OPERATION
CUTTING TECHNIQUES
Begin with a large roughing gouge. Place the tool on the tool rest with the heel of the tool on the surface to be cut.
Slowly and gently raise the tool handle until the cutting edge comes into contact with the workpiece. Beginning
about 2 inches from the tailstock end of the workpiece, roll the flute of the tool (the hollowed-out portion) in the
direction of the cut. Make long sweeping cuts in a continuous motion to turn the piece to a cylinder (Fig. 13).
Keep as much of the bevel of the tool in contact with the workpiece as possible to ensure control and avoid catches.
NOTE: Always cut downhill, or from the large diameter to the small diameter. Always work towards the end of the
workpiece; never start at the cutting end.
Once the workpiece is roughed down to a cylinder, smooth it with a large skew. Keep the skew handle perpendicular
to the spindle and use only the center third of the cutting edge for a long smoothing cut (touching one of the points
of the skew to the spinning workpiece may cause a catch and ruin the workpiece). Add details to the workpiece with
skews, parting tools, scrapers or spindle gouges.
BEADS - Make a parting cut for what is to be a bead to the desired depth. Place the parting tool on the tool rest and
move the tool forward to make the full bevel of the tool come into contact with the workpiece. Gently raise the handle
to make cuts of the appropriate depth. Repeat for the other side of the bead. Using a small skew or spindle gouge,
start in the center between the two cuts and cut down each side to form the bead. Roll the tool in the direction of
the cut.
COVES (Fig. 14) - Use a spindle gouge to create a cove. With the flute of the tool at 90 degrees to the workpiece,
touch the point of the tool to the workpiece and roll in towards the bottom of the cove. Stop at the bottom, as at-
tempting to go up the opposite side may cause the tool to catch. Move the tool over the desired width of the cove.
With the flute facing the opposite direction, repeat the step for the other side of the cove. Stop at the bottom of the
cut.
V-GROOVES (Fig. 15) - Use the point of the skew to create a V-groove in the workpiece. Lightly mark the center of
the V with the top of the skew. Move the point of the skew to the right half of the desired width of your cut. With the
bevel parallel to the right side of the cut, raise the handle and push the tool in to the desired depth. Repeat from the
left side. The two cuts should meet at the bottom and leave a clean V-groove. Additional cuts may be taken to add
to either the depth or the width of the cut.
PARTING OFF - Adjust the lathe to a slower speed for parting through a workpiece. Place a parting tool on the tool
rest and raise the handle until is starts to cut. Continue cutting towards the center of the workpiece. Loosely hold on
to the piece in one hand as it separates from the waste wood.
SANDING - Leaving clean cuts will reduce the amount of sanding required. Move the tool rest out of the way, ad-
justing the lathe to a low speed. Being with find sandpaper (120 grit or finer), as coarser sandpaper will leave deep
scratches and dull the features of the workpiece. Progress through each grit without skipping grits (as in, don’t
jump from 120 grit to 220 grit). Fold the sandpaper into a pad; do not wrap sandpaper around your fingers or the
workpiece.
FINISHING - To apply a finish, the workpiece can be left on the lathe. Turn off the lathe and use a brush or paper
towel to apply the finish. Remove excess finish before restarting the lathe. Only start it at a very low speed with
awareness that fresh coats have a tendency to splash and fling if not given adequate drying time. Allow it to dry and
sand again with 320 to 400 grit sandpaper. Apply a second coat of finish and buff.
15
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