These are the “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s) that I am asked by students. They are silimar to those I see being asked on Wood Central and other Internet forums by the new woodturner.
There many answers to these questions, all of them different, and all of them correct. I have listed twenty-three (23) of these FAQ’s, and I my answer to each them. I will not listen to any arguments because I have already conceded that your answer is “right”. I only ask that you will admit the same for mine?
1- How far should the tool rest be above (below) center?
This the Number One FAQ. There is not a class that goes by without this question being asked.
Contrary to a popular opinion, there is no one best tool rest height. The tool rest is set at whatever height we can comfortably follow the “ABC Rule”. We want the tool to be cutting while it is sliding on the bevel behind the cutting edge, and we want to be holding the tool handle in a comfortable position that gives us control of the tool.
That “Comfortable” position for the tool rest is an idividual factor that depends on the height of the lathe, how tall you are, the length of the tool overhang, the angle the tool is held, the thickness of the tool, how it is presented to the wood, and what kind of cut you are making.
2- What is the meaning of a tool name??
Why can’t a “Roughing Gouge” or a “Spindle Gouge” beused to turn a bowl? Why can’t a bowl gouge be used for roughing a spindleor turning a spindle? Why can’t I turn a bowl with a Skew Chisel? SAFETY is the primary reason for tools being named as they are, followed by better cutting results when they are used as intended.
We use specific tools for specific things because it is just easier and SAFER to obey those common sense rules for woodturning. The expert woodturner may be able to turn any piece of wood with any tool, but I recommend using the tools as designated by their name until you are an “expert” who is familiar with all of the tools, their limitations, and the safety issues with using them for other than their intended purpose. In other words, use a Roughing Gouge for making square spindles into round spindles, a Spindle Gouge for turning spindles, and a Bowl Gouge for turning bowls.
Yes, you could turn a bowl with a Spindle Gouge, a Roughing Gouge, or a skew chisel but I think a reasonable person will find that a Bowl Gouge is the better choice for their personal safety. You could also turn a spindle with a Bowl Gouge, but the spindle gouge will be safer, more maneuverable, and you will leave a better surface on the wood.
There will always be those who will defy anything I have said just to be defiant. Most of them soon learn why the tools are named as they are.
3 - Is woodturning an art or a craft?
This one has been going on forever, and there is still no resolution. My answer is that woodturning is both. The “craft” is in the skills to do the turning. The “art” is in what we make.
4 - Should I bolt my lathe to the floor?
The answer to this one depends on the weight and strength of the lathe. The lathe must not move when it is used to turn wood. Your asking this question tells me that you are having a problem with the lathe moving. The easy answer is to start turning smaller pieces of wood that better fit the capabilities of the lathe you have. If you don't want to do that, there are two choices - a bigger (heavier) lathe, or bolt this one to the floor (or table). If bolting it to the floor causes damage to the lathe, then you needed a heavier lathe. If the new lathe is heavier, you may not need to bolt it to the floor.
There can be a problem with turning large and/or unbalanced pieces in a lathe that is bolted to the floor (Refer to FAQ-8). If the wood wants to move and it cannot, something else will “give”; and that is usually a fracture in the bolting pads at the floor; but it could be a failure of the spindle bearings. For this reason, many will advise that the lathe should NOT be bolted to the floor because that will let the entire machine move as a warning.
5 - How heavy should a lathe-stand be?
This question has the same answer as FAQ #4. There is no such thing as being TOO heavy. If it moves, it isn’t heavy enough. If it wiggles, it isn’t rigid enough.
The heaviest stand in the world will not save a lathe that is too small or too light for the turning tasks that you are asking it to do.
6 - Which lathe should I buy?
Don’t look to me for an answer to that question. I think that the Oneway 2036 or a Powermatic 3520 is the minimum basic lathe. My reasoning is that these lathes will allow you to explore woodturning without being limited by the inadequacies of the machine. If you decide not to continue with woodturning, its selling price will be almost what you paid for it. If you do get hooked on woodturning, you will never have the need for an upgrade to a bigger or better lathe. In either case, you will be money ahead because the cost of the cheapie starter lathe will be a “throw away”. Can’t convince your wife of these economics? THAT is your problem.
7 - Is the Oneway lathe really $3000 better than
a Nova-3000 (or whatever less expensive lathe you are looking at)?This one is a non-question. There is no comparison. The Oneway is a heavy, full-sized, heavy-duty lathe that weighs almost 900 pounds. The Nova-3000 is a very good medium-duty, medium-sized, medium-quality lathe that weighs 200-pounds. The Nova will perform well as long as you recognize its limitations and don’t try to make it into something that it is not. But, that is true for any machine.
Even a Shopsmith makes a good lathe, so long as we recognize its limits, and stay within them.
8 - How large a piece of wood can I turn on my (fill in the name)?
The answer depends on your “threshold of fear”. You can turn as large a piece of wood as you are comfortable standing next to while it is spinning in the lathe. The more wood your turn, the more comfortable you will become.
Never attempt to turn a piece of wood that weighs more than the lathe. My advice is that, for safety, the wood should never weigh more than 1/3 that of the lathe. That rule can be stretched if the piece is balanced before it is turned. For some machines, even that is too heavy. (Refer to FAQ-4 & 5)
9 - Where can I find wood to practice on?
Everywhere. The objective should be learning to use the turning tools, and not making things. You can find wood in your backyard, along side the road, in the neighbor’s fireplace, at the dump, old furniture, scrap lumber, or sold in bundles of firewood at the grocery store. Even pieces sawn from a pine 2x4 are good for practice.
10 - I have a piece of (fill in the species).
How well does it turn?All wood can be turned on a lathe. Some is just easier than others; how easy depends on our experience. In the beginning, you should be turning everything you can get our hands on. In time you will know which wood you like, and be able to tell the difference between good wood and bad wood.
11 - What shape should I sharpen on a gouge?
I have read six magazine articles and four books, watched five videos, and three live demonstrations. None of them agree.
At this point you only need ONE instructor. Pick ONE, preferably someone you can talk to. If there is an AAW Chapter close by, join it, find someone whose work you admire, ask them (nobody else) what to do, and do everything they tell you. If that option is not available, choose ONE video or book source and turn wood. Worry about the shape of your tools AFTER you have learned how to use them.
12- Who makes the best turning tools?
It doesn’t matter what brand you use. Worry about the metallurgy and the shape of the flute AFTER you have learned to use them.
13- Who sells the cheapest turning tools?
(This one usually goes with № 10)Best and cheapest are not mutually inclusive properties in a turning tool. It doesn’t matter who manufacturers them, tools of the same metallurgy, quality and finish will cost nearly the same price. Cheaper usually means that something is missing.
14- I have this old set of Sears (or Buck Bros., etc) tools that I got from a relative. They mean a lot to me and I want to use them. What can I do to make them better and last longer?
Nothing! But don’t throw them away. Use them. They will cut fine. You will have to sharpen them more often than a better quality tool, but that will teach you how to sharpen tools. One of the best kept secrets among woodturners is that the “experts” often have several of the Sears turning tools that they use when nobody is looking. I see them all the time in their tool racks and they are never covered with dust. ‘Nuff said.
15- Which tool grinder is better, 1200, 1750, or 3600 RPM?
It doesn’t matter. They all remove metal. The faster wheel removes it faster. There is some justification for the new woodturner to use the slower wheel. Jet has solved the problem with a two-speed grinder.
16- Which grinding wheels should I buy, white, blue, pink, or (fill in the color)?
As long as they are Aluminum-Oxide, it doesn’t matter. All white wheels are Aluminum-Oxide, but not all Aluminum-Oxide wheels are white.
17- Is a Tormek a better grinder for turning tools?
Ask someone who owns one. Those who own them love them. Those that don’t will always tell you they are a wste of money.
The truth is that sharp tools cut better than dull ones, and the sharper they are the better they cut. A Tormek WILL grind a sharper edge on the tool, and the leather stropping wheel will make it even sharper. However, you don't need an $800 Tormek to get that sharper edge, You can also get the sharper edge on M2 and M4 High Speed Steel (HSS) with a few strokes with a diamond file or slip-stone, and that will cost you somewhere betwee, $10 and $40.
Tormek has a "Black Wheel" that is excellent for sharpening the higher alloy steels such as those with 15% vanadium, or stellite. The alloys in these steels are harder than the Aluminum-Oxide grinding wheel and benefit from the harder Tormek wheel, or a diamond wheel.
18- Where can I get the best price on a (fill in the blank)?
Are you looking for someone who you can blame if you later find it cheaper somewhere else?? There are many factors that go into our purchasing decisions. Price is only one of them. Get all of the tool catalogs, and do it yourself.
19- Should I drill a hole in the center of a bowl?
The wood at the center of the piece has almost a “Zero” velocity across the tip of the tool, and that can make it difficult to turn. Sometimes this is a problem, and sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes I drill into the center, and wonder why. Sometimes I don't and wish I had.
If you do drill a depth hole in a bowl, DO NOT drill too deep, and DO NOT forget that the drill may have a center point that is 3/8” long.
20- Should I hone my turning tools?
There are two answers to this one - YES and NO.
Yes, because sharp tools cut wood better than dull tools, and the sharper they are the better they cut. You can get that sharper edge with a slip stone.
No, because it is better to not hone the tool than to screw-up the cutting edge.
Learn how to turn wood and sharpen tools, and then ask the question again. My guess is that you won’t need to.
21- Why should I learn to use a skew?
If you want to truly learn to turn wood, then learning to use a skew chisel will teach you how wood is cut; and it will definitely teach you tool control. After that, all tools are easier to use.
22- How fast should my Velcro backed sanding disc be
spinning?There aren’t that many choices - a fast spinning disc and a slow spinning disc, fast spinning wood, slow spinning wood, and no-spinning wood. They all sand the wood.
Heat is the enemy we want to avoid. If the adhesive on the sanding pad melts, we are spinning it too fast. If we are hand sanding and burn our fingers, we are spinning the wood too fast. If we burn the wood, we are definitely spinning it too fast. I sand with a slow spinning disc and stationary or slow spinning wood.
If you are able to spin everything wide open, and still keep everything cool, then do it. I cannot.
23- What finish should I put on my first bowl that
I turned from (fill in the species)? It probably doesn’t matter what you do to the first one. Buy whatever label attracts your attention on the shelf at the Home Depot. Watco Danish Oil or Deft Lacquer is a good place to start. Follow the directions on the can. Turned wood is still wood. Just remember that no finish can be any better than the wood surface under it. Then read my “Finishing Secrets” articles.
