Wood Turning Notes
Wood Turning Notes
Wood Turning Notes
wax finishes
thread chasing
and much more . . .
WOODTURNING WORKSHOPS
Allan Batty
Woodturning
Notes
Three and five day courses taught by some of the worlds finest
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Allan Batty
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thread chasing
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3rd Edition
Woodturning is a fun and exciting hobby for people of all ages and skill levels. The number of
things you can create on your lathe with a minimal amount of time and money is limited only
to your imagination. When woodturning, there are a number of safety considerations that must
be kept in mind so that you can have a great time turning while being safe. Woodturning Safety
101 is intended to create safety awareness so as to prevent personal injury. We hope you will
find this information helpful and that you will review it from time to time. Feel free to share this
information with other woodturners you know.
Personal Safety
1. Educate yourself on proper turning techniques, chuck operation, tool use and lathe
operation.
2. Always wear a full-face shield at all times. Safety glasses are not sufficient protection against
flying debris.
3. Always use a dust mask or air filtration system.
4. Wear adequate hearing protection.
5. Dont wear loose clothing, gloves or jewelry as they may become tangled with the lathe.
-turning
blanks6. Never start the
lathe before checking to make sure the spindle
speed is correct
for the size of
-projectswork being turned. Also, make sure the work clears the tool rest by rotating the hand wheel
before starting the lathe.
7. Be sure the work piece is securely mounted and is free of imperfections or poor glue joints.
8. Make sure all belt guards and covers are in place before starting the lathe.
9. Make sure the tool is on the tool rest before making a cut.
10. Always know your capabilities and work within your limits.
11. Utilize the tailstock whenever possible.
12. Always remove the tool rest support before sanding and finishing. This will help prevent
injuries to your hands and fingers.
13. Do Not Overreach! Although many of todays tools have long blades, this does not mean
they are designed to reach long distances over the tool rest.
14. Keep your tools sharp and properly ground. Dull tools are dangerous, as they require
-pen projectsexcessive pressure to make them cut.
-and much more...
15. Do not use tools for purposes they are not intended for.
around
depended
on Craft
16. Woodturners
of ragsthe
andworld
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leave finish
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Properly dispose
Neverfor
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unattended.
17. 1984
thethefinest
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18. Our
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best quality
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Every
product is backed by our 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Visit us online
19. Use common sense at all times. If unsure at any time, seek the advice of a woodturning
for the very latest in new woodturning products, special offers and promotions
expert or call us at 1-800-551-8876. We are here to help you at all times.
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1-800-551-8876 woodturnerscatalog.com
Notes:
Allan Batty
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
PAGE
. . . . . . . . . .Lathe Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
. . . . . . . . . .The Skew Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
. . . . . . . . . .Problems With a New Skew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
. . . . . . . . . .Problems With Angles of the Skew . . . . . . . . .3
. . . . . . . . . .The Roughing Out Gouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
. . . . . . . . . .Measurements of Gouges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
. . . . . . . . . .Spindle Gouges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
. . . . . . . . . .Bowl Gouges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
. . . . . . . . . .Grinding of Bowl Gouges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
. . . . . . . . . .Problems of Angles of Bowl Gouges . . . . . . . .8
. . . . . . . . . .Beading & Parting Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
. . . . . . . . . .Parting Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
. . . . . . . . . .Scraping Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
. . . . . . . . . .Grinding of Scrapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
. . . . . . . . . .Beware of Bevel Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
. . . . . . . . . .Hand Rest Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
. . . . . . . . . .Hand Rest Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
. . . . . . . . . .Grinders, Grinding & Sharpening . . . . . . . . .16
. . . . . . . . . .Dry Grinding or Wet Grinding? . . . . . . . . . . .17
. . . . . . . . . .To Hone or Not to Hone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
. . . . . . . . . .Carbon Steel or HSS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
. . . . . . . . . .Carborundum or White Wheels? . . . . . . . . . .19
. . . . . . . . . .Abrasive Wheel Dressers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
. . . . . . . . . .Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
. . . . . . . . . .The Steady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
. . . . . . . . . .Beeswax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
. . . . . . . . . .Carnauba Wax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
. . . . . . . . . .Beeswax/Carnauba Wax Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
. . . . . . . . . .Wax Stopper Sticks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
. . . . . . . . . .Free Hand Thread Chasing . . . . . . . . . . . .26-29
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
1 LATHE SPEED
FACEPLATE TURNING
2000
1500
1000
500
400
RPM
Diameter
DISC DIAMETER
SQUARE DIMENSION
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
2 THE SKEW CHISEL
HE skew will produce the finest possible finish when used correctly. It
is important to maintain the sharpest of edges for good results.
LEADING EDGE
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
have heard of angles from 80 to less than 25 and this tends to confuse
students as to what angle to select for their own use. I have selected three
different angles in common use and how I would view them.
1
55 is towards the hardwood end of the scale (See Fig. 5A). If you go
beyond 55 say to 80 then this restricts the free movement of the tool.
For example, when turning a bead with raised
detail either side, the bevel will bottom out
before the cut can be completed. (See Fig. 4)
2
25 is towards the softwood end of the
scale. (See Fig. 5C). The edge of the
tool becomes too thin and thus
vulnerable to chipping if used on the
harder woods.
3
It is for the above reasons that I work
with a grinding angle of about 40.
80
(See Fig. 5B). This allows me to work
both soft and hard woods, but still
permits access to beads with raised
Fig. 4
details etc.
4
Another rule is that the length of the
bevel should be 1 1/2 to 2 times the
thickness of the skew.
55
Fig. 5
HARDWOOD
25
40
70
SOFTWOOD
3
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
N essential tool for between center work (spindle turning). This tool
will quickly reduce square timber to the round.
Most turners favored a true half circle for this gouge with the cutting edge
ground square across (See Fig. 6) which allows all of the edge to be utilized.
As you will see from Fig. 7, whichever way you rotate the gouge the cutting
edge remains the same.
All roughing out of spindle work can be achieved with this tool and it is also
ideal for long, shallow curves.
35
Fig. 7
Fig. 6
Angles
I tend to grind the roughing out gouge at a longer angle, of about 35, as
this works much better on softer woods. If you are working hardwoods all
the time, then retain the more common angle of 45.
My personal preference is for the 1 1/4" roughing gouge.
6 MEASUREMENTS OF GOUGES
Fig. 8
4
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
7 SPINDLE GOUGES
Round bar-section, shallow flute
Sizes available 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"
HESE are the main shaping tools of the spindle turner and are used for
most detailed work, beads, coves, ogees etc. to which the modern round
bar is particularly suited.
While these are spindle gouges, being round bar section (Fig. 9), they are
also useful for hollowing small objects such as boxes and goblets and are
ground to an angle of approximately 45 for this purpose.
(See Pages 8 & 9, Bowl Gouge Angles)
45
35
Fig. 10
Fig. 9
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
gouge had lain unused for years in his box; it is stamped Mathieson of
Glasglow, a company which no longer exists. It is a credit to them as hand
forgers of their time it is beautifully made, fits the hand perfectly and
holds a keen edge. Its pre-war and I value it above all others in my workshop. Its getting short now so I use it only for ogees in pummels, a task it
seems to have been made for as it follows the curve so naturally.
8 BOWL GOUGES
Round bar-section, deep flute
Sizes available 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4"
HE above are the only sizes which were ever available to us for bowl
turning. In recent years the modern round bar-section, produced in high
speed steel, has superseded the traditional hand-forged bowl gouge. These
not only hold a good edge but have proved superior on the more abrasive
timbers.
The following descriptions of the four available gouges will help students to
select the ones to suit their needs.
3/4" Bowl Gouge
This is the roughing gouge of the bowl turner. It was originally used for the
rapid removal of waste wood from the larger size of bowl. The turner
reduced the bowl, which was turned from wet wood, to a rough wall thickness of 1 1/2", the purpose being to speed up drying from years to months.
After a period of time the bowl is remounted and re-turned to the required
shape, sanded and finished.
The advantages of this method, which is used by many turners to great
effect, are that not only is the drying time considerably reduced but also that
the stresses are relieved during the drying process, reducing distortion and
helping produce a very stable finished bowl.
1/2" Bowl Gouge
This is the jack plane of the turner; not only is it suitable for rough turning a
bowl, as already described, but its rigidity makes it better suited to the turning of a larger bowl where there may be considerable overhang of the tool
over the hand rest during hollowing out.
3/8" Bowl Gouge
This is the smoothing plane of the turners trade and is by far the most popular. It is an excellent choice for most bowl turning; while maintaining the
strength needed, it will leave a fine finish to the work.
6
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
HERE are two schools of thought as to which is the better way to grind
bowl gouges. Fingernail (See Fig. 11) or square across (See Fig. 12)? The
following might help you make up your mind as to the better way for you.
45
45
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
In normal use of these gouges in bowl turning, one will cut almost as well
as the other and both will produce excellent results. There are, though, a
number of reasons that many choose to grind to the fingernail profile:
1
2
3
We can use the fingernail profile for shearing cuts in both bowl
turning and spindle turning.
The fingernail shape makes much easier the point of entry in the
hollowing out process.
While we never use the hand-forged spindle gouge for bowl turning
due to its lack of strength, the bowl gouge, on the other hand, makes
an excellent tool for spindle turning, general shaping, coves, beads.
It really comes into its own when turning pummels in larger section
spindle work, such as big newel posts, large columns etc. where a
much slower speed is needed due to the massive section of the timber
being turned. We would also have considerable projection of the tool
over the hand rest by the time the cut was completed from square to
round.
7
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
The bowl gouge ground to a fingernail profile was often better than
the skew in these areas.
Another area in which the turner can make use of the fingernail
profile in spindle turning is by using a shear cutting principle with
bevel contact, as shown (Fig. 13). We can often overcome many
severe interlocking grain problems using this method.
Fig. 13
Square Across Gouge
While the square across gouge can and is used successfully for shearing cuts
in both bowl and spindle turning, it is restricted in spindle work by the wings
of the gouge when turning beads and coves. It comes into its own, though,
and I feel it is superior to the fingernail profile, in bowl turning and in cutting end grain and is therefore my personal choice of bowl gouge shape.
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
30
45
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
55
60
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
See Fig. 17 now the depth has increased even further, which requires an
even shorter angle, in this case approximately 60 65, to allow successful
bevel contact.
You can see that the determining factor is what type of bowl you want to
make. An angle of between 45 55 would be good working compromise.
T
Fig. 18
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
ground away as in Fig. 2. The tools rigidity makes it an ideal choice when
working well over the rest in larger spindle work.
Rolling a bead correctly is one of the most difficult cuts to master because
of the complex movement of the tool in use. A tip that you may find helpful in your early attempts is to raise your hand rest above center height.
You will find that this reduces the need for such a complex movement of the
tool handle you have only to roll the tool over with hardly any lift to the
handle, as shown in Fig. 19.
Fig. 19
If the rest is left at center height not only do you have to roll the tool and
strive to keep bevel contact, but you have also to lift the handle into the horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 20, which is a much more difficult movement.
Fig. 20
10
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
12 PARTING TOOL
Sizes available 1/8", 1/4"
TS ease of use makes this a popular tool with the new turner. It is
designed to form grooves, work as a small, square across chisel in restricted areas, roll beads and to completely part off work. (Fig. 21)
A useful parting tool 1/16" thick can be made from an engineers hacksaw
blade. The purpose of off-setting the blade as shown in Fig. 22 is to save
having to move the rest from its normal position as these blades are twice
the width of a standard blade.
45
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
13 SCRAPING TOOLS
Sizes available 1/2" to 1 1/2"
70
40
Fig. 23
1
Round side-cutting scraper (Fig. 23).
This is a useful shape for bowls, goblets and
similar projects. There is an advantage in introducing a second bevel as shown in Fig. 23.
This not only retains an angle of 70 but it also
11
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
70
Fig. 24
offers a clearance angle when working in confined areas thus reducing
the chance of the bottom of the tool
scoring the work. (Fig. 24)
Fig. 25
2
Fig. 26
14 GRINDING SCRAPERS
Fig. 27
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
70
30
45
55
40
25
Fig. 30
I am grateful to that teacher and to the many superb tradesmen with whom I
served my apprenticeship.
They have contributed in no small measure to these notes by what they
taught me. I hold many fond memories of those men. One in particular I
have tried to emulate as an instructor.
13
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
16 HAND REST
NOTHER very common question is What height should the rest be?
Spindle Turning
The honest answer would be whatever suits you, but Ill offer the following
as guide lines only.
Fig. 31
Fig. 32
Keep your rest on center height (Fig. 31) for all cuts except the planing cut
with the skew; for this you will find it helpful to raise the rest above center
height (Fig. 32). This position is also better for rolling beads as discussed
under Chapter 11 BEADING & PARTING TOOL, page 9.
Many of the older turners tended to work with the rest above center height.
This saved having to move the rest at any time, although it made certain
cuts, such as coves, parting off etc., more awkward.
14
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
Bowl Turning
Here, the rest height is dictated
by the tool which you are using
i.e. when using gouges the rest
has to be low enough to allow
the gouge to reach the center of
the work. (Fig. 33).
Fig. 33
When using scraping tools, the
height of the rest has to allow the
tool to reach to the center of the
work while maintaining a trailing
action with the blade. (Fig. 34).
Fig. 34
17 HAND REST
Shapes
HESE are many and varied; some are not
suitably shaped or not rigid enough for our
requirements. The worst I have seen was on an
imported lathe. The rest had raised numbers on
the top edge, dividing it into inches, which completely hindered the smooth passage of the tool.
(The numbers were quickly filed off!)
An excellent rest shape is shown in Fig. 35. This
was, and still is , the favorite rest shape for turners. Being straight along its length allows the
hand to smoothly move backwards and forwards.
The curved top gives a natural fulcrum when the
tool is raised or lowered in the execution of a cut.
Fig. 35
15
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
16
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
HERE has been much controversy over this question and I do not wish
to add fuel to the fire except to explain what I do and why.
I served my apprenticeship in the coach-building and cabinet-making trades
and this instilled in me the need to oilstone all my cutting tools with loving
care, finally stropping the edges, with either the hand or a piece of soft
leather, until they were like razors.
17
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
OST of my working life has been spent using carbon steel tools but
since the introduction of high speed steel (HSS) I have come to favor
it for the following reasons.
1
2
3
4
Less time spent on sharpening a sharpened edge will last about six
times longer.
The tool will therefore last about six times longer.
The danger of accidentally drawing the temper of the steel during
regrinding is greatly reduced, if not eliminated.
The student will do little or no harm in practicing sharpening on HSS
unlike carbon steel which can be spoiled by faulty grinding.
I have seen students actually blue the edge of carbon steel tools by
turning at too high a speed and pressing too hard with the bevel onto
the work.
18
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
IGH speed steel can be ground on the conventional dry grinder with
carborundum wheels. However, the normal carborundum wheels tend
to glaze quickly, resulting in lost efficiency which will create overheating in
the tool.
It is for this reason that I favor a white wheel. (Soft bonded aluminum oxide).
A soft bonded wheel breaks down more quickly and significantly reduces
glazing by revealing fresh, sharp particles of abrasive.
For re-grinding high speed steel a 60 grit or 80 grit wheel is recommended.
1
2
Never use the side of the grinding wheel it is not designed to take
sideways pressure.
When replacing a grinding wheel you must ensure that it is designed
to run at the speed of your grinder. This information should be on the
paper washers that come bonded to the sides of the wheel. If in doubt,
check with your supplier or manufacturer.
19
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
24 SOLVING PROBLEMS
Spindle turning
1
2
1
2
Tool Chatter
Check all the points mentioned above.
The bevel is not in contact with the work.
The tool is too thin, resulting in the bland flexing in use.
The work is too thin and needs support. (See 25 THE STEADY).
The rest may need to be tightened.
The rest may be flexing at its extreme ends due to lack of rigidity.
The tool overhang may be too far over the hand rest.
The work piece may need to be tightened between centers.
Bowl turning
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
10
11
An unusual problem I
have encountered is one of the
chuck not seating properly due
to a faulty headstock spindle.
(See Fig. 37).
This happened to me at a seminar and it was some time until I
found the source of the problem.
It was solved by turning down
the offending part of the spindle
using the diamond side-cutting
scraper. (See Fig. 25).
GAP
Fig. 37
21
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
25 THE STEADY
Fig. 38
B
A
WOODTURNING
LATHE BED BAR
BENCH TOP
To achieve this it is important to have two points of contact within the vee
as shown in Fig. 38. Failure to do this will result in thin work moving away
from the tool which in turn renders the steady useless.
Another common fault with a steady is to make it one fixed position on the
bench without making provision for moving the steady backwards or forwards in the direction of the arrows as shown in Fig. 38.
This means that the vee will work with only one given diameter because
the Brace A moves in a downward arc, therefore any change in diameter
again renders the steady useless.
22
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
2
3
The work must be brought to the round first. With extremely thin
work it can be brought to the round at the point of steady contact by
lightly turning down the work with a small gouge, gently supporting
the work with the left hand.
You can reduce friction and burning at the point of steady contact by
rubbing beeswax/carnauba was onto the revolving surface.
By making the top Wedge B a reasonably tight fit it will retain its
position during the turning process without riding up.
23
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
26 BEESWAX
Block
Finely shred the beeswax into the turpentine and leave overnight,
which allows the two to dissolve without the use of heat. The
mixture will be ready to use the following morning.
Using heat. Care must be taken.
Do not use direct heat as both the wax and the turpentine are highly
flammable; direct heat can also de-nature the mixture.
The safest way is to place the wax and turpentine together in a
container which is then placed in hot water. This method will not
de-nature the mixture.
Advantages of beeswax
It is easy to apply; furniture and turned work can be quickly recoated and
burnished at any time.
Disadvantages of beeswax
It has a low melting point and treated surfaces are prone to damage from
damp and from sweaty fingers.
24
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
27 CARNAUBA WAX
HIS is a very hard, vegetable wax which is obtained from the leaves of
a palm tree (copernica cerifera) which grows throughout South America.
Carnauba wax has a high melting point (185 to 195F) and is the hardest
and toughest of the natural waxes. It can be applied in the same way as
beeswax, after sealing the wood, and leaves a very high shine.
Advantages of carnauba wax
Since it is extremely hard, it is much more resistant to marking than is
beeswax.
Disadvantages of carnauba wax
Because of the hardness of this wax it can mark the surface of the work
when used on softer woods.
HEN mixing the waxes save a portion and add artists coloring powders
to make stopper sticks of different colors. Cast them into a suitable
container such as a baking tray.
The sticks are ideal for melting into cracks or imperfections in your work so
as to render them invisible. Melt them using a soldering iron, a hot wire or a
lit match.
For example, if a small knot is missing from the work you could melt two or
three different shades of brown stopper sticks into the hole and, as each
blends into the other, you will create the impression of a knot.
By experimenting you can disguise almost any defect. The beeswax/carnauba
wax on its own is just the right shade for pitch pine, beech and similar colored
woods.
25
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
Short Rest
Diagram 1
Arm Rest
Set the lathe speed to between 150 and 500 rpm (choose the speed with
which you are comfortable. Allan was working at 300 rpm)
26
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
or the first part of the thread cutting, run the lathe and keeping the chasing tool at an angle, allow it to touch the work at the rounded entry point
and up the curve a little way then lift the tool off the work. This will create
the first shallow threads. By applying the tool again, picking up the same
thread and at the same time gradually squaring it up with the work, a deeper
cut will be taken and the tool will start to be drawn along into the opening.
It is essential that you are in control of the tool and that you lift it off the
working face as soon as it gets to the end - hence the rebate at the bottom of
the opening. Without the rebate, the tool would be drawn hard up against
the bottom and the threads would be stripped. There is no need to be
aggressive with the tool! Gently does it! After just a few passes, the thread
will be cut. Make sure that the thread shape is good and true and that it fits
the profile of the cutting tool.
Rounding the outer edge at the beginning means that the thread has an easier entry for the male thread to screw into when cut.
You will note that no measuring or sizing has been required. You make the
female opening to whatever suits the work piece and the number of threads
cut depends on that too.
If you make a mistake with the female thread, all need not be lost!
Providing you leave enough wood, you can start the process again.
Now prepare the male blank.
In the blank which is to form the male thread, turn the end down forming a
spigot about 1/8" deep which will just fit neatly into the threaded opening.
This is the highest point of the female thread and establishes the lowest
point of the male thread diameter. Then turn the rest of the material down
along the appropriate length to a diameter which approximates the height of
the thread to be cut (see diagram 2). It is essential to cut a rebate at the end
of the area to be threaded as with the female thread.
27
Allan Batty
Woodturning Notes
Diagram 2
TART the thread by applying the male chaser at an angle to the work
and on the center axis. Gradually, bring the tool round to square on to
the workpiece. Again, only a few passes will be required to form the
thread. As soon as there appears a thread mark on the spigot, you know that
the thread is cut to the right depth. You can then try it against the female
thread. If you find that the thread is too tight, just remove a fraction from
the top of the threads and re-cut it. It is often better to just turn the lathe by
hand at this point so that the fit can be exact. When you are satisfied that
everything is right, you can remove the spigot.
You can see that by cutting the female thread first, there is no need for
calipers or careful calculations when it comes to cutting the male thread and
yet there is no room for errors to be corrected. It is so much easier to work
on the male part to get that to fit the female than the other way around.
The gentle approach makes the whole operation look easy and Im sure that
with a little practice, thread chasing is another skill that any enthusiast can
add to their repertoire.
28
Woodturning Notes
Allan Batty
Some Notes
Sizes
Thread Chasers are to be found in a number of thread types, but wood turners usually use BSW in sizes ranging from 3 threads per inch up to 40tpi.
The most common sizes are 16, 18, 20 and these are the best for the learner.
Handles
The chasing tools are fitted with short handles because they are used in
front of the body. Typically, the blade may be 3 1/2" and the handle 5"
making the tool 8 1/2" overall.
Woods
It is best to use hardwoods for screw thread work but not all of them are
suitable. Wood should be close-grained such as boxwood, ligne vitea,
cocobolo, blackwood, etc.. Some hardwoods have a tendency to crumble on
the tooth edge, so experiment first. You may be surprised at what works
and what doesnt! Soft woods are difficult for several reasons and are best
avoided altogether.
Sharpening
Thread Chasers are sharpened by hollow grinding on the top faces. Never
touch the teeth. Hollow grinding allows honing. Its a good idea to round
slightly, the hard square bottom edge of the chaser to enable it to slide along
the rest more easily. You may also want to grind the internal tool down on
its back edge to make it thinner. (Dotted line shown in Diagram 3)
Diagram 3
Hollow grind on these
surfaces only
Do Not Touch the teeth points
29
Notes:
Woodturning is a fun and exciting hobby for people of all ages and skill levels. The number of
things you can create on your lathe with a minimal amount of time and money is limited only
to your imagination. When woodturning, there are a number of safety considerations that must
be kept in mind so that you can have a great time turning while being safe. Woodturning Safety
101 is intended to create safety awareness so as to prevent personal injury. We hope you will
find this information helpful and that you will review it from time to time. Feel free to share this
information with other woodturners you know.
Personal Safety
1. Educate yourself on proper turning techniques, chuck operation, tool use and lathe
operation.
2. Always wear a full-face shield at all times. Safety glasses are not sufficient protection against
flying debris.
3. Always use a dust mask or air filtration system.
4. Wear adequate hearing protection.
5. Dont wear loose clothing, gloves or jewelry as they may become tangled with the lathe.
-turning
blanks6. Never start the
lathe before checking to make sure the spindle
speed is correct
for the size of
-projectswork being turned. Also, make sure the work clears the tool rest by rotating the hand wheel
before starting the lathe.
7. Be sure the work piece is securely mounted and is free of imperfections or poor glue joints.
8. Make sure all belt guards and covers are in place before starting the lathe.
9. Make sure the tool is on the tool rest before making a cut.
10. Always know your capabilities and work within your limits.
11. Utilize the tailstock whenever possible.
12. Always remove the tool rest support before sanding and finishing. This will help prevent
injuries to your hands and fingers.
13. Do Not Overreach! Although many of todays tools have long blades, this does not mean
they are designed to reach long distances over the tool rest.
14. Keep your tools sharp and properly ground. Dull tools are dangerous, as they require
-pen projectsexcessive pressure to make them cut.
-and much more...
15. Do not use tools for purposes they are not intended for.
around
depended
on Craft
16. Woodturners
of ragsthe
andworld
do nothave
leave finish
containers
open.Supplies USA since
Properly dispose
Neverfor
leave
lathe running
unattended.
17. 1984
thethefinest
woodturning
tools, equipment and accessories available.
18. Our
alert,istake
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at reasonable
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Every
product is backed by our 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Visit us online
19. Use common sense at all times. If unsure at any time, seek the advice of a woodturning
for the very latest in new woodturning products, special offers and promotions
expert or call us at 1-800-551-8876. We are here to help you at all times.
1-800-551-8876
www.woodturnerscatalog.com
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Notes:
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thread chasing
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WOODTURNING WORKSHOPS
Allan Batty
Woodturning
Notes
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Allan Batty
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