Art and education in woodturning

This book is intended primarily for the use of students in normal schools, high schools, colleges or similar institutions and for lovers of all things useful and beautiful in woodturning. It aims by means of text and illustrations to give such facts about the art of woodturning as are needed by students and teachers in the schools. In giving these facts, whenever there is a question between two methods of procedure, the one being the method of the factory expert in woodturning, and the other the method of the art craftsman in the school, the latter has been employed. As a result it is sometimes true that a less direct method is recommended than is employed by the commercial turner, but this is justified on the ground of the purpose of the book, which is fundamentally educational.

Besides being a book of instruction on the process of woodturning, it is a book of problems, in the designing of which the author has constantly aimed to recognize beauty of form. As indicated by the title of the book, the author's chief purpose has been to make a contribution to the teaching of art and to education, thru the fine old craft of woodturning.

Acknowledgments are hereby given to my wife for her untiring assistance in compiling the text of the book.

Fig. I shows the plan of a shop similar to one in use at the Central High School, Newark, N. J. The shop should be equipped with both benches and lathes so that it may serve a three-fold purpose that of (a) wood-turning, (b) pattern making, and (c) joinery. The position of the lathes and benches in relation to the light is good, the light shining into the cone pulley. The distance between benches and lathes has been tried out, and should not be reduced.

The type of lathe to purchase will not be discussed further than to mention the author's preference for the style of lathe having the large step of the cone pulley to the outside, and the adjustments for holding the tee- rest and tail-stock worked with a hand wheel rather than a cam.

The band-saw, grinder and trimmer are almost indispensable in a well-ordered shop. A small drill press and 6" jointer save time, and make for accurate work. A small circular saw also is a fine addition to the shop.

The floor of all shops should be of maple no cement floor being practical, as, in the first place, many tools are broken when dropped on the floor, and secondly, standing on a cement floor is harmful to the worker.

Lastly, allow plenty of light and air to enter; increase the number of windows indicated on the plan if the layout permits. The northern exposure is to be preferred.


TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Having decided upon the type of lathe to be used, the next step is the general arrangement of the shop equipment.

Fig. I shows the position of the lathes and benches, so as to get the maximum amount of light at each lathe, to allow ample room for the student to work and pass about the room, to have the grindstone and band-saw handy, and yet not waste any floor space. It is poor economy to equip a room with lathes alone, as such an arrangement can only be used as a wood-turning shop, whereas the plan suggested makes the room suitable for pattern making and joinery as well, or a combination of any of the two. The bench should be equipped with the ordinary joinery tools

A staining and gluing bench is provided, with the necessary shelves for stains, shellacs, alcohol, fillers, turpentine, kerosene oil, sandpaper, waste, glue, handscrews, etc.


GRINDING AND SHARPENING

Generally speaking, turning tools may be divided into three groups, (a) the roughing-off tools, (the gouge), (b) the smoothing or cleaning-up tools, (the skew), and (c) the scraping tools, (the flat skew, round-nose, diamond-point and other specially shaped tools used for scraping).

The grinding of all the above named tools is about the same, only differing in a few details. In every case the grindstone should revolve towards the operator, Fig. 4. The tool to be ground is held low at the start, and gradually raised to a position so that the bevel will lie flat on the stone. This angle is then maintained thruout the grinding. In the case of the gouge, since the tool is convex on the outside (and the bevel is on the outside), it will be necessary to roll the tool, and at the same time work it from one side of the stone to the other. The rolling motion makes it possible to grind all parts, and working it from side to side, prevents the wearing of a hollow in the stone.

To whet a gouge, the oilstone slip, Fig. 3, is used. Hold the slip in the right hand and the gouge in the left hand, Fig. 5. Two movements are necessary one to work the stone back and forth, the other to roll the gouge from side to side. After some time, a burr will be seen to form. To remove this burr, rub the slip on that side several times, then repeat the entire whetting operation until the gouge has been properly sharpened. The grinding of the skew is somewhat different from that of the other tools, in that this tool has a bevel on both sides, and the cutting is not at right angles to the sides. Fig. 6 illustrates the correct position of the skew while being ground; i.e. the cutting edge is kept parallel with the top of the stone. In whetting the skew the same principle is carried out, Figs. 7 and 8.

All scraping tools are ground only on one side. The foregoing instructions hold good for the grinding, but not for whetting. Since the function of a scraper is to scrape and not to cut, it will be necessary to let the burr remain on the tool. This burr works as the burr on a cabinet or floor scraper.

If properly sharpened, with this burr, it is possible to work the wood down clean and quickly with any scraping tool.


STARTING SPINDLE WORK

In order to get the most out of the stock given, and also to lessen vibration at the lathe, it is essential that one learn how to locate the center of the wood to be turned.

Fig. 9,1 illustrates a very simple and most commonly used method for locating the center. If the ends of the stock are square or nearly so, we know from geometry that the diagonals of the square bisect each other at the center.

Any straight edge will do for drawing the diagonals. Stand the wood on one of its ends and with the aid of a rule and pencil draw the required lines. The bed of the lathe or top of the tee-rest can be used to butt the wood against, to save looking for and handling a straight-edge.

Fig. 9,2 illustrates a method used on wood that is much out of square. Set a pair of dividers either a little greater or a little less than half the thickness of the wood, and, holding the block on something flat, scribe the four lines from the different sides. The center can thus be readily located. Instead of the dividers a parallel block or marking gauge can be used to obtain the same result. Fig. 9,3 illustrates a rough piece of wood with no true shape. In order to get the desired diameter out of this stock it is necessary to draw the largest possible circle at each end.

In commercial turning, these methods are not generally used. The turner makes a guess at the center, starts the wood in motion (by hand) and gently puts his gouge in contact with the wood, whereupon only the high corners will be hit. By lowering the wood with a tap or two of his mallet, hit on the high side, the wood is accurately centered. It must be understood, however, that the guess must be a good one, and this only comes with practice.

When a large number of pieces are to be turned, especially those of large dimensions, the turner often cuts a block as illustrated in Fig. 9,4, the distance AB being equal to exactly one-half the thickness of the stock. By using this as a gage and drawing two lines from adjacent sides, the center is accurately and quickly located.

The center having been found, the next step is to place the wood in the lathe. With the aid of the ramrod, drive out the live center of the lathe, then drive this center into one end of the wood (the end upon which the largest amount of turning is to be done). A mark, x, should be filed on one of the blades of the live center, and a corresponding mark put on the part of the wood this blade is to enter in order to indicate which blade was at that place. This is done so that the work may be removed and put back without shifting the center.

Place the live center and wood in the lathe, holding the latter with the left hand. With the right hand, turn the spindle of the tailstock out about i, and then move the tails tock up to the work so that the dead center just comes in contact with the wood; then clamp the tailstock in place. Next, the dead center is forced into the wood by turning the spindle screw. At this point a drop or two of oil placed on the dead center where it comes in contact with the wood will ease the friction caused by the revolutions of the wood against the dead center. Now clamp the spindle securely to prevent it from working back while the piece of wood revolves.

Turn the wood so that one of the end diagonals will be horizontal, then move the tee-rest as close as possible to the work, having the top on a line with the edge of the wood, Fig. n. Clamp the tee-rest in place. The height at which the tee-rest should be placed should be determined solely for the comfort of the student or worker.

Before starting to turn, try the various adjustments to make certain that all are secure, and revolve the wood by hand to make sure that it clears the tee-rest.


ROUGHING WITH A GOUGE

Fig. 12 illustrates a good position at the lathe. Put the weight of the body on the left foot; place the right foot one step forward. In this position the operator has freedom of motion to rock back and forth, thus obtaining the flexibility necessary at the lathe. Fig - I2 - Position at the Lathe -

The left hand should slide along the tee-rest, gripping the tool as illustrated, Fig. 13. The right hand is held near the end of the handle and is kept against the hip bone.