Woodturning is a machining process in which an object or part is shaped using a machine tool called a lathe. The lathe spins the workpiece at high speed, while the cutting tools are brought to its surface to shape it and remove excess material.
Wood lathe
The wood lathe could be said to be the first lathe ever invented, in ancient times. This rudimentary machine tool gave rise to the various lathes we know today, which are designed to work with metals and other materials. Woodturning does not fall directly within carpentry, as it is done not by a carpenter but by a turner.
This machine tool consists of a headstock, which drives the wooden workpiece by means of a pulley-driven feed unit. The wood lathe also has a bed that gives the machine stability, and guideways that allow movement. This movement is made by a carriage, which has two motions: axial and transverse. The tailstock is the part of the lathe opposite the headstock and supports one end of the workpiece.
Finally, this machine tool is fitted with an on/off switch and speed controls to adjust the cutting speed (provided by the headstock) and the feed rate (the movement of the workpiece).
The lathe and the wood
To get the desired results from turning, it is important to choose the right wood. This means considering the characteristics and intended use of the finished part and, of course, the properties of the wood. The wood lathe can produce an enormous variety of parts, even baseball bats.
The woods most commonly worked on this machine tool are softwoods and hardwoods. Softwoods include pine; it is plentiful, inexpensive and very versatile. Among the hardwoods, which are somewhat harder to work, the most notable are oak, walnut, ebony, olive and mahogany; each has its own characteristics, degree of hardness, colour, grain and so on.
It is worth noting that softwoods are the most advisable for people starting out in woodturning, not only because the wood is softer but also because it is cheaper.
What is a wood lathe vice?
For a lathe to work properly, it is not enough to set the cutting and feed speeds, the revolutions per minute and the depth of cut on the lathe, or to choose the right tools for the job; nor is it enough to know the design of the part and its characteristics. A good clamping system is also needed to hold the part firmly in place while it is being machined.
One such clamping system is the vice. On a lathe, the workpiece rotates about its own axis, while the feed motion brings it into contact with the cutting tools. To rotate at high speed, the part must be held securely and must not slip or shift from the position in which it was placed. This is achieved with clamping systems such as the vice.
Why is the vice so important on a wood lathe? As well as holding the part properly, a vice ensures highly precise, high-quality work, and it also makes the job easier and safer for operators.
The vice is a lathe accessory that, by means of a screw mechanism, holds the part by friction while applying constant pressure to it. Today there are different types of vice depending on the machine tool. There are, for example, fixed-base and swivel-base vices. Swivel vices can be operated manually, hydraulically or mechanically and are usually mounted on a circular plate.
Types of vice
In addition to the fixed or swivel classification, three types stand out as the most common in industry:
- Screw vice: the most common, available in different sizes and materials, metal and wood being the most usual.
- Fixed-progressive feed vice: has a key that allows it to be adjusted easily.
- Pin vice: used to apply pressure to small objects.