|
Wood Turning Tips
Among the many methods of wood working and carpentry, wood turning done on a
wood lathe is the most common. The following are some useful tips for wood
turning done with the help of a wood lathe.
A beginner who has just
taken up wood turning always has one big difficulty, i.e. what to turn? Here are
a few suggestions. The easiest thing that can be turned by any beginner is a
simple bowl. To make a simple bowl, one requires a 3.5'' thick piece of ambrosia
maple wood in a dry state. The tools that are needed for turning are a bowl
gouge and spindle gouge.
A simple bowl is made using the faceplate turning
technique. It is always advisable to start turning the bowl from the bottom,
which is known as the tail stock of the bowl and proceed upwards. You can easily
rough cut the bowl first in what ever shape you want and then add the applicable
finishing touches. You carry out the same technique to produce objects like
ring boxes and then moving on to
lidded and hinged ring boxes.
You will need a small square scraper in addition to the
spindle gouge to make the ring box.
Oil
finish polishes not only protect the wood in all weathers but also tend to
improve the finish of the surface of the wood. It is essential to polish the
surface of your object with a sand paper before applying the finish to it. The
buffing wheels can be easily attached to lathe machines. A wood finish, aided
with the finishing touch of a buffing wheel further improves the quality of the
surface of the wood. Make use of tools such as measuring tools, shear scrapers
and cryogenically treated turning tools. Many new tools such as profile
scrappers and versatile Irish grind are also being introduced.
Wood
turning with the help of a wood lathe can be a highly recreational and artistic
hobby but it is important to follow some safety rules like wearing protective
eye goggles or a face shield. While working with a lathe it is also important to
wear proper attire and make use of respirators. It is also recommended that one
uses the wood conservatively as a whole tree is cut to make available a piece of
wood for wood turning purposes. Learn to value the wood. And last but not least,
practice as much as you can on waste pieces of wood before taking up a bigger
piece of wood of superior quality.
Note: You can view a
bigger version of the wood turned items by placing your mouse curser on the
image and click. A new window will open with the larger image. When finished
viewing, just close the window and come back here to view the others.
Colour and markings may differ in
appearance slightly in your finished turning from the one's shown in the photo's
depending on wood used at the time they are turned. Each item is handcrafted
individually, so slight variances should be expected especially if ordering more
than one item. The sizes listed are approximate. They may be a couple of
millimetres taller, longer, wider or little shorter, etc.
Commissioned works - Why not have that special one off piece crafted by a
professional turner. I am available to make commissioned pieces for any special occasion, to your requirements . To discuss your requirements contact
me
Here
| 
