"charlie b" wrote in message
...
The Turning Dilema - RPMs vs Risk (semi-long)




But my white
knuckles, clenched teeth - and sometimes "cheeks", are telling me -
"SCREW LOGIC - SLOW IT DOWN!".

They're right. It's not so much the number of bites as it is Newton.
Remember MV(squared)?

I try to keep at pucker factor six, maximum.

So my questions a
1. Recomended roughing to round with a 1/2" or 3/4"
roughing gouge RPMS, given the following:
- starting with up to 1 1/2" square stock
- 10 to 14 inches between centers and stock
"approximately" centered

500 is good, no more than a thousand.

2. Recomended RPMS for spindle turning a 1 inch
cylinder 10 - 14 inches long.

Same-o

3. When you're turning parts down to pretty small
diameters, do you want to work at higher RPMS
or lower?

You want to keep a light touch with a sharp tool. Speed? Same-o

4. Is "best RPMs" a function of the type of wood?
I know that pine crushes rather than cuts when
using bench chisels while maple, cherry, walnut
and, my favorite, mahogany cut nice and clean.


Best rpms are the ones you feel comfortable with. Favor lower, because the
odd chunk that may unexpectedly depart will leave with less available energy
to bust your chops.

So much to learn, so many mistakes to try and avoid.

How about some "rules?"

First rule is to avoid anything thrown by the lathe. Don't stand in harm's
way at startup, listen and watch for signs that anything's working loose.
Keep your on/off switch near the tail of the lathe where you won't have to
reach through the zone, either.

Second rule is never give away leverage. Keep the toolrest close. It gives
you greater mechanical advantage, serves as an iron barrier between you and
the work.

Third rule is to be methodical - always A-B-C.

Anchor the tool to the rest. Turning is about rotating things against a
fixed tool to make them round, after all.

Bevel to the wood. Lay it right down , then English your way into the cut,
letting the bevel guide on the space it's made for itself after it begins.

Cut for the curl. Your shavings should be curls, preferably continuous
twisted curls, and they should fall, not fly.

Before you reach to turn off the lathe, disengage the tool from the cut,
lift the bevel, then remove it from the rest. Willing to bet 75% of catches
and curses happen because of inattention, not during the cutting, but the
(inadequate) clearing.