Wood Lathe Operation Checklist

1. Check yourself: Personal protective equipment:  dust mask, safety glasses, full face shield; DO NOT wear gloves; tie back hair, remove loose clothing and jewlery that can catch

2. Check the surroundings: make sure nothing on or around the tool; confirm nobody is working too close to you

3. Check your workpiece before mounting to the lathe to ensure there are no cracks or splits that could fly apart.  Ideally dry, straight-grained, and free of any knots or defects. Mount wood ALONG grain. 

4. Mount the workpiece and ensure it is secured properly. Use the tailstock and a live center, or a faceplate if the piece is large or irregularly shaped.

5. Ensure the tailstock is securely locked in place if you are using it.

6. Adjust the tool rest so that it is close to the workpiece, but not touching it, and lock it in place. We recommend keeping the tool rest within ¼-½  inch of the wood.

7. Turn the lathe by hand a few times to ensure the wood does not foul on any part of the lathe or the tool rest.

8. Fix any guards in place that your lathe may have.  Especially if working with large pieces of wood

9. Ensure that you are wearing all protective items as outlined above.

10. Check that the lathe speed is down low to start off. Use reference speed chart for appropriate speeds (9000 / diameter of piece (in)) Large diameter items require a low speed while small diameter items can handle a faster speed. Some lathes have a soft start feature which means they turn slowly at the start before speeding up.

11. BEFORE STARTING your lathe, stand to one side of the wood being turned. Right in front of your workpiece is known as the Red Zone. Stay away from the Red Zone until your lathe has started properly. If the workpiece is spinning fine then it is safe to stand in front of it to start turning.

12. Check the surroundings are safe and clear. 

13. Start your lathe and ensure the workpiece is turning free. If your lathe has any vibrations or shaking, stop the lathe and double-check how your workpiece is mounted. Keep in mind out of round and odd-shaped pieces may wobble a bit at the start but this is perfectly normal until you rough it smooth

14. Before you introduce a tool to the wood, be sure you are holding the tool firmly with both hands. Keep your bottom hand at the end of the handle and lock it in beside your hip to give you the most control. Make sure the tool is firmly rested on the tool rest before it contacts the wood.

15. Only start introducing the tool once you are comfortable and make very light cuts to begin. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. 

16. When done, turn off lathe and allow it to slow down on its own

17. Sweep up and return all equipment back to its original settings