Making a bespoke wooden box.

[Yorkie]

It may be hard to have a wood lathe in a 6x4 shed :/
Though it could go in the 'Store Room'

Many woodturners use quite small lathes as they only make small items. The factors to consider when thinking of acquiring a lathe are:

1) The diameter over the bed: This diameter is twice the distance from the centre of the chuck to the bed of the lathe and will be described as the 'diameter over the bed, so for example, if the clearance from the chuck centre to bed of the lathe was 125mm, it would be described as 'diameter ove the bed, 300mm'. That would mean that you could turn an object such as a bowl or a platter, with a diameter up to 300mm.

2) Distance between Centres: This is the distance between the headstock and the tailstock when you have a pronged drive in the headstock and a live centre in the tailstock. If you use a chuck rather than a faceplate on which to mount a piece of timber (as you must to turn such things as bowls), that reduces the distance between centres. However, if you are doing spindle work, you don't generally use a chuck so have more clearance. On some lathes, you can buy 'bed extensions' to make the distance between centres longer.

3) Speeds available: The smaller the diameter of what you are turning, the faster needs to be the speed, and vice versa, because what matters is the amount of material passing the tool at a given speed. For example, if you are turnnig a fountain pen barrel 15mm in diameter, (45 mm circumferance) for each revolution, 45mm of material travels past the cutting tool. If on the other hand, you are turning a bowl 300mm in diameter, 900mm of material travels past the tool per rev -twenty times as much, so the lathe needs to be set to a lower speed, which you learn by experience.

4) Motor power: The motor will be matched to the turning capacity of the lathe, and that will dictate the capability of the lathe to turn objects of a given size. Quite low powered motors can turn out good work if you take light cuts of the timber. You can of course turn small items on a large lathe, but not the other way around. To turn such things as table lamps and stair spindles you need a longer distance between centres – 1 Metre or more.

For most people setting out in woodturning, it's best to gain practice by turning small objects from scrap wood rather than anything too ambitious. Typically, beginners will turn items such as mushrooms, fruit (apples etc), light 'pulls' for ceiling mounted switches, door wedges, garden bulb 'dibbers', letter openers, doll's house 'miniatures', small clocks and pens, (which require a pen turning kit consisting of a mandrel, drill and a few other bits). Very nice wooden presentation boxes in which to put pens are available quite cheaply, as are the hardware and pen 'blanks in timber and acrylic. A schoolboy member of the woodturning club of which I'm secretary has been turning pens for some years, which he sells to relatives, teachers, parents and friends, often for them to give to others as gifts.

At this link there are short videos on pen turning, outlining the eight components which go into making a typical pen or pencil, the materials and tools needed, and how to go about it:

http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/acatalo...ories.html

There are many small lathes on the market, and one such lathe can be seen here:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/jet-jet-jml-1...rod362338/

That lathe has a capcity of 250mm over the bed, 350mm between centres, six speeds from 400 - 3300 RPM, and a 500Watt motor, suitable for a wide range of small work, and is to 'trade' rather than 'DIY' standard.

Mushrooms and fruit can be turned from unseasoned timber such as 'branchwood'. Turning other objects such as bowls from 'green' (unseasoned) timber can be problematical for beginners.

I have to say that it's very hard to make any money from woodturning, though the items I've mentioned above are small value items which - when experience is gained can be made quite quickly, and sell well at craft fairs where you don't pay too much for a table. EG, at village church halls and fetes. I have to say that to make things to sell, unless it's top flight stuff to sell in galleries, you have to compromise on the standard of finish. For example, it can take longer to sand and finish say 15cm diameter bowl than it does to turn it, and for craft fairs, people seem to go for shiny things, so you end up spraying things with high gloss lacquer rather than shellac friction polish. The higher you skill, the less inclined you become to turn out stuff below your own best standard.

I saw a small wooden bowl in yew, at a gallery recently, which wasn't especially well turned. The wall thickness wasn't even, there was a slight dimple in the bottom and circular marks underneath which should have been sanded out. It wasn't to competition standard and given that it was in a gallery, proably represents the extent of that turtner's abilities. It was priced at £45, and if the turner had to buy a part-seasoned blank it would have cost him about £10. It would have taken him perhaps three hours to turn, sand and finish. The selling price includes VAT, so the net price asked by the gallery is £37.50. Galleries typically take a 40% 'cut' of whatever they sell, so when and if that items does sell, £15.00 will be taken by the gallery, and £22.50 will go to the turner. Taking off the cost of the blank - say £10.00, leaves £12.50 for three hours work and other incidental expenses such as power, sanding and finishing materials. That’s about £4.00 an hour, below the National Minimum wage for an adult, which is £5.93.

That said, many avid woodturners don’t see craft fairs as a money-making activity, but as a way of disposing of items which simply build up until the house, and those of their friends and relatives are full of stuff, which – when one visits, they have to remember to get out of the cupboard and put on display for fear they might upset you! However, it can also be an ego-boost to know that if people buy your work, it’s a vote of confidence in your skill. I'm lucky to have an understanding wife - I put things in cupboards that I've made but am not enthralled with, and she later takes them out and puts them on display when I'm not looking!

There are countless excellent videos of woodturning on youtube, and if anyone is thinking of taking up woodturning as a hobby, I’d recommend visiting the nearest woodturning club, which usually have a professional demonstrator at each meeting, and often offer free tuition. Most clubs will have a notice-board full of lathes and other equipment such as chucks and gouges for sale quite cheaply. It goes without saying that there are dangers and hazards and eye, ear and breathing protection are essential.

Hope these ramblings are of interest, and not too discouraging!

David