Woodturning for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide with Instructions, Woodturning techniques with Projects, Expert Tips and Troubleshooting the Lathe

Introduction

With woodturning, you don't have to toil for hours before you begin to see a magnificent change in your wood; the changes begin to happen immediately after the wood comes in contact with the lathe machine. You don't need an assorted box load of tools and equipment; with some primary tools and a lathe, you are set to go. Woodturning is subdivided into three main categories;

These parts do not work in isolation, and as a woodworker, you will have to use your ingenuity to bring them together in a fine fashion for a seamless working experience. In as much as teamwork is essential for the individual parts, a sharp tool can be very important as, without this, there will be no easy turning and finishing. Woodturning is a pleasurable experience that brings in all parts of your body and mostly your heart into the process of creating a masterpiece.

As a beginner, you must have a space dedicated to your art. It is not uncommon to find even experienced hands using the garage where the car is parked as their workshop with tools lying all over the place in a disorganized fashion. With grease and other automobile stuff mingling with your woodworking tools, there is a high probability that it will get damaged faster, you will inevitably lose some of your priced tools, and the zeal to clean the space won't be there. To this end, there is a need for you to have space solely for your woodturning activities. Carefully consider the following points when setting up the workspace;

The most expensive pieces of equipment aren't always the best; simultaneously, always ensure that you search the market and buy that which won't break your bank. If there is a fairly used quality lathing machine up for sale and you are interested in getting it, ensure that you carry out all the proper checks to certify its working condition. You should go with someone who can give you a second opinion. When it comes to lathes, you will be spoilt for choices considering the sizes, brands, and sizes out there. The machine you will get will be determined by several factors such as your budget, the space available, and the projects you will be working on most of the time. The following parameters should also be factored in when making a purchase;

Speed

Lathes come in variable and fixed speed types. The variable speed lathes give you control over a wide range of speed levels and how you can make changes until a desirable speed level is attained. On the other hand, the fixed speed lathe can have the speed controlled by altering the belt's location on the moving mechanism located on the machine. A slow speed is preferable when the blank been worked on is quite large to prevent vibrations, and the possibility of it been flung off the machine leading to an accident.

Stance

The body posture you take when woodturning is an important factor for the production of an impeccable product. If the stance taken is not the correct one, you will suffer from joint pains, get tired fairly easily, and it could also lead to long term health issues if it is not controlled quickly. If the focus of the turning is between two centers, your stance should be upright, your shoulders and feet firmly apart, leaving some space between your body and the lathe machine. With this stance, you won't have to continuously walk through and fro trying to turn the wood comfortably; it will give you firm control with just the movement of your upper body while your feet remain in one position.

Other than the stance you take, the machine's height will go a long way in how easy the turning will be on your body position. The head of the spindle's typical height should be parallel to your elbow when your hands are held down. If the lathe machine is a bench top fixed type, it should not be installed in the middle of the bench as this will make it awkward and uncomfortable to work with. It should be fixed at the edge of the bench for easy reach and proper stance. In the end, the goal is to create a calm and relaxed working experience with the machine and not get muscle and joint problems.

The distance between centers

This can be referred to as the space in between the revolving center of the tailstock and the drive on the headstock when the tailstock has been pushed as far as it could go without the possibility of it been a hazard. This distance in between these two points is the maximum length of blank that can