2019 Lathe OLIVERMACHINERY.NET 35 | Page
Common Woodturning Errors
Tearouts and Chipping
When performing an “uphill” cut or scraping the end grain of a workpiece with dull tools, strands of wood
fibers are lifted from the workpiece due to lack of support. The lifted wood fiber then gets bent and
snapped, tearing the wood structure.
Therefore, to create a high-quality finish, the woodturner should do the following:
• Use sharp tools and resharpen tools often.
• Perform downhill cuts whenever possible.
• Cut the end grain from the side, and peel the edge/face grain after the attached end grain is cut.
Warp and Cracks
This is a common problem when turning wood that is not fully stabilized. Logs that are freshly cut down
have high water content. In addition, the sapwood of a fresh log often has a higher moisture content than
the heartwood. As water evaporates, sapwood and heartwood shrink at different rates and cause the
wood to warp and crack.
To create a product that retains its shape and form, it’s important to ensure the blank is fully dried and
stabilized. Depending on region and wood species, fully dried wood should have a moisture content of 4-
13 percent for indoor use.
Fuzzy Grain
This can occur when turning wood with high moisture content. As the wood dries and shrinks, the grain
rises and creates a fuzzy feeling. Fuzzy grain is unavoidable sometimes due to the nature of certain wood
types. To mitigate this issue, avoid using wood with high moisture content and use sharp cutters.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
