Woodturning Basics, Bowl Turning, and Wood Drying

The process of turning a block of wood into a bowl is both fascinating and gratifying. The procedures described here apply to virtually any style bowl but this story focuses on the basic, tapered side shape. After developing your skills on this style bowl, moving on to more complicated shapes or designs will be much easier, and safer.

Using Woodturning Jigs, and Lathe Chucks

How to get the most from  chucks, jigs, centers, and face-plates. Various mounting methods for spindles, bowls, and hollow turnings, including the differences between spindle mounting centers, store bought chucks, homemade jamb chucks, face plate mountings, and vacuum clamping.

Woodturning Projects

Woodturning provides a nearly endless stream of variety of object and techniques to make and finish these items.  You will find ideas for art pieces, hobby work, practical and fun, and the numerous techniques that come with them. Different turner will follow there own primary path in the wood work, but there are always other paths to explore and enjoy.

Woodturning Technique and Design

Steps of the turning process including selecting the correct tools, techniques and tool organization. Receive advice on every step of the turning process, including selecting the right lathe, basic safety and wood shop setup, an overview of the proper tools and how to use them, and the basics on sharpening, sanding, and finishing.

Woodworking Lathe and Woodturning Tools

A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.  A wood lathe may have a stand which sits on the floor and elevates the lathe bed to a working height. Some lathes are small and sit on a workbench or table.  Almost all lathes have a bed a horizontal beam. An exception is woodturning lathes designed for turning large bowls, which in its basic configuration is little more than a very large floor-standing headstock.

Turning Finish, Equipment, and Art

Three steps are often taken in order to put a finish on most work staining, filling and varnishing.  Sometimes it is desired to keep the wood in its natural color, and in such cases the filler is the first to be applied. Then, again, close-grained woods, such as maple, need no filling of the pores; such woods are more often oiled, then polished. The wood must be carefully sandpapered and free from all grease.