeds. The Lathe in the SOA is very heavy and solid and can rotate pieces faster than most other lathes. Our lathe is also very quiet.  It’s easy to run the lathe faster than you think it is going. Bark shavings and pieces of wood can fly from the lathe with considerable force, unexpectedly, at any time.

Wear protection

Always wear face protection to prevent injury in such instances. Safety glasses will not protect your whole face. Wear a full-face shield and if possible, wear lung protection as well.

Avoid the firing line

The best way to avoid injury is to stay out of the firing line. Professional instructors can teach you where to stand to minimize injury potential from flying debris. As with working with any tool, a sensible approach, with simple safety precautions, should be followed.

Additional Safety Precautions

  • Do not wear loose clothing. Shirts should have short sleeves or buttoned cuffs. Never wear a tie when working with any power equipment. Never wear jewelry, watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets, lanyards, and scarves when working with a Wood lathe. Long hair should be tied up or stuffed into a hat. Long beards can get caught and should be tied back.
  • Keep the shop floor free from objects that can be stumbled over. Wood turning generates a lot of chips, which will quickly hide any hazards on the floor. Keep the work area clean. Accidents are less likely to occur in a tidy work area where all sharp tools are put in their proper place.
  • Before you start check your lathe and work area before you start to make sure that everything is in proper working order and there is nothing lying loosely on the lathe.
  • Rotate your work manually before starting power. This will both assure clearances of total rest, bed, etc. As well assuring that Chuck keys or wrenches have been removed.
  • While you are working, stop the late before moving the tool rest. If you move the tool rest while the lathe is running, you risk damaging the lathe, your work peace and your fingers. Never touch the spinning would.
  • Do not force your tool. Sharp tools used properly will remove wood very quickly without being forced. Pushing hard will lead to many problems, not just safety problems. Always use the proper tool for the job. Keep your tools sharp and clean for best results. Sharp tools are more predictable and behave better than dull tools.
  • Never wrap rags or abrasives around your fingers. They can get caught and cause severe injury.
  • If you hear the lathe making a new sound, stop and investigate. New sounds are usually a sign of something going wrong.
  • Do not turn obviously damaged or weekend wood. Check for splits cracks or weak spots before mounting it on the lathe. If turning a piece of glued word, ensure that the glue joints are secure.
  • Never leave the leave running while unattended. Wait until the lathe comes to a complete stop before leaving the area. Always make sure that the lathe is running in forward mode while turning in-board, And in reverse while turning outboard.
  • Adjust the tool rest height properly. Adjust the tool rest so that it is as close to your work peace as possible. Remove the tool rest before sanding or buffing.
  • Use the dust collector when sanding woodturnings. The dust collector is on the floor to the right of the lathe. Its power switch is located on the motor housing.

Clean-up

When you are finished working at the wood lathe, make sure that all of the components used are put away in the lathe toolbox.

Please be aware that there are 4 Trash barrels in this room, and that each one has a broom, bench brush and dust pan attached. You must use these items to clean up your work areas at each machine, when you are finished working there. Also, there are scrap barrels at each workstation to deposit scraps of material, which may be useful for someone else. Please do not put materials with stray hardware or glue on them, or food/drink items, only re-useable materials.

Conclusion

The wood lathe is a highly specialized machine, and unique in its ability to spin a piece of wood while the operator uses hand tools to shape it. No other machine in the wood shop does this. Each wood turning project requires “case-specific” procedures and set-ups. Please discuss lathe projects with, and request training from a qualified shop technician, before attempting to use this machine.