Lathe Parts and Accessories

What’s that called? Lathe Parts and Accessories Headstock Toolrest Handwheel Tailstock Spindle Quill or Ram Tailstock handwheel Swing over Spindle bed Axis Speed control Leg Bed or Ways Banjo Length Illustration by Robin Springett If you are new to woodturning, these runs perpendicular to the lathe’s bed illustrations can help you learn the common and spindle axis. As the name parts of a lathe, as well as important accessories implies, spindle turning is how stair specific tospindle and faceplate turning. balusters, chair parts, and other furniture parts are made. Bowls and platters are generally The terms spindle turning and faceplate turned in faceplate orientation. turning refer to the orientation of the wood grain relative to the axis of the lathe. Spindle Wood can be mounted in both grain orientation means the wood grain runs parallel orientations using the same methods and ➮ to the lathe’s bed, or ways, and spindle axis. accessories. Faceplate orientation means the wood grain Woodturning FUNdamentals 1 © American Association of Woodturners | woodturner.org viewed from the tailstock). Most modern lathes Lathe parts (but few older designs) can switch to “Reverse” Lathes from various manufacturers differ for sanding and finishing. in some ways, such as motor systems, speed adjustments, size, and other features. But The spindle has a female Morse taper on the the basic premise and major components are inside and male threads on the outside. These common to all of them. two features, which vary in size by make and model, allow you to mount accessories and turn The headstock is the drive end of the lathe, wood. If a lathe spindle is noted as 1” x 8 tpi (or and the tailstock supports the workpiece at 1x8), that means its diameter is 1” and it has the other end. The banjo, which holds the eight threads per inch. Any screw-on or Morse toolrest, slides along the ways and locks into taper accessories will have to be compatible position. The position of the toolrest can be with this sizing. adjusted up and down or rotated at any angle to the workpiece. Drive centers You can determine the size (or capacity) of Drive centers commonly have a male Morse a lathe by knowing some key dimensions. taper that fits the opening in the headstock The swing (or swing over bed) refers to the spindle, but some varieties are made to be maximum diameter workpiece that can mounted in a four-jaw scroll chuck. The be turned on that machine. Doubling the Morse taper or chuck keeps the drive center measurement from bed to spindle will give firmly in place, along with workpiece pressure you the swing. Length refers to the maximum applied from the tailstock. The motor drives the distance between points in the headstock spindle, which rotates the drive center, which and tailstock, the longest piece you can turn turns the wood. between centers. Four-prong drive center (spur drive) Some lathes allow for outboard turning, Versatile drive with the workpiece mounted on the outside providing positive grip (handwheel end) of the headstock. This allows in the wood; use with larger diameter pieces to be turned, since the dry or wet wood, for limitation of swing over bed does not apply; turning spindles and lathes that don’t allow the toolrest to swing roughing bowls and outboard will need a floor stand for the tool rest. vessels. While workpiece diameter can be larger with outboard mounting, it should not exceed the Steb center lathe’s ability to handle the extra mass. Characterized by its teeth, which bite into the wood; use with dry Spindle and accessories wood, turning spindles. The spindle is located in the headstock and varies in size, depending on the model. The Safety center/dead center lathe motor drives (or turns) the spindle, Also called a cup (or typically via belts on pulleys. Spindle speed ring) center; use with (rpm) may be controlled by mechanical pulley dry wood, turning changes or by electronic controls. Most lathes spindles. Bite in wood is have a spindle lock to prevent rotation while determined by tailstock you mount wood or accessories. “Forward” pressure—lighter pressure between centers means the top of the spinning wood comes allows the wood to stop turning in the event of toward the operator (counter-clockwise when a catch. ➮ Woodturning FUNdamentals 2 © American Association of Woodturners | woodturner.org Faceplate Tailstock and accessories Faceplates have female The tailstock slides and locks along the bed threads so they can be to suit the workpiece; for safety, it should be screwed onto the male engaged whenever possible. The handwheel threads of the spindle. moves the quill (or ram) over a range of several Holes in the surface of the inches and also locks in place, to adjust the faceplate allow you to screw holding pressure on the workpiece. The quill the wood to the faceplate has a female Morse taper into which tailstock from the back. Faceplates accessories, notably chucks for drill bits, can be come in a variety of sizes inserted and held. to accommodate larger or smaller workpieces; they are mostly used to mount bowls and platters in transverse, or Revolving live center “faceplate,” orientation, and also for purpose- In the early days of modern turning, a dead made chucks and jigs. center (or cup or ring center) was used in the tailstock. Since it does not rotate, wax had to be applied to lubricate the spinning wood. This Scroll chuck tailstock accessory has been supplanted by the Four-jaw chucks revolving live center, which spins freely on steel have female threads bearings; some models have interchangeable so they can be points in various styles and sizes. Today the screwed onto the tailstock dead center is obsolete, but it is still threads on the used in the headstock as a safety drive. spindle. When you tighten a four-jaw Revolving live chuck using its center with ring key, its jaws close and point concentrically, so you can grip a round tenon (or spigot) as a way of mounting wood. When you loosen a four-jaw chuck, the jaws expand concentrically, so you can open the jaws into Revolving live a recess in the wood as an alternate way of center with cone mounting wood. Most scroll chucks have (or cone center) interchangeable jaw sets for increasing their size range. Some chucks have interchangeable inserts to fit different lathes. Drill chuck A drill chuck Scroll (sometimes referred chuck with to by the brand woodworm name Jacobs chuck) screw is the same type of Most scroll chuck you’ll find chucks are on any drill press. designed Mounted in the tailstock of a lathe, it holds drill to grip a bits horizontally for boring into wood that is woodworm mounted on the headstock. The wood rotates screw. A hole drilled in the turning blank can be while the drill bit, which does not rotate, is threaded onto the screw to mount the wood on advanced by the tailstock handwheel. Some the lathe. Especially useful for roughing bowls chucks tighten with a key, while others tighten in green or dry wood. by twisting a ring. ❐ Woodturning FUNdamentals 3 © American Association of Woodturners | woodturner.org.

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