Intricate
Cutting
Intricate,
delicate
cutting
requires
extreme
control
with practi-
cally no force. This is best accomplished
by guiding
the chisel
with the fingers
of the tool-rest
hand. The hand
is held palm up
with the wrist
high. The little finger
is placed
against
the rest to
steady
the hand. The chisel does not touch
the rest and the
handle
hand
is completely
secondary
to the tool-rest
hand.
NOTE:
The first and second
positions
are equally
good
for
scraping
operations,
but the third position
is practically
never
used for scraping.
Figure 37
Cutting
to Depth
Many
scraping
operations
and cutting
to depth
with the part-
ing tool can be easily
accomplished
with the one hand. The
chisel
is grasped
firmly with the index finger
on top to press
it
down against
the rest. It is thrust
straight
into the work.
Holding
the tool in this manner
leaves
the other hand
free to
hold a pattern
or calipers,
etc., to check
work
in progress.
Figure 38
MAKING STANDARD CUTS
THE ROUGHING-OFF
CUT
Reducing
a square
or odd shaped
workpiece
down to a cylin-
der of approximate
size for finish
turning
is called
"roughing-
off". Faceplate
turnings
and large diameter
spindles
should
first be partly
reduced
by sawing,
but small
spindles
are easily
turned
down entirely
with the large
(3/4") gouge.
•
Continue
cutting
in this manner
until 2 to 4" from the head-
stock
is left uncut.
Reverse
the direction
of tool travel
and
work
one or two cuts in succession
toward
the headstock
and off this end of the workpiece.
•
Never start
a cut directly
at the end - if the chisel
catches
the end, it will damage
the workpiece.
•
Never take long cuts while
corners
remain
on the work, as
this tends
to tear long slivers
from the corners.
•
The first series
of cuts should
not be too deep.
It is better
to partially
reduce
the work to a cylinder
all along
its
length.
After that,
start a second
series
of cuts to complete
reducing
it to a cylinder.
•
Once a cylinder
has been formed,
step lathe up to next
faster
speed.
Further
reductions
in size can now be
accomplished
by cutting
as deeply
as desired
at any spot
along the work. At this stage,
long cuts can be made
from
the center
to either
end.
•
Generally,
roughing
off is continued
until the cylinder
is
approximately
YJ' larger
than the desired
finished
size.
•
Roundness
can be tested
by laying
the gouge
on top of
the work - it will not ride up and down when cylinder
is
perfectly
round.
First Cuts
Testing
Roundness
Figure 40
ROUGH-CUTTING
TO SIZE
The roughing-off
cut can be made
to accurately
size the cylin-
der to a given diameter.
Another
method
is to make
a number
of sizing
cuts at inter-
vals along
the work, then
use the gouge
to reduce
the whole
cylinder
down to the diameter
indicated
by these
cuts.
MAKING
SIZING
CUTS
Sizing
cuts are useful
to establish
approximate
finished
size
diameters
at various
points
along a workpiece.
The work can
then be turned
down to the diameters
indicated
and be ready
for finishing.
•
Diameters
for sizing
cuts should
be planned
to be about
_/6"
greater
than the desired
finish
diameters.
A sizing
cut is
made
with the parting
tool.
•
Hold the tool in one hand,
and use the other hand to hold
an outside
caliper
preset
to the desired
sizing-cut
diameter.
•
As the cut nears
completion,
lower the chisel
point more
and more into a scraping
position.
•
When
the calipers
slip over the workpiece
at the bottom
of
the groove,
then the cut is finished.
Figure 39
Start the first cut about
2" from tail stock
end - then run it
toward
the tailstock
and off the end of the workpiece.
Next, start
another
cut 2" nearer
the headstock
- and run it
back towards
the tailstock,
to merge with the first cut.
Figure 41
12