A Lathe Addict Can Never Have Too Many Woodworking Lathe Tools

There are a huge variety of woodworking lathe tools available to create the exact design and finish you require. Depending on the project, you will have different tool requirements. You may need a texturing tool to add detail to a bowl, an Oland tool for faceplate work, a hook tool for grain end hollowing, or an articulated hollowing tool for hollowing hard-to-reach places. The list of tools is as long as the list of lathe cutting methods and an avid lathe woodworker can never have too many.

There are a number of common woodworking lathe tools, most of which are types of chisel. Those detailed here are basic woodworking lathe tools but the cut you want will determine the woodworking lathe cutting tool

you need. A Gouge is a round nose hollow chisel used for roughing up cuts, although you can perform scraping, shearing and cutting with it so it is very versatile. This is the tool that you should begin to learn with, as it is the only one able to initially round the wood. A Skew Chisel is used for smoothing and cutting shoulders and is a flat double ground chisel with its end being ground at an angle. A Spear Chisel is flat ground to a point, a Round Nose Chisel is flat with a rounded point and is used pretty much exclusively to hollow, and a Parting Chisel, used for cutting-off and determining the depth of a cut, is a double ground chisel. Calipers are also essential for measuring and shaping wood as there is no other way to measure the diameter with absolute precision.

Woodworking lathe tools need to be kept sharp, both to maintain good workmanship and as a safety measure. A blunt woodworking lathe tool is like a blunt knife - it will not cut well and you could end up cutting yourself as you put unnecessary force on it. Those who have been using a lathe for a long time and are highly experienced might manually sharpen their woodworking lathe tools but unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing, it is wise to invest in a grinder. You can either use a common bench grinder or a slow-speed grinder.

The method you choose is down to personal preference but the advantage of the slow-speed grinder is that it doesn't heat up the woodworking lathe tools and allows you more control. A round-edged chisel will need to be rolled on the stone and flat-edged tools will be placed flat up against it. Once you have sharpened your tool, just smooth it with some sandpaper to get rid of any burs.

Woodworking lathe tools can be easily found on the internet, on one of the many sites dedicated to woodworking, or you could even consider making your own, which certain sites can also teach you to do. There are only a few woodworking lathe tools that are absolutely essential but those who are passionate about woodturning will undoubtedly find that as they think up more and more creative projects, they need to find the tools to do the job.

Turncrafter Plus - PSI Wood Lathe Review

For the last few years I have been thinking about buying a wood lathe. I've always been very interested in wood turning, and thought it would make a great hobby, but I'd never really gotten started.

A friend of mine, Chuck, is a very experienced and skilled wood turner, and every so often I get a chance to experiment with his lathe, and I always enjoy the experience. He's always happy to let me use it and willing to teach me anything I want to know, but I feel bad for imposing on him.

I never really got serious and did my research on wood lathes since I always felt that it was too expensive a hobby, and I couldn't really afford it. I knew that Chuck's lathe, a large model from General, cost him several thousand dollars and just figured that was the normal price range. This kept me away from wood turning for several years!

Recently I started looking at Wood Lathe prices, only to discover there's a large market for much smaller less expensive lathes. After looking at several reviews online and finding most of them positive, I decided to invest in A Turncrafter Plus from PSI.

This lathe was marketed as an inexpensive beginner lathe, and that's what really stood out for me. It cost a little over 150$, so I wasn't expecting too much. I was thrilled with the purchase anyway, since I would finally be able to get into wood turning, and if it didn't work out then it wasn't as if I had made a big investment.

When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The Turncrafter came nicely packaged and looked great out of the box. It was very small, only about two feet long and half a foot deep, but that was perfect since I don't have a lot of room in my shop. I was impressed with how heavy and solid it seamed, since I was worried that for the money I would get something flimsy or easy to break.

I attached a small piece of wood using the included live center and turned it on. It runs very quietly and smoothly, whether you have it on the slowest or fastest speed. I bought a set of lathe tools with it, and they cut into my spindle as smooth as butter!

I've turned a handful of pens and a candle holder on it so far, and I haven't had a single problem. It holds the spindle very well, and spins without slipping or choking. I couldn't be happier with this lathe. There are some limitations, mostly because of the small side, so maybe at some point I will want to upgrade to a bigger lathe, but for now it's perfect.

If you're looking to get into wood turning I highly recommend the PSI Turncrafter as an inexpensive alternative.

What You Need to Know About CNC Metal Lathe?

Metal lathe is one of the processes taking place in the actual metal process. When metal is cut and treated, metal lathe is one of these cutting processes. CNC Metal lathe device is a general term for a machine utilized to eliminate material for a work piece, though the use of a cutting tool. They are specifically designed for metals.

There are a lot of lathe variations in terms of processing the metals. In the metalworking field, several lathe techniques are being used to ascertain the quality and cut of the metal that is under processed. At the same time, there is a lot of CNC Lathe used for metal lathes. Let us discuss one by one the most commonly used Metal Lathe machines that are being used in treating any types of metals.

First on the list is the centering lathe machine. It is a double head machine which focuses the work at the center of the work piece. He heads are fixed and moved forward creating a drill hole in the middle of the work piece in both ends of it. The result form of the work piece can now be utilized in the center with the aid of another operation. Center lathe can also be referred to as an engine lathe and more metals are subject to this type of lathe. This type of machine is the most widely used machine for metal lathe and it is preferred by most of the general hobbyist or machinist.

Another type of machine for lathe purposes is the capstan lathe machine. The machine is categorized to be a manufacturing machine. It is a specialized machine which incorporates the functions of a typical lathe machine plus the revolutionary tailstock in a capstan style. It is commonly used for woodworking and other wood industries alike.

Another type of machine used for lathe is the turret lathe. It is also considered a manufacturing machine, and is very similar with the capstan machine appearance. Unlike the capstan machine which is stationary, turret machines are more versatile and mobile since it contains the turret slides that glide straight to the bed, instead of being fixed in one place.

There is another type of lathe machine called the combination CNC lathe wherein it introduces milling and drilling operations into the plain work piece of the lathe. These types of machines normally have an x and a y axis using the carriage for x and a top slide for y.

Old and Typical lathe machines are being replaced rapidly by CNC lathes machines. CNC lathe uses state of the art tooling for better precision and accuracy. These CNSC machines are highly specialized, but they are set for a simpler way of setting lathes and operation. The processes are modern and advanced. Most machinists and hobbyist prefer the CNC lathe machines since they are more versatile, efficient, and simple compared with typical lathe machines. At the same time, they are sure that the operation is not taken into sacrifice while making the work simpler than it gets.