{"id":564,"date":"2021-08-08T17:07:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-08T17:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainlywoodwork.com\/?p=564"},"modified":"2022-02-16T18:03:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T18:03:37","slug":"what-is-woodturning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainlywoodwork.com\/what-is-woodturning\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Woodturning? – And why everyone can do it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woodturning is a mysterious type of woodworking. It is a type of woodworking that most woodworkers a familiar with, but there is only a small percentage of woodworkers that are actually involved in the art of woodturning. I would like more people to get involved with woodturning. It is a beautiful and simple way to make beautiful objects and art. Woodturning is easy to get started with, but hard to master. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woodturning is the process of shaping wood with a sharp tool while the wood is turning fast on a horizontal axis. A lathe is used to turn the wood. Items like bowls, vases, cups, pens, baseball bats, and much more can be made by the process of woodturning.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article I want to take the mystery out of woodworking, I want to show you exactly what it is, how you can start doing it, what you can make with the process of woodturning, and why everyone can do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A General Overview of Woodturning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Woodturning is the process of making wood round.<\/strong> When woodturning we normally use an electrically powered lathe to spin the wood in a circular pattern. The wood is spinning anywhere from 250 to 2500 rounds per minute (RPM) depending on the type of project and the objects you are making. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To shape the wood we use different types of chisels and gouges<\/strong>. We have different gauges for different uses. Some gauges are for roughing and removing wood quickly<\/strong>, some are for hollowing bowls<\/strong>, and some are for more detailed work. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gouges rest<\/strong> on a tool rest, this is used to leverage the tool against the wood. To shape the wood you simply put the tool on the tool rest and lead the tool to make contact with the spinning wood. Now the tool is chipping of wood, and you are woodturning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most typical and popular product to make when woodturning is a bowl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short Woodturning History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The origin of woodturning is hard to pinpoint. But the earliest evidence we have of woodturning dates back to 1300 B.C. This depiction is from an Egyptian stone carving where the carver is using a bow to turn a piece of wood. The Egyptians first used two-person lathes, where one person was turning the wood and another was shaping the wood with tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lathe that was popular in medieval Europe<\/strong> was the spring pole lathe<\/strong> (picture). The spring pole lathe, as the name suggests, was powered by an overhead pole that acted as a spring. It was also powered by a foot throttle that the woodturner would continually press. The cord of the lathe went from the overhead pole, then wrapped around the piece being turned, and was then attached to the foot throttle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spring pole lathe was actually a very efficient method of woodturning and an experienced woodcarver could carve a basic bowl in a matter of minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the industrial revolution, lathes were motorized. This allowed for quicker production and greater turning speeds. Most woodturners today use motorized lathes, mostly electrical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effectiveness of automatic industrial lathes has made woodturning as a craft less important for society. Most woodturning items today are mass-produced. But woodturning as an art and a craft still lives on and many people are still doing it. Some do it professionally and are able to earn a living, but most people do it as a hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can You Make With A Wood Lathe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The most common item to make when woodturning is definitely a bowl. It is just one of the most useful and simple things to make. But the opportunities of what you can make with a wood lathe are endless. Here are some examples of what you can make <\/p>\n\n\n\n