How Do You Use A Wood Lathe?
Wood lathes can be used to create functional furniture components, beautiful decorative wood projects such as candlesticks and bowls, or even toys such as tops and yo yos. These machines range in size from hobby models that fit on a work bench to large industrial-sized machines weighing hundreds of pounds, but they all share some basic elements. Here are some instructions for using these unique machines. • The specification plate on the lathe in the illustrations. Select a lathe suitable for your project. Bench top lathes can be ideal for turning small projects like ink pens and yo-yos, larger machines may be used for making spindles used in furniture and handrail styles. Here are some differences in wood lathe specifications: • Bed length is the distance between centers, or the maximum length of the stock that can be turned. • Swing is the term used to describe the largest diameter stock that can be turned. • Horsepower is the amount of torque the lathe motor develops, which in turn w