Tip #33
Tips & Techniques For Better Lathe Turning (continued)
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Choosing the Right Stock and Preparing It For Turning

Turned projects can be made from soft woods or hard woods with equal ease. If a turned component is to provide structural integrity for a project (such as a table leg or chair spindle), it's important that you use tough, straight-grained hardwoods such as Ash, Beech, Cherry, Maple, Oak, Walnut or similar woods.

If structural integrity isn't an issue, straight-grained soft woods such as Pine, Poplar, Spruce or Fir may be acceptable. The selection of the right species is more often than not based on the project at hand. For example, if you're making a maple Windsor chair, your spindles will need to be turned from maple.

It is important that your wood be of the clear, straight-grained variety if at all possible, and that it be free of defects such as splits, checks, loose knots and other problems which could adversely affect the integrity of the finished project...and your safety while you're turning it. Be careful.

Once you've selected your stock, the next step is to get it properly prepared for mounting. Since most turned objects will be round when completed (some are actually oval), the first step is to find the center of your stock. The closer you get to the exact center, the smoother the actual process of turning will go for you.

Center Finder

Marking the centers. If your stock is square (or slightly rectangular), the easiest way is to draw diagonal lines from corner-to-corner. If you're going to mount your project on a faceplate, screw center or special chuck, you'll only need to do this on one end of your stock. If you'll be turning a spindle between centers, you will, of course, need to mark the centers on both ends.

If you're starting out with a round piece of stock, a Center Finder will make locating and marking the centers much easier.

“Pre-rounding” the stock. Whether you're turning a cylinder (spindle) or a bowl, if your finished project is to be rounded from end-to-end, you can save time -- as well as wear and tear on your lathe and chisels - by removing the sharp corners along its edges before you mount it on the lathe. With a spindle, this can be done on your Jointer by tilting its fence to 45-degrees and making a few passes along the edges, turning your blank into an octagonal shape. Of course, if you're turning table legs where their tops are to be left square for attachment to the table's apron, don't use this approach. Instead, do ALL of your rounding on the lathe.

Dividers

If you're turning a bowl or other larger diameter object, use a compass or pair of dividers to draw a circle on your stock.. Once marked, you can use your Bandsaw, Sabre Saw or Scroll saw to pre-round your stock before mounting it to your faceplate or chuck. This pre-rounding is especially desirable if your turning blank is fairly large, as it will make the turning process much smoother as you get started.

Continue to Mounting Stock To Lathe
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