Turning speeds

[Peter907]

A chart came with my lathe giving recommended turning speeds for different wood diameters when roughing, general turning or finishing. I'm very new to woodturning and only have carbide tools with square, round, and diamond cutters. I appreciate that normal tools require different techniques to carbide tools and was therefore wondering if these speed guidelines remain the same for whichever type of tool is used. My lathe does have a digital rpm readout.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Ultimately it's what you feel comfortable with, my biggest advice would be that if it feels too fast then it is too fast, as you progress in your turning journey you will get a feel for how fast you can turn but the guidelines are always a good place to start.
For sanding though slower is better.

 

[Rodpr]

Generally speaking, it is easier to get a good cut with a high speed but you will often need to start slow if your piece is not balanced. With a digital control you can start very slow (for safety) and gradually turn up the speed until your lathe starts to shake, then turn it down a bit and take very light cuts to get it more nearly round. I don't know what carbide tools are like for roughing but I suspect you may need to make your blanks as round as possible before you begin (using bandsaw, handsaw, electric plane or whatever). The rounder it gets, the faster you can go. Others may have other advice but I am not sure that a slower speed is necessarily safer as the tool may bounce about more than at a higher speed.

 

[Blister]

Book a day with a pro turner is my advice .

 

[Rodpr]

Or find a men's shed or turning club near you

 

[Yorkieguy]

Or find a men's shed or turning club near you

As previously advised in this earlier thread:

Any advice welcome

Most woodturning clubs have professional demonstrators, and active, experienced woodturners, paying proper attention to safety. In my limited experience 'Men in Sheds' (we have four within ten miles), do not have much in the way of expertise, health and safety awareness, risk assessments or supervision. EG, allowing people to wear shorts and sandals, using machinery without training, and a casual approach to PPE. Much depends on the background and experience of those who attend.

Regarding woodturning speeds, the attached rather wordy notes might help.

David.

 

[Woodturner]

A chart came with my lathe giving recommended turning speeds for different wood diameters when roughing, general turning or finishing. I'm very new to woodturning and only have carbide tools with square, round, and diamond cutters. I appreciate that normal tools require different techniques to carbide tools and was therefore wondering if these speed guidelines remain the same for whichever type of tool is used. My lathe does have a digital rpm readout.

I've been turning for a good number of years now using the usual array of hss chisels, and I have also used carbide tools, but only on an acrylic worktop material called mistral, which calls for carbide tooling. However, I have yet to try them on timber, but the principles remain the same for each type of tool regardless of material. The one big difference I have noticed is the angle and position of the tip to the workpiece which is slightly different between the two types of tool. What has this got to do with lathe speeds you ask? Well the basic principle of turning is to spin your piece at the greatest safe speed possible for that particular piece of timber in order to achieve a good cut (clean stock removal) and therefore finish (less sanding). With hss chisels you rub the bevel and tip the cutting edge in the direction of the cut. Carbide tools tend to have an overhang from the shank of the tool to the cutting edge making bevel rubbing quite tricky and therefore potentially introducing an increased risk of snatching.
The best advice I can give you if you're new to turning (and thank you for joining our ranks) is to purchase a relatively low cost set of hss tools (don't go crazy, but avoid the cheapest out there. Crown, Record, or Hamlet will all do you proud and last for years) to train yourself with, learn the basics of tool control and usage with different timbers and different sizes of timber. Once you've got a better understanding of the process and a good feel for the craft, move on to the carbide tools. This won't take as long as you might think, but I feel its a worthwhile exercise as woodturning is as much about feel as it is anything else.
I hope this helps. If I can help in any other way just ask.