Turing my Hand to Wood Turning

Wood turning is something that has always interested me and luckily I got to try my hand at it. It's surprisingly addictive and scary at the same time.

The lathe itself can be quite imposing, a large, loud piece of machinery with fasting turning components and the ability to catch and fire wood or even a metal tool across the room as break neck speeds. That's why it's so important to be careful, safe and wear protective equipment. Personally I use a full face shield, wear long sleeves and make sure non of my clothing is baggy or has any cords or strings that can catch. I also find it best to start off slower and increase the speed of the lathe to one you are comfortable with.

As you can see, lathe work isn't for the faint of heart. There is a lot to learn for the novice and there will be accidents along the way. Being too aggressive while roughing a piece of wood to round sent chunks flying at my arm and peppering little cuts up to my elbow. This is bad turning, you should be taking shavings off, not chips but I learnt that the hard way. Along with the occasional catch with the gouge and the persistence needed to keep going when it's not going as you'd hoped, wood turning is not for everyone.

I have been lucky enough to complete a few projects. I've made pens, miniature trees, mushrooms and a few bowls. I have learnt something new from every project and am thrilled with the results I have gotten. I have done these on an old Axminster lathe using traditional gouges and chisels, and I have to admit, I'm obsessed. I've even looked into getting my own lathe!

Something I haven't been able to try yet is using carbide chisels. These are different to traditional gouges and chisels that are made from a solid piece of shaped steel sharpened at the end in a wooden handle. Carbide tools are a metal shaft with a wooden handle at one end and a fixing at the other where a blade is attached. These blades come in different shapes and the shafts can be straight, curved or with a bend to allow easier access while turning or hollowing a piece of wood. The carbide tools do not need sharpening as once the blade becomes dull, you either turn it to a new part or replace it with a new blade. Opinions vary on which tools are better, it does seem to come down to personal choice. Something to add to my Christmas List!

Pen turning has probably been my favourite so far. They can easily be completed within a few hours and once sanded and sealed are so tactile to touch. My sister uses the one I made her everyday and I have one I made myself in my handbag at all times. The bowls take far longer, especially if you are buying a square blank instead of one that is already round. But seeing a bowl appear out of a chunk of wood is incredible satisfying. I adore the finishing process, working up from an 80 grit sandpaper to a 2000-3000 grit and the wood transformed from a scratched, dull and rough to an almost mirror finish. I truly believe wood is meant to be touched. It is a tactile material so making something so pleasant to feel is wonderful. That being said, please wear a mask while sanding. The amount of dust that comes off the wood while being sanded on the lathe is incredible. You can literally see it pouring off like water. With so much dust in the air, proper PPE is essential. A workshop dust extraction unit will help but it will never be able to pull all the dust in so look out for your health.

One rule I have for wood turning though is that the kids are not allowed in the room when the lathe is on. It's something I'm not willing to risk. There have been a few times a bowl has come loose off the chuck and has been flung across the room, luckily missing me. I know of people who have had chisels pulled from the hands and fired across the room or a piece of clothing or hair caught in the lathe and been ripped off. Lathes are something not to mess with so I keep my children far away from them.

Smaller hobby lathes would be a good starting point for anyone interested in giving it a go, you can even buy mini lathes for little projects. I jumped straight in the deep end but that's just me. Depending on what you are wanting to make will determine the size and features your lathe needs. A turning head stock will mean you are able to turn larger pieces of wood without the limitation of the bed height. A copy function would benefit someone wanting to make replicas or a batch of something. For those tight on space, a bench top lathe may be an ideal solution and those wanting to make beads or miniature decorations would only need a small bed length. There are several features that I believe are universally beneficial; a four jaw chuck to hold your work piece, being able to easily adjust the speed of the lathe, a safety switch to turn the lathe of easily, a strong, comfortable tool rest and a reverse function for sanding. I would love to hear others experiences and what features they find the most important.

All in all, wood turning is incredibly satisfying, scary but so addictive. The lathe is a serious piece of machinery and needs to be treated with care and respect, but if you go into it with your eyes open and properly protected, it is such an enjoyable hobby. After the handful of projects I have under my belt I'm looking forward to starting my next with my own lathe. So Santa, if you're reading this, I've been ever so good this year!