Setting Up Shop for the Woodturner

1. Setting Up Shop for the Woodturner Woodturners of Olympia January 9, 2018

2. Overview • Equipment needs versus wants • Standard tool sizes, tools and equipment • Materials • Lathe setup and layout • Shops • Resources – getting stuff to get started • But First, and foremost – Shop Safety

3. Safety

4. Some Simple rules • Safety First…… Safety Last • Know and trust your equipment • Use the right safety equipment • Smooth is fast • Make safety a habit • There are no stupid questions

5. Safety first • Check your equipment and tools • Check your work area -Keep it neat, clean it up • Check yourself • Clothing, jewelry, rings, long hair, etc. • Be aware of your surroundings • Every time you start and stop work, check it all again

6. Use the right safety equipment • Proper lighting • Eye and face protection • Dust protection • Make sure it works, fits and is comfortable

7. Safety last • There is always time to be safe • Clean up and check out your equipment when you are done

8. After all what could go wrong?

9. The Basics • What - Equipment • Where – To find it • Quality – What to look for • Materials – Wood, etc.

10. The Basics

11. Basic Equipment • The lathe –determined by what you want to do…. • Mini, Midi, full size or fuller size or bowl? • Space available dictates size • Weight, horsepower, torque • Swing and length • Quality – alignment, material, durability

12. Basic Equipment • Lathes generally comes with: • Spur center and live center • Knockout bar • Faceplate • You will need to add: • Sharpening tools • Cutting tools • Holding tools (chucks) • Lighting • Dust and chip control

13. Basic Equipment • Grinder • 6”, 8”??? • Quality – Balance, durability, power • Grinding stones or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) • Sharpening jigs are optional • but very helpful! • Hones – helpful as well

14. Basic Equipment • Gouges, scrapers, etc. • Best to have: • Bowl Gouge • Spindle Gouge • Spindle Roughing Gouge • Round-nose scraper • Parting Tool

15. Basic Equipment • Nice to have: • Hollowing tool • Skew • Bedan • Specialty – get them later, if you decide you need them at all • Note: See Craft Supplies video “Guide to Tool Steels”

16. Basic Equipment • Lighting • Well lit work areas (overhead) • Station lighting is critical to wood turning • Bright lamp with flexible neck

17. Basic Equipment • Chucks • 4-jaw chucks • Jamb Chucks • Collet Chucks • More

18. click to zoom Image for Item # XGK030105H-S35VP Basic Equipment • Dust and chip collection • Many types - sizes • Small shop vacuums • Cannister dust collectors • Cyclone

19. Basic Equipment • Where to find equipment • Retailers • Equipment Sales and Surplus, Auburn • Woodcraft – Seattle, Portland • Rockler – Seattle, Portland • Sumner Woodworking • Woodcrafter – Portland • Craft Supplies –On-line • Packard – On-line • Grizzly – On-line • Amazon • Many others

20. Basic Equipment • Where to find equipment • Local Tool Makers • D-Way Tools • Crabtree • Derry Tools

21. Basic Equipment • Equipment to avoid • Generally avoid places like Harbor Freight, etc. • Old tools – soft metal • Homemade tools (files or scrap metal ground into gouges or scrapers) BE SAFE!!!!!!

22. Basic Materials • Wood Sources • Club raffles • Wood Rat (Club wood source) • Your backyard, friends, other turners • Small sawyers • Craigslist, etc. • On-line sellers like Northwest Figured Woods • Woodworking stores (most expensive)

23. Setting up the lathe station

31. Notes for Lathe Set Up • The lathe is centrally located with all supporting equipment and tools within easy reach • The lathe should be set up for height of turner to reduce fatigue and improve cutting capability – e.g. elbow of crooked arm should be at center of headstock spindle • Rubber mat on floor to reduce fatigue • Lots of light to support all types of turning projects – e.g. bowls as well as inside hollow forms • Grinding station located near lathe to reduce time and steps • Set up height of grinding station for person’s height • Sharpen a lot, as a dull tool is an unsafe tool – e.g. to put in context, the rim of a 10” bowl at 1000 RPM is travelling 30 miles an hour or in other words about every two minutes the edge of the tool has cut about a mile of shavings

32. Notes for Lathe Set Up • Use of magnets can keep calipers, chuck levers, etc. within easy reach – NOTE: don’t use magnets to hold turning tools as it will magnetize the tools causing them to stick on the tool rest • Cabinets located next to or behind lathe hold chucks, sanding supplies, CA glue, etc. • Primary or most used tools are on movable stand in rotating tool caddy immediately behind lathe and within easy reach • Other tools in rack against wall or on cabinet tops • Steady rests on wall hooks behind lathe • Specialty tools on tops of cabinets or on wall hooks • Pre-cut sanding paper are inside red cabinet on hooks held by binder clips by grit • Power sanding discs are in bins against wall within easy reach – if you use power drill for sanding blow dust out often

33. Notes for Lathe Set Up • Box with extra 4 power outlets, 2 of which are on power switch, is located on left of head stock • Knock out bar, spur drives, live centers in rack on lathe head stock which also contains vacuum chuck compressor • Curtains used when rough turning wet wood or to restrict area of chip dispersal • Red cabinet with plywood top on rollers far side of lathe holds multiple turning tools, extra light for inside turning, and wood when doing production work • Set up additional stations as needed to maximize time turning

34. The Garage Shop

35. A Garage Shop requires efficient use of limited space and often is continually changing in layout.

36. Minimum Considerations • Garage Shops start out simple and then…grow • Often serve multi uses (vehicles, yard gear, storage) • Requires storage and mobility of larger equipment, work tables, etc. • Wheels a must and most desirable • Provide easy set up and take down

38. Mobility

42. My Shop • Two car garage actively used for parking at least one vehicle. • Access into house is through garage, so any mess gets tracked into the house.

49. The Multi-purpose Shop

50. Currently set up for 5 person woodturning class • Lathes can be moved to make room for doing other work using non-lathe tools • Center table, and table saw on wheels can be moved where needed to support work