the lathe

the lathe has seen a lot of use lately, as the huge pile of chips and dust would suggest. have i told you how great the lathe is? it is great. though it is not the most utilitarian (tablesaw, perhaps?) or versatile (have to go with the bandsaw) power tool in the shop, i think it is still my favorite. oh, it also is probably the most dangerous, too.




i think people would describe the lathe as a tool used to create spindles, bowls and other radially symmetrical wooden objects but it is so much less than that. in the end, the lathe is an easy way to mount a big block of wood as directly as possible to a big electric motor. the operator is then able to spin said asymmetrical block at high speeds so he can jab at it with very long, very sharp steel tools. luckily, the lathe has some useful attachments that make this whole process a little easier.

apart from a variety of face plates and headstocks used to mount the wooden blank, the lathe has a tailstock (to the far right in the above picture) that can be engaged to help support the work like the second cornholder in your ear of corn, as well as a tool rest (seen above between the head and tail stocks) that can be moved in to position to keep the chisel from being ripped out of your hands and bashed in to your face.

the danger with the lathe is less about cutting (as with saws) and more about blunt force. if the block is poorly mounted, extra heavy, or wobbly and not secured by the tailstock, it can break loose and fly across the room (i have only done this two or three times in the last 8 years and have luckily been out of the line of fire on each occasion) or if the tool rest is too far from the work or your grip on the tool is too loose, the tip of the chisel can catch and throw the handle up towards your chin (luckily, i have never done that). it also can suck in loose clothing (an issue my mother once faced while watching my father) or long hair, cause friction burns, throw chips really far and raise a whole lot of very fine dust.

but in the end, it is a very sculptural experience and probably the closest you can get to instant gratification in woodworking. it takes very careful control, very sharp tools, and a good amount of patience, but boy can it be satisfying.

here's a cross section of that giant pile of chips. from bottom to top we have walnut from a smallish bowl that is, as yet, unfinished; maple from a small test; pine from a big fruit bowl that split during sanding and may not be salvageable; mulberry and walnut from a set of tap handles i'm making for a buddy. more on those in a future post.

oh, by the way, this is the first in a series of posts i am planning on the tools i use. if you have any specific tools you would like to have me ramble on about, let me know!