Charlie b wrote: ...snip.... at least the center/ spindle turning ...snip..
Initiating a "cut" properly and completing it properly is requiring far more
concentration, coordination and, frankly, stress than it probably should.
And RPMs seems to be one of the major causes of my low to moderate anxiety."

Hi Charlie,
First, relax. Second, forget RPMs as a number rather hear and feel
speed of the turning wood according to the wood, you and the tool. I
think RPMs should only be for car mechanics.

**Charlie: "In The World of Turning, you've got but a single "tooth" - the
chisel,
gouge or scraper, tool angle, feed rate and RPMs determine the "bite"
size."

No, you have your hand or touch and the cutting edge of the tool; this
remains the same if your RPMs are 10 or 3,000.

**Charlie b: asks rules for:
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

A 3/4" roughing gouge is a little big for a 1 1/2" square stock that is 10 -
14" long.
IF you must have RPMs, I'd use minimum 1,000 with a LIGHT touch. The
lower the speed on spindle turning (especially 12" + length) is going to
cause catches and not be a pleasant experience. If you use a LIGHT wispy
cut until the blank is just about rounded, you won't have chatter or
catches. And unless you're turning thin stemmed flowers, chances are you
are turning spindles and using dry wood so forget the curls because it's all
going to be chips.

** Charlie: "2. Recomended RPMS for spindle turning a 1 inch
cylinder 10 - 14 inches long.
3. When you're turning parts down to pretty small
diameters, do you want to work at higher RPMS
or lower?
4. Is "best RPMs" a function of the type of wood?"

Take some maple, cherry, walnut or, your favorite, mahogany and practice.
Don't practice on pine or punky wood because you'll get frustrated. Try
roughing that 1 1/2" blank with a bowl gouge, any size, see how that feels.
Do not worry about flying projectiles because most spindles will crack and
both sections will fall before they fly.........bowls fly!

Charlie, I've been supporting myself with architectural reproduction work
(aka spindle turning) for over 10 years. I've gotten catches and broken a
lot of very thin spindles. I don't try to beat the clock so I guess I
couldn't be labeled as a production turner.

Some times you have to lower the speed for a nice clean cut, some times you
have to raise the speed for a nice clean cut and some times you just aren't
going to get a nice clean cut (throw that piece of wood away and get a
better one). I rough with a roughing gouge, a skew, a bowl gouge and/or a
detail gouge.

Again, relax and forget the risk vs rpms because the only risk is (as George
said) "inattentiveness". There really are no hard fast rules except BE
CAREFUL; use whatever tool feels and works good for you, use whatever speed
you like or get the best results. Try them all then decide for yourself
what works for you.

Now go have fun.

Ruth
www.torne-lignum.com