Turning speed?

[savage]

Being new to turning (unless you count high school), what are the recomended speeds for - i.e. hard woods = high speed, soft woods = low speeds or large timber = slow speed, small timber = high speed. How do you judge what speed to use?....

[hughie]

Eric,

Darn good question. I dont have any set numbers but rather go by the fear factor

But seriously as I have a vari speed set up I run the new blank at the speed it will most smoothly spin at. Theres always an optimum speed that it will spin at, as I turn it and the balance of the blank improves then I crank it up.

As to numbers some where around 200rpm at a guess for the seriously out of round and hard timbers. The softer the faster it will turn and conversely the harder the slower I go.

Sanding I go slow to keep the heat down and to let the sand paper clear its self. Using any of the various sanding aids, such power sanding and the self propelled type I crank it up.

I see your not to far from me, I am up the road towards Liverpool. Which if any turning guild do you go to?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Somewhere around here I have a table of "correct speeds for different timber species of given radii." It only took me a week or two to realise it wasn't worth the paper it's printed on. Every individual piece of wood has it's own individual speed that it turns best at... even two seemingly identical pieces off the same branch. Only practice really let's you work out whereabouts in your lathes' speed settings that speed is.

Hughie has already given the best "general" advice... turn out of round blanks slowly, you can up the speed once it's more balanced. Sanding is always best done at slow speeds, fast speeds just generate unwanted heat and clog the paper quicker.

For small diameter items like table legs, etc. use higher RPMs. Pens, for example, are best turned at flat out. Conversely, the larger the diameter, the slower the speed... however as you near the centre (eg. of a bowl) the wood is travelling slower so the speed probably needs to be adjusted upwards.

(What I tell my "newbies" is: it's like driving. Every road has a "safe & efficient speed." Any time the hackles start to rise, your heart starts to race and you find yourself with a white-knuckled grip, SLOW DOWN! Take your time and enjoy the journey... )

[savage]

I see your not to far from me, I am up the road towards Liverpool. Which if any turning guild do you go to?
hughie

Every road has a "safe & efficient speed." Any time the hackles start to rise, your heart starts to race and you find yourself with a white-knuckled grip, SLOW DOWN! Take your time and enjoy the journey...
<o></o><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->Skew

Thanks guy's, I was erring on the side of caution so I was on the right track, just didn't want to damage anything!

Hughie, no I have not thought of that yet, as I would like to take classes in several things I enjoy but it's the same old story, "I'll do it tomorrow!".

Hey Skew, THAT is the feeling everytime I open the rollerdoor to the shed!.....

[hughie]

Hughie, no I have not thought of that yet, as I would like to take classes in several things I enjoy but it's the same old story, "I'll do it tomorrow!".

Yeah me too! been to a couple never quite got around to going back. Although have been meaning to go over to Oyster Bay. [3rd Thurs of the month]. As Bruce Leadbetter does regular demos there for the club.

[Hickory]

Turn Fast, Sand Slow.

Rpm is set by the way it cuts and feels when you do it. You will develop a feel as you gain experience. Being limited to step pully options only, I have only four choices to choose from.

[La truciolara]

I share Skew Shidamm opinion, there is no good theory on speed related to wood hardness.<O</O
To my student I give a general approximate speed at which it is reasonable to turn.
You will see that in the future you won’t even know at which RPM you go, you will set the speed you like most (though I ofter noticed people tend to turn too slow, thus making it more difficult to cut the wood correctly).<O</O
The order of magnitude I use is 14 to 16 meter per second for roughing out (for the circumference speed of course) and 19 to 21 meter / second to turn a balanced piece of wood.</O
If you don’t remember how to calculate that speed given the length of the circumference… don’t hesitate, Ask. <O</O