Thread: Help me buy my dad a lathe?

Yes great photos but dust extraction is missing.

Most turners have no idea that wood turning is THE MOST DIY DUST MAKING woodworking activity around.
Even a small lathe will generate on average dust levels some 10 time above health and safety levels.

Originally Posted by rtyuiop

Great photos - and interesting to see a turning shop which hasn't yet been filled up with either shavings or miscellaneous chisels and bits and pieces!

Really?! There is so much "stuff" in there, I am surprised it is functional at all. He has made a few shelves for storing lathe related items, but there is so much of everything else... getting there slowly, at least.

Originally Posted by BobL

Yes great photos but dust extraction is missing.

Most turners have no idea that wood turning is THE MOST DIY DUST MAKING woodworking activity around.
Even a small lathe will generate on average dust levels some 10 time above health and safety levels.

If you see the penultimate image on the full post, you may be able to see it in the bottom right corner? Attached to the wall?

A good question though. He only seems to think it's worth turning on when on the final stage of sanding. Is that correct? I did tell him about the importance of extraction before he set it all up, and almost forced him to go get one.

Can you point me towards an article on extraction? Just so I have something for him to read. Want to keep it safe! (And on that subject, I won't mention the various learning curve mistakes...)

David, is there a woodworking/turning club near your father or a professional running classes? It will expand his knowledge base a lot quicker.

Originally Posted by Pat

David, is there a woodworking/turning club near your father or a professional running classes? It will expand his knowledge base a lot quicker.

I'm not sure, I will try looking into this for him. Thus far, from what he tells me, he has just been learning from youtube clips and from a book my sister gifted him. He is confident with all the cuts now, and is making them cleanly. Would it still be worth it for him? I fear he's not the most sociable type, so if I suggest it, he might just dismiss it . Maybe I could gift it him and then he'd be obligated

In a word yes!

Especially from a competent instructor.

You can only learn so much from youtube and books.

Shropshire, you said?

Try Shropshire Association of Woodturners

or Craft courses
or the Register of Professional Turners

I can see something that looks like a vacuum cleaner?
If that is what it is, then that will be around 10X less dust extraction than what is needed for a lathe.

Originally Posted by davidjames

I Can you point me towards an article on extraction? Just so I have something for him to read. Want to keep it safe! (And on that subject, I won't mention the various learning curve mistakes...)

If only it were that simple that it could be encompassed in one article.
We have a whole forum on this topic. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f200


You could start by showing your dad this.
The OHS maximum exposure is 5mg/m³ for softwood and 1mg/m³ for hardwoods and these are now considered too high.
The danger is not so much nose and throat cancer although this can happen but there is a much larger risk of developing an allergy to wood - then the lathe can't be used at all.

exposure-by-occupation.jpg

The neat thing is a lather can participate in generating something called a bell mouth hood.
Look here DRAFT: FAQ - Dust Extraction (Practical Aspects)

Originally Posted by BobL

I can see something that looks like a vacuum cleaner?
If that is what it is, then that will be around 10X less dust extraction than what is needed for a lathe.



If only it were that simple that it could be encompassed in one article.
We have a whole forum on this topic. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f200


You could start by showing your dad this.
The OHS maximum exposure is 5mg/m³ for softwood and 1mg/m³ for hardwoods and these are now considered too high.
The danger is not so much nose and throat cancer although this can happen but there is a much larger risk of developing an allergy to wood - then the lathe can't be used at all.

exposure-by-occupation.jpg

The neat thing is a lather can participate in generating something called a bell mouth hood.
Look here DRAFT: FAQ - Dust Extraction (Practical Aspects)

Good god. I just spent 5 minutes trying to find exactly what he had purchased, and it is a friggin' vacuum cleaner! I asked him about it, he assured me it was good, I didn't think much else of it.

It looks almost identical to this one: 15L 1100W 230V Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner | Draper Tools

This isn't even remotely appropriate, is it?

Can you suggest something that would be? Also, are you to leave it on the entire time you've got the lathe running? Going to contact him about this ASAP!

Originally Posted by Pat

In a word yes!

Especially from a competent instructor.

You can only learn so much from youtube and books.

Shropshire, you said?

Try Shropshire Association of Woodturners

or Craft courses
or the Register of Professional Turners

Very true! And awesome, thank you for the links!

Originally Posted by davidjames

Good god. I just spent 5 minutes trying to find exactly what he had purchased, and it is a friggin' vacuum cleaner! I asked him about it, he assured me it was good, I didn't think much else of it.

It looks almost identical to this one: 15L 1100W 230V Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner | Draper Tools

This isn't even remotely appropriate, is it?

No definitely not.

Can you suggest something that would be?

Any dust extractor that generates a true 1000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) is suitable.
It should also be located or vent outside the shed because they all leak.
Manufacturers CFM ratings are mostly highly optimistic so divide their CFM ratings by 2.

Also, are you to leave it on the entire time you've got the lathe running?

Absolutely and for 10-15 minute after you finish the last bit of dust making.

Read the dust forum before asking any more questions.

Really appreciate that. I passed on all the info to him yesterday, so I am hoping he will sort out ASAP.

Side note: he's never been able to get the speed control working. Obviously we have 4 manual speed settings adjusted by the pulley, which works fine. But my understanding was that the "blue box" would give smaller, intricate control? We've tried program mode 2/3 for increase/decrease but it doesn't appear to have any effect at all.

When he starts turning some really ugly piece, especially on the opposite side where you can turn up to around 22", I think it'll be particularly useful to be able to turn the speed right down.

Although a dust mask is far from an optimal solution, it may be a good idea for dad to use one until he gets proper dust extraction setup.

The problems with masks as s long term solution is that are they are uncomfortable so people tend to avoid them. Masks also can restrict visibility and more importantly they don't prevent dust getting all over the shed. Once a shed is filled with fine dust it takes days to settle out and then every time you move something or just clean up the settled dust is disturbed and the dust gets lifted into the air again. Masks also don't prevent getting dust on skin and in eyes. Wearing covered clothing doesn't help either because as you move your clothes act like bellows and suck and puff air out of them. The air carries fine dust like a gas so it gets everywhere.

If your clothing gets covered in dust, when you leave the shed you should remove the clothing immediately. If not the dust goes with you and as the human body acts like a chimney dust rises from the clothes and travels upwards into your nose mouth and eyes. This effect was studied in detail by the USAF in the 1950s for nuclear weapons workers.

Around 10% of people appear to be allergic to wood dust and sometimes it only takes one large exposure to trigger the sensitivity so its better to minimise exposure at all times.

Thx for the update

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

Good and bad news.

The good: he got a proper extraction unit and has had it all setup and working for sometime now, so it's much safer.

The bad: he ordered a 4-jaw chuck for the other side (where you can turn larger diameter) and it took 3 months to arrive from Axminster due to them needing to have the part made to cut the thread (or something like that). It arrived, and doesn't fit.

I have had no part in the chuck / ordering so not sure how he measured it but it doesn't seem right.

Does anyone know what the thread is on that side of the BZL lathe? I am struggling to find info. I have tried measuring myself but given that he's already done that and failed, it would be good to just "know" what it should be...

He ordered a 1" 8tpi thread (inside the chuck). But it doesn't fit.

But I measured it 8tip & a fraction under 1" for the thread. Edit: just re-measured. I get it as 25.22mm for the OD of the thread, and the thread as 8 threads per inch...

The start of the thread on the spindle does have a tiny amount of wear but it just doesn't want to go on at all.