The Wood Lathe is a machine used to shape and smooth wood either along or across the wood fibers. Using a variety of tools the wood turner can shape symmetrical table legs, bowls, and organic forms.
A membership or day pass is required to access the Wood Shop.
You can make machine reservations in the following ways:
A wood lathe is used to produce round objects like spindles and bowls. The work to be turned is usually mounted on the lathe between the headstock (drive) spindle and the tailstock. For some work, the tailstock is not needed and the work is only attached to the drive spindle. The headstock is driven by a motor the speed of which can be set with a controller or a pulley system. The work to be turned is attached to the headstock spindle by means of a drive center (spur center) that is driven into the work, a faceplate, or by securing the work to a chuck mounted on the spindle. The selection of drive center, faceplate or chuck is dependent on the type of turning to be produced. Sometimes the method of attachment will have to be changed during the turning process.
The tailstock has a cone shaped live center on the end of the tailstock spindle that is pushed into the end of the work to be turned to support that end of the work. As the headstock turns the work, the live center rotates on bearings. The tailstock slides back and forth on the lathe bed as needed to suite the length of the turning. Hand held turning chisels are used to cut the turning to the desired shape. The cutting end of the turning chisels are supported by a tool rest while the other end of the chisel is held in your hand.
Number of Machines | Name | Bed Size | Material | Tool | Shop |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Palmgren Bench Lathe | 9" x 20" | Metals | Mounted tool | Metal Shop |
1 | Jet Wood Lathe | 49" | Wood | Carbide cutters or high-speed steel chisels | Wood Shop |
Stock for spindles should be straight grained and free of checks, cracks, knots and other defects. It should be cut 1/8" to 1/4" larger than the finished diameter and may require additional length that will be removed later to secure the piece. Larger diameter stock should have the corners removed to produce an octagon making the piece easier to rough down to a cylinder.
¶ Acceptable Materials:
Always check moisture levels with the moisture meter and look for nails with the metal detector.
Untreated lumber.
Logs.
Green wood.
¶ Use with Caution and Proper Technique:
Always check moisture levels with the moisture meter and look for nails with the metal detector.
Reclaimed lumber.
¶ FORBIDDEN MATERIALS:
DO NOT, under any circumstances, cut the following materials on the table saw:
Plywood.
Slabs.
Pressure treated wood.
Materials containing or coated with lead or lead-based paint.
Any pre-finished woods (for example: finished flooring, old bar tops, etc.).
Metal.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
Sturdy, close-toed shoes must be worn at all times.
Long hair, jewelry, and loose clothing must be tied back.
Safety glasses, protective goggles, or a face shield should be worn while wood turning.
Ear plugs or earmuffs are recommended while wood turning.
A dust mask or a NIOSH certified respirator is recommended while wood turning.
For more information on shop safety visit Wood Shop under "Safety."
For safety and best performance, keep tools sharp.
If a tool stops cutting, or requires excessive pressure to make a cut, it needs to be sharpened.
A number of brand name sharpening jigs and fixtures are available, however, a woodturner should learn to sharpen tools freehand.
Open Works provides high-speed steel chisels for members and day pass users to use. Community Technicians keep them sharp as part of their maintenance tasks.
Open Works recommends members and day pass users purchase their own high-speed steel chisels to ensure the quality of the tool. When purchasing their own chisels, members should select only high quality, high-speed steel turning tools with long handles.
The following tools provide the basics for most woodturning projects.
Carbide cutters are the beginner friendly option for wood turning. Carbide cutters remove material through scraping, and require less precise angles of approach than high-speed steel chisels.
High-speed steel chisels require more dexterity and experience to use than carbide cutters, but high-speed steel chisels provide a finer finish.
Turned work is often sanded before it is removed from the lathe.
Open Works provides a variety of grits as consumables in the Wood Shop, however if you want a specific grit or style it is best to bring your own.
In addition to sanding by hand, orbital power sanders can also be used.
All machine maintenance pages are only accessible to Staff. All machine maintenance is only to be done by Staff.
All troubleshooting pages are only accessible to Staff. All troubleshooting is only to be done by Staff.
Wood Lathe Operating Instructions and Parts Manual (Models:JWL-1642EVS and JWL-1642EVS-2)
Blank: the stock before it's turned.
Wood Lathe: A machine used to shape and smooth wood either along or across the wood fibers. The lathe turns the wood blank and various tools are used to create the shapes.
Bed: The long horizontal portion of a wood lathe onto which the other components are mounted.
Headstock: The motorized portion of the lathe that includes the motor, pulleys and tension adjuster and is generally located on the user’s left side of the bed.
Spindle: The rotating, threaded extension from the headstock onto which various components are attached that secure the wood.
Drive Center: A sharpened tool that inserts into the spindle and is used to secure the wood blank on its end grain and is what spins the wood during use.
Tailstock: A sliding component of a wood lathe on the opposite end of the bed from the headstock.
Live Center: A conical shaped piece that inserts into the tailstock and is used to support the wood blank.
Tool Rest: A horizontal bar running parallel to the bed and is used to support the woodworking tools.
Banjo: A component of a wood lathe into which the tool bar is seated. The banjo moves along the bed between the head and tail stocks, moves in and out and rotationally so that the tool can access the wood blank properly.
Chuck: An accessory that mounts to the spindle and is used to clamp the wood blank for machining. The tail stock may or may not be used with a chuck.
Faceplate: A circular metal plate which attaches to the end of the spindle. The wood blank is then screwed to or clamped onto the faceplate,
Spindle Turning: Also known as turning between centers, is a woodturning method wherein the wood blank is mounted between the drive center or chuck and the live center with its fibers running parallel to the bed.
Bowl Turning: A woodturning method wherein the wood blank is mounted to a faceplate and/or a chuck with its fibers running perpendicular to the lathe’s bed.