Woodturning Instruction for 2010
with Instructor: Dave Eaton Copyright ©2010 – All rights reserved This is an introduction to woodturning equipment, tools and technique for the first timer through novice wood turner. Safety, proper equipment and tool use and the selection and mounting of material will be covered in depth. You’ll learn basic turning through a “hands on” approach, first watching a demonstration then completing it yourself under a qualified instructor’s guidance. Each session finds a new reward as you’ll usually take home a completed project based on the increasing skill level of the current lesson module(s). Typical projects include Holiday ornaments, Flower pots and vases, Toy tops, Wood mallets, beautiful Pens and useful Salad bowls.Quick Project Workshops
In addition to offering full skill building and competency structured sessions there are also short "one-off" evening or weekend sessions geared toward the turner who'd just like to make something fun, useful and perhaps learn a new skill or two at while making it. They are designed just to have fun and you are guaranteed to walk away at least one completed project (often we can make two!).
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These workshops vary in price and duration but are typically 3 hours long at cost of $60 per person and includes all parts, materials and supplies. If you wish to try a project that's not on the list please feel free to ask about it. Special workshops will be run for 2 or more persons desiring to work on the same topic.
Example of Expanded Lesson Plan for:
Beginning Woodturning Course Outline - Module #1
Module 1: An Introduction to the Art of Woodturning – Getting Started
· Introduction to Woodturning & Safety
· Equipment Introduction
· Introduction to Spindle Turning 1
Safety Overview
Learn basic safety issues related to woodturning and associated machines.
· Always assure workpiece is secure and hand rotated before applying power.
· Mandatory use of faceshield and optional protection; respirator, gloves, apron etc.
· Rotate each newly mounted workpiece by hand prior to applying lather power to assure it is clear of obstructions.
· Assure speed (RPM’s) set lowest before initially spinning-up workpiece.
· Speed vs. workpiece diameter. Discussion on tangential velocity and inertia.
· Keep all loose clothes and long hair away from lathe and other machines.
· Overview of bandsaw and “No Hands” area near blade.
· Overview of bench Grinder, jigs and drill press or other as needed.
Equipment Lesson
Introduction to the lathe, use of controls and its parts and terminology.
· Headstock, speed controls, #2 Morse taper and spur drive.
· Tailstock, Tailstock lock, Quill, Quill lock, #2 Morse taper and live cone center.
· Ways and bed, Banjo, Banjo lock, tool rest and tool rest lock.
· Equipment basket and Safety shield basket.
Mounting of material between centers
· Centering headstock spur drive and tailstock live cone center.
· Setting spur drive and tailstock live center into workpiece.
· Mount workpiece and secure tailstock.
· Rotate work to assure toolrest clearance.
· Set speed lowest and apply power, increasing to 500 RPM.
Proper use of spindle turning tools – General info
· Setting tool rest height at center and ¼” away from work, generally higher for skew.
· Riding the bevel discussion, a critical learning step.
· Roughing gouge.
· Skew chisel– Planing, Peeling, Vee and facing cuts.
· Parting tool.
· Spindle or detail gouge.
Beginning Spindle Turning
Tools Introduced:
Safety faceshield, Lathe & accessories, Center finder, Mallet, Spur drive, Live cone tail center, Roughing gouge, Skew chisel, Spindle gouge, Hand saw and Parting tool.
Student Lesson
· Learn the parts of a lathe and related terminology (covered in Equipment Lesson).
· Learn four primary spindle turning tools, their use and presentation to wood.
1. Roughing gouge is used to waste excess wood away and produce a cylindrical workpiece ready for further cutting.
2. Skew chisel is use7d to plane a surface smooth, “roll” beads, “peel” wood to reduce diameter, mark or make “Vee” grooves and face off end grain.
3. Parting tool is used to make depth indicators and “part” work off lathe.
4. Spindle and Detail gouges are used for “rolling” beads and “scooping” coves.
· Learn what a tool’s “bevel” is, why it is important and how to “Rub the bevel” when making virtually all cuts.
Demonstration and Exercises
· Roughing a piece to a smooth cylinder with the Roughing gouge.
· Smoothing the surface with a Skew chisel planning cut.
· Turning a bead with the Skew chisel by rolling with heel/short edge down.
· Using Skew chisel and parting tool for marking locations.
· Turning multiple uniform beads with the Skew chisel.
· Turning coves with the Spindle gouge.
Exercise 1:
Mounting of workpiece, roughing it and turning beads.
Goal: Student mounts workpiece and operates lathe under close guidance; Demonstrates awareness of safety and surrounding work area; Exhibits initial awareness of tool cutting edge and “riding bevel” concept; Produces a more refined shape than he/she started with including roughing to a unrefined cylinder then producing some “varied diameter” elements approximating detail beads.
1. Don safety equipment, prepare lathe, mount workpiece.
2. Set toolrest position and rotate by hand. Select and inspect tool.
3. Rough out a spindle blank from green wood with Roughing gouge.
4. Plane surface smooth with Skew chisel.
5. Roll one bead with Skew chisel.
6. Mark workpiece along length in ~1” increments with Parting tool or Skew chisel.
7. Turn several beads with Skew chisel.
8. Re-rough workpiece to cylinder and repeat as possible.
Exercise 2:
Turning multiple beads and coves, refining the elements
Goal: Student mounts workpiece and operates lathe with limited guidance; Demonstrates safety and good work habits; Exhibits awareness of tool cutting edge and “riding bevel” concept; Produces a more refined shape than previously including roughing to a smooth finish cylinder then producing bead and cove elements.
1. Prepare equipment and stock as in Exercise #1.
2. Rough out to cylinder and mark evenly spaced increments 1” to 2” along length.
3. Use Parting tool to set depth cuts for coves and transition points between elements.
4. Alternately turn beads and coves along length of workpiece using Skew chisel for beads and Spindle gouge for coves leaving plateaus (flats) between each detail element.
· All information contained herein subject to change without notice