Chapter 21 Processes Used to Separate Wood Materials 317
Turning
Turning of cylindrical parts is done on a wood
lathe. The workpiece is either held between centers
or is attached to a faceplate mounted on the spindle
of the lathe’s headstock. Turning between centers is
referred to as spindle turning. Most lathes used for
wood turning are similar to metal lathes in concept,
but not as heavy and rugged. See Figure 21-12.
Spindle Turning
Chisels used for spindle turning come in six
different shapes: gouge, skew, parting tool, diamond
point, round nose, and square nose. See Figure 21-13.
The gouge is a round-nosed, cupped tool for roughing
and making cove cuts. The skew is a flat tool that is
used to smooth cylinders and cut shoulders. The
parting tool is used to separate material and to cut
off stock. The diamond point, round nose, and square
nose tools are used to produce specialized contours.
Lathes are sized by the swing and length of
the bed. The swing is the dimension that is equal to
the largest diameter piece that can be turned on the
lathe. Swing is equal to twice the distance from the
center of the spindle to the bed.
Major parts of the wood lathe are the headstock,
tailstock, bed, dead center and spur center, and tool
rest. A wooden workpiece is secured between cen-
ters for turning as follows:
First, the center of each end of the stock to be
turned must be determined by drawing intersecting
diagonals from the corners. The point where the lines
intersect is where the point of the tailstock center is
placed to secure the part for turning. The tailstock is
loosened and moved to the right to permit insertion
of the workpiece, and the stock is tapped against the
spur center in the headstock. The tailstock is then
moved up against the stock until the point of the dead
center can make contact with the point of intersection
on the right end of the stock. The tailstock is then
locked in place and the center turned snugly into the
stock. Finally, the tool rest is moved to the area where
stock removal will begin, and is raised to a height of
about 1/8″ (3 mm) above the workpiece center.
Once the workpiece is secured in the lathe, it
is time to perform the initial turning operation,
called roughing. It is advisable to use slow speeds
of 1000 rpm or less to perform roughing operations.
When roughing, the gouge is held firmly on the tool
holder and pushed into the work. A cut is taken
down the length of the tool holder. During turning,
the tools will get hot from friction. They should be
cooled in water to prevent destroying their temper
and also to keep them from burning the wood.
Facing
Facing is also called faceplate turning. Facing
of wood is normally done on a wood lathe, with the
stock screwed directly to the faceplate. Sometimes
the stock is glued to a backing block, which is then
screwed to the faceplate. This eliminates the problem
of holes showing in the work. When the facing opera-
tion is completed, the part can be separated from the
backing block with a wood chisel.
Figure 21-12. Spindle turning on a lathe is done by spinning
the workpiece between centers. Lathe tools called chisels
are used to remove material.
Figure 21-13. Three of the most common lathe tools are the
gouge, skew, and parting tool. The diamond point, round
nose, and square nose tools are used to create specialized
contours. (Robert Larson Company)
Gouge Skew Parting tool
Diamond point Round nose Square nose
Turning
Turning of cylindrical parts is done on a wood
lathe. The workpiece is either held between centers
or is attached to a faceplate mounted on the spindle
of the lathe’s headstock. Turning between centers is
referred to as spindle turning. Most lathes used for
wood turning are similar to metal lathes in concept,
but not as heavy and rugged. See Figure 21-12.
Spindle Turning
Chisels used for spindle turning come in six
different shapes: gouge, skew, parting tool, diamond
point, round nose, and square nose. See Figure 21-13.
The gouge is a round-nosed, cupped tool for roughing
and making cove cuts. The skew is a flat tool that is
used to smooth cylinders and cut shoulders. The
parting tool is used to separate material and to cut
off stock. The diamond point, round nose, and square
nose tools are used to produce specialized contours.
Lathes are sized by the swing and length of
the bed. The swing is the dimension that is equal to
the largest diameter piece that can be turned on the
lathe. Swing is equal to twice the distance from the
center of the spindle to the bed.
Major parts of the wood lathe are the headstock,
tailstock, bed, dead center and spur center, and tool
rest. A wooden workpiece is secured between cen-
ters for turning as follows:
First, the center of each end of the stock to be
turned must be determined by drawing intersecting
diagonals from the corners. The point where the lines
intersect is where the point of the tailstock center is
placed to secure the part for turning. The tailstock is
loosened and moved to the right to permit insertion
of the workpiece, and the stock is tapped against the
spur center in the headstock. The tailstock is then
moved up against the stock until the point of the dead
center can make contact with the point of intersection
on the right end of the stock. The tailstock is then
locked in place and the center turned snugly into the
stock. Finally, the tool rest is moved to the area where
stock removal will begin, and is raised to a height of
about 1/8″ (3 mm) above the workpiece center.
Once the workpiece is secured in the lathe, it
is time to perform the initial turning operation,
called roughing. It is advisable to use slow speeds
of 1000 rpm or less to perform roughing operations.
When roughing, the gouge is held firmly on the tool
holder and pushed into the work. A cut is taken
down the length of the tool holder. During turning,
the tools will get hot from friction. They should be
cooled in water to prevent destroying their temper
and also to keep them from burning the wood.
Facing
Facing is also called faceplate turning. Facing
of wood is normally done on a wood lathe, with the
stock screwed directly to the faceplate. Sometimes
the stock is glued to a backing block, which is then
screwed to the faceplate. This eliminates the problem
of holes showing in the work. When the facing opera-
tion is completed, the part can be separated from the
backing block with a wood chisel.
Figure 21-12. Spindle turning on a lathe is done by spinning
the workpiece between centers. Lathe tools called chisels
are used to remove material.
Figure 21-13. Three of the most common lathe tools are the
gouge, skew, and parting tool. The diamond point, round
nose, and square nose tools are used to create specialized
contours. (Robert Larson Company)
Gouge Skew Parting tool
Diamond point Round nose Square nose