A Manual of the Hand Lathe / Comprising Concise Directions for Working Metals of All Kinds, Ivory, Bone and Precious Woods

by Egbert P. Watson

TREATMENT.

The first thing that occurs to the workman when he possesses or sees a handsome piece of wood, is: What shall I make with it? Many kinds of wood show well in large works, but in smaller wares, such as sleeve buttons, and napkin rings, they look like common wood; it is, therefore, labor lost to spend time in working out a nice job to show the veining and marking of the wood, because such veining is not brought out fully. The first care is to select sound wood. It is one of the most vexatious things in the world to have a nice job nearly done, and find a large worm hole extending right through the center of it, interfering with the tool and destroying the beauty of the piece. In such a case, the only resort is to plug it up, but no matter how skillfully this is done, the plug is certain to show, and always mars the appearance. Some kinds of foreign woods are almost always worm eaten. Snake wood, for instance, is very liable to that fault, and too much care cannot be taken in examining it. Ebony is not so liable to it, and native woods are peculiarly free from it.

CHAPTER XI.

WOOD TURNING.

Fig. 54.

In turning wood, the speed cannot be too high, or the tool too sharp. The faster the speed, the more perfect the surface produced by the tool. In centering, also, it is necessary to use care in getting a sound place to begin on; otherwise, when in the middle of a job, the centers change and the work is spoiled. This, of course, relates to work that is turned on centers, such as chess-men, penholders, rulers with ornamental ends, “what-not” legs; in fact, anything of that class. The driving center or one that goes in the head of the lathe, commonly called the live center—in opposition to the one in the back end of the lathe head, which does not move, and is called the dead center—should be properly made, or much confusion will be the result. Very many use the common bit, like [Fig. 54], which is a very poor device for the purpose. There being no guard at the corners of the bit, they are liable to slip when strain is brought on the work by the tool; it is, therefore, necessary to make the driving bit, or center, like [Fig. 55], which represents a section through the front edge and the flat pieces at the top, to prevent the work from slipping.

Fig. 55.

In turning very small work, say penholders for example, I have found centers useless to drive from, and after trying dogs, commonly used for metal turning, and many other devices, have found no more efficient or expeditious plan than to round the end of the wood slightly with a pocket-knife, as in [Fig. 56]; insert the rounded end in a chuck, and place the other in the back center. In this way, I am able to command the whole range of the work, from end to end, without interference, and to have the small tip where it is necessary to have it to keep steady; that is, near the center.