Woodturning is one of the most popular forms of woodworking. In woodturning, it is the wood that is moving while the tools are stationary. The main woodturning tool is the lathe, which rotates the workpiece. Here is a short introduction to woodturning.
Woodturning is a fascinating hobby, and it is even possible to make some money. To beginners it may look like magic, turning a piece of wood into a beautiful object. The good news is that woodturning is fun and it is much easier than most people think.
Woodturning requires a fair bit of equipment. The most important tool is the lathe. A good lathe is expensive but if you are a beginner you can start with a simpler model that has all the essential features. A second-hand lathe can also be a good investment for a beginner. Additionally, you need to protect your eyes and face, the best solution is a face sheild. Most face shields are cheap and comfortable to wear.
For beginners, buying a wood turning tool set is the cheapest and easiest way of getting the most basic turning tools. It is highly recommended that you by High Speed Steel (HSS) tools rather than the cheaper carbon steel tools. Carbon steel tools will not last as long, so generally HSS tools turn out to be cheaper in the long run.
The most important turning tools are the spindle turning tools. This group includes standard chisels and gouges. The roughing gouge is used to form shallow curves. It can also be used for roughing down a square section of wood to a cylinder form. Thus, it can be used as a replacement for the standard turning chisel. A spindle gouge, also called shallow fluted gouge, lets you create narrow concave curves. A beading tool is a versatile tool. It can be used to form grooves and also for projecting dowels and spigots. Additionally, it is used to create tight convex curves or beads.
Skew chisels are not really suitable tools for beginners. They are difficult to use but once you have learned how to use them, you will use them a lot.
If you want to turn bowls, you need some special tools. A bowl turning gouge is a deep fluted gouge. It can be used for almost all of the work. But it will leave turning marks that you have to remove using scrapers. To finish the outside of the bowl, you use a straight edge scraper. A rounded scraper is used for finishing the inside.
The term chuck work refers to hollowing an object that is held in a chuck. Most chuck work can be done using a straight edge scraper or a rounded scraper. A parting tool is to make deep grooves and cutting finished work free from the workpiece.
Woodturning tools need to be sharpened regularly. Actually, some woodturning professionals sharpen their newly purchased chisels before they start using them. The easiest way to sharpen your tools is to use a good grinder is essential. A standard 6-inch or 8-inch double ended grinder is good enough for sharpening woodturning tools. Aluminum oxide is the best material for grinding wheels.