Wood Carving Tool Sitemap

Foreword - In these days of factory produced articles and automation in industry, we are inclined to overlook many of the ancient crafts. Articles made in wood have always given a great source of satisfaction to those who manufacture them and in particular when they are made by one's own pair of hands. The primary object of this volume is to inform its readers on the correct and easiest approach to this absorbing hobby of woodturning, the use of turning tools and how to get the best out of your lathes whether they be large or small.

01. History - If you refer to your dictionary, you will find it defines 'turnery' as the art of shaping wood or ivory by means of a lathe, and that a lathe is a machine for shaping wood or ivory, and that is just about right; but I think perhaps a little more explanation would make the whole business of lathes and woodturning much more interesting.

02. Lathe - I hope that in the preceding chapter your interest in wood-turning has been roused and that you wish to 'do it yourself, as the various magazines and papers say these days.

Obviously, the old pole or Bodgers lathe will not be your choice for your workshop, so let us have a look at the basic requirements of your lathe to enable you to start turning.

03. Homemade Lathes - When I first started woodturning, my first machine only cost me ten shillings. It was made entirely from parts found in the local scrap-iron yard. Quite a lot of time went into the making up of the various parts which were mounted on a wooden bed but the reward was well worth waiting for. At last I had something with which I could satisfactorily turn pieces of wood into something useful and saleable, and after three or four years, I had saved enough money to buy an up-to-date combination lathe, that is a machine tool with a lathe as its basic form, but with various attachments which could be added for circular sawing, planing, sanding, etc. Now I was really set up in business.

04. Amateurs Lathes - TODAY we can see at various exhibitions and stores a real galaxy of machine tools, originating from almost the four corners of the world. To cover all amateur lathes made would be quite an impossible task, and I shall only deal with some of those of American and British origin. They will probably be within a price range of $35 to $100.

05. Workshop - I wonder how many times you have picked up some magazine or other and seen on the cover, in glorious Technicolor, a young husband merrily working away with a small machine, in their newly furnished kitchen. Possibly he is turning legs for a stool, bits of which are lying on the floor. Standing near by is his wife, all proud smiles.

06. Tools - On the market today there are many types of turning tools, but please do not be in too much of a hurry to buy the very first ones you see. Some of them are exceptionally good, but some are quite useless for the job for which they are inten­ded. You will see very imposing boxes of turning tools offered for sale, but, I am sorry to say that quite often this is only a manufacturer's way of getting rid of some of the tools for which he has little sale.

07. Centres - I think the easiest way to learn turning is to make some­thing definite, although your first attempt may not be too successful. At least you can learn by your mistakes. Table lamps are my favourite articles as they can be turned and finished without removing them from the lathe, and there is, also, something useful and saleable. A very important factor.

08. Types of turning - A friend of mine, who knew that I made quite a few salad bowls asked me to make her an oval one. This is possible, of course, with a little ingenuity, but I would not recommend it for the beginner. However, we can do oval turning between centres as we can do other things. Hammer handles come in this category.

09. Faceplate work - Perhaps the most common article in shops and stores today, which calls to mind the woodturners' art, is the wooden salad or fruit bowl, but how many people stop to wonder how it is made.

Basically this type of article is made on a faceplate, mounted on the headstock of the lathe, although there are other methods of chucking which I shall deal with later in the chapter.

10. Woodscrew chuck - One of the most useful attachments the woodturner can have for the lathe is the woodscrew chuck. This consists of a small faceplate, between 1 1/2in. and 21/2 in. in diameter, which is screwed on to the mandrel. In the centre an ordinary woodscrew is fixed, either being welded into position or held by a special clamping device, which allows for the screw to be easily adjusted for length and changed if it becomes damaged.

11. Boring holes - Although the lathe is primarily intended for turning, it can be converted into a very satisfactory horizontal drill press, with the addition of an adjustable three-jaw chuck. Most lathes, as I have already said, have the mandrel and tailstock bored to a No. 1 or No. 2 Morse taper. All that is required then, is a three-jaw chuck fitted with a Morse taper spill or shaft.

12. Timber - I can well remember my first approach to woodturning, and the subsequent visit to the timber yard in search of a few suitable pieces of wood. All I knew was that I wanted some hardwood suitable for turning and that it had to be well seasoned. To me, at that time, it all looked alike, but after buying lots of useless pieces, I soon formed my own opinion about turning requirements; perhaps you learn a lot quicker by your mistakes.

13. Woodturning design - Design in woodturning, as in any other art, falls into two categories, contemporary and traditional. The former, as applied to turning, is very simple indeed, consisting chiefly of straight taper turning, and it is to be seen in this form in many articles of furniture today. Very little experience is required to turn out such articles, although some forms are more pleasing than others.

14. Treen - Treen was the old term used to define objects made from a tree, but the word is only used now in connexion with antiques, although it is not meant to include items which are purely ornamental or artistic, also, they are not necessarily all turned items, but I shall only describe those that are proper to turning. If you have the chance to turn out an old attic or somebody's old shed, you could quite easily come across what appears to be a piece of old wood.

15. Finishing - Wood finishing normally involves a considerable number of separate processes, all of which are quite an art in themselves, if perfection is aimed at. The two distinct aspects of quality in any wood finishing are appearance, which will be the chief factor if articles are to be saleable, and durability, which will have a great influence on the reputation of the craftsman. The first stage in finishing is sanding, of course, but do not get the idea that sand paper alone will give you a suitable surface for final polishing.

16. Helpful hints - Always wear a carpenter's apron or something similar, to protect your clothes from polish and stain which is thrown from the rotating work. Keep your neck­tie well tucked in or do not wear one at all, otherwise you may find your chin in contact with the work and yourself having an enforced, dangerous shave.

When you have decided upon the particular lathe or machinery you require, be sure replacement parts will always be available and choose a reputable manufacturer. This also applies to tools and accessories.

THE END