Woodturning Lathes and Woodworking Machinery
Woodworking, the process of producing something out of wood, has
various facets, one of the primary being woodturning. Woodturning allows
objects to be produced on a wood lathe. Various woodturning machinery
and tools are used in the process, the most common use is on woodturning
lathes whereby the wood turns on the machine while a stationary
woodturning tool is used to shape the piece of wood.
Wood lathe
There are two main types of woodturning, the first being spindle turning whereby a woodturner will fix the piece of wood between two points on a wood lathe - the wood chuck and the tailstock. The lathe motor, positioned at the headstock end of the wood turning lathe is used to spin the piece of wood on its centre axis, a method used typically for producing long thin objects such as chair and tables legs, candlesticks, bats etc. The size of the wood turning lathe and the wood chucks can differ enormously depending on the size of the wood and the object being produced.
The other method of wood turning is faceplate turning which involves securing the pieces of wood to wood chucks or to the wood lathe faceplate. This method allows for woodturners to produce items such as bowls, plates etc.
Woodturning and the origins of woodworking machines can be traced right back to around 1300BC when the Egyptians developed the two person wood turning lathe whereby one person would spin the wood with a piece of rope whilst another person used a sharp tool to cut shapes in the wood. This primitive method of using woodturning tools has retained its fundamental process with woodturners today using the same method with motorised wood lathes. Woodworking machines have developed over time but their origins can be traced back to these ancient techniques of wood turning.
Wood turning tools are typically made from three different types of metal: steel, HSS (high speed steel) and carbon steel. The harder the edge of the metal, the longer it can be used without sharpening.
Woodturning lathes
Wood lathe
There are two main types of woodturning, the first being spindle turning whereby a woodturner will fix the piece of wood between two points on a wood lathe - the wood chuck and the tailstock. The lathe motor, positioned at the headstock end of the wood turning lathe is used to spin the piece of wood on its centre axis, a method used typically for producing long thin objects such as chair and tables legs, candlesticks, bats etc. The size of the wood turning lathe and the wood chucks can differ enormously depending on the size of the wood and the object being produced.
The other method of wood turning is faceplate turning which involves securing the pieces of wood to wood chucks or to the wood lathe faceplate. This method allows for woodturners to produce items such as bowls, plates etc.
Woodturning and the origins of woodworking machines can be traced right back to around 1300BC when the Egyptians developed the two person wood turning lathe whereby one person would spin the wood with a piece of rope whilst another person used a sharp tool to cut shapes in the wood. This primitive method of using woodturning tools has retained its fundamental process with woodturners today using the same method with motorised wood lathes. Woodworking machines have developed over time but their origins can be traced back to these ancient techniques of wood turning.
Wood turning tools are typically made from three different types of metal: steel, HSS (high speed steel) and carbon steel. The harder the edge of the metal, the longer it can be used without sharpening.
Woodturning lathes
