Midi-Lathe Instruction Manual

HOW TO TURN SPINDLES

Spindle turning is turning a workpiece attached to the lathe centers, and is used for chair and table legs, lamp stems, etc.

You can use either a scraping or cutting technique for spindles. The cutting technique, by virtue of faster wood removal and a

cleaner surface, is the preferred method.

Fig. A2

Fig. A3

CENTERING THE WORKPIECE

Wood stock for any spindle turning should be approximately square, and the ends should be square with the sides. Two

common methods of determining the center are shown in Figs. A2 and A3. In Fig. A2, a distance a little more or a little less

than one-half the width of the stock is set off from each of the four sides. The small square set off in the center can then

be used in marking the true center. The diagonal method, Fig. A3, consists of drawing lines from corner to corner, with the

intersection marking the center of the workpiece.

Fig. A4

After marking each end, mark the true center with a punch awl or dividers (Fig. A4). If the stock is hardwood, drill the centers

to a depth of about 1/8”. Place the spur or live center against one end of the workpiece and strike it with a mallet to seat it

(Fig. A5). In hardwood, make a starting seat for the spur center by sawing on the diagonal lines, and drilling a small hole at

the intersection. After driving the center, hold the center and the workpiece together and fit both immediately to headstock

spindle. If you are not using a ball-bearing center, oil the end of workpiece at the tailstock center. Place the lubricant on the

wood either before or after it is put on the lathe. Many turners use beeswax, tallow, or a wax-and-oil mixture as a lubricant.

A ball-bearing center is ideal because it eliminates lubricating. If you plan to remove the workpiece from the lathe before

completion, make an index mark as a guide for re-centering (Fig. A6). A permanent indexer can be made by grinding off one

corner of one of the spurs.

Fig. A5

MOUNTING THE WORKPIECE

Mount the workpiece by moving the tailstock to a position

about 1" or 1-1/2" from the end of the workpiece, and

locking it in this position. Advance the tailstock center by

turning the feed handle until the center cup makes contact

with the workpiece. Do not support the workpiece on the

center pin alone. Always have the rim of the center cup

imbedded at least 1/8" into the workpiece. Continue to

advance the center while slowly rotating the workpiece

by hand. After the workpiece becomes difficult to turn,

slack off on the feed about one-quarter turn and lock the

tailstock spindle.

Fig. A6