# Turning speeds



## Kunk35 (Aug 20, 2015)

What rpm speeds do you all set your lathes to turn pen materials? 

Do you vary the speeds depending upon whether you are turning wood or acrylics or other materials?

Basic questions I know, but I really just landed on the speeds I use out of trial and error. Before using the lathe to make honey dippers and pens, I had never touched a lathe before. 

Kory


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## Skie_M (Aug 20, 2015)

I generally start with a slow speed when turning wood, just to take the corners off and balance the mandrel...  Then I kick the speed up to around 1500 - 2000 RPMs and start carving into the material with a freshly buffed chisel.


When working acrylics, I found that going high speed helps me a bit with control ... the higher my speed, the less I catch because I'm forced to take smaller "bites" and shavings.

When sanding, I turn it down to 750 - 1000.  3M actually recommends 750 rpm as the perfect sanding speed.  It doesn't overheat the bond of the grit to the paper so much, so the paper lasts longer.  It also doesn't overheat my fingers so much, cuz I don't have a sanding pad.  :tongue:


When I apply my finish, it's always slowest speed .... when I'm doing my finish sanding (micromesh up to 12,000 wet) I push the speed a bit to 1000 ... the friction of rubbing against my sanding pads slows the lathe somewhat, so this compensates for that.

When I apply my polish (Meguair's PlastX) I use a slow speed to get it on the lathe, and then I kick the speed up to 3000 for the buffing action.  I leave it running at high speed as I apply some Turtle Wax Hard Coat paste wax and buff it off.


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## ed4copies (Aug 20, 2015)

I suggest you turn at the fastest speed you can and be comfortable.  I make far fewer mistakes at 4000 rpm, because I am paying attention and removing material.  But, I worked up to that speed over time.  

The most important part of turning is confidence.  If you believe you can do it, you have a far better chance of success than if you believe "something is about to go wrong".  Find your comfort zone.  Over time, you will have that comfort at higher and higher speeds.

Good luck, ENJOY the trip!!!


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## Rockytime (Aug 20, 2015)

I run my lathe like I ride my tryke. I ride it like I stole it.


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## Edgar (Aug 20, 2015)

My lathe is a 5-speed belt-changer. It took me some time to develop my techniques, but I now do all my pen work in 4th gear (2200 rpm). That's turning, sanding & finishing (even CA).

I do most of my drilling on a drill press, but I do slow the lathe down to the lowest speed whenever I do need to drill on the lathe.


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## keithbyrd (Aug 21, 2015)

Sand at 500
Turn at 3500
Apply CA at 500
Polish at 3500


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## TonyL (Aug 21, 2015)

Wood - 1500 to 1900
Non-wood - 2200 to 2800
Mixed Material -1800 to 2200
Dry sand - 400 to 600 in reverse
Wet sand - 1000 to 1350 forward
Polish - 1000 to 1200 forward

I would agree with Ed though about turning as fast as you feel comfortable. What I do was learned after hundreds of pens given my experience and style. And as I get better and my tools sharper, I am likely to faster (rpms).


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## pianomanpj (Aug 21, 2015)

I run my lathe the way my old sound man used to run the mixer: WFO - Wide.... um.... Open.


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## WriteON (Aug 21, 2015)

Kunk35 said:


> I really just landed on the speeds I use out of trial and error.
> Kory



This is your best instructor. Get started... you'll learn fast. I make every mistake at least once(or twice) and know what to look for next round. Sharp tools are your best friend. You'll figure out the speeds. You'll know where to set the dial. Speed is one thing. Touch is the other(Chisel pressure). IMPORTANT>>>Always turn the lathe on at the lowest speed. Have fun and keep the wheels(blanks) turning.


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## thewishman (Aug 21, 2015)

Believe it or not, most materials turn better at higher speeds. I used to turn everything at 1800. Now I turn at 3800. If the material rips out (pine barn siding from a customer) I slow it back down to 1800-ish.

Things happen faster at higher speeds and light cuts are better. It makes rounding square material much cleaner. As I learned to turn  at higher speeds, it helped to work the ends from towards the center of the blank out. If turning from the outside ends towards the center, the tool is cutting both the bottom of the blank AND the outside edges and that can cause problems.


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## Sabaharr (Aug 21, 2015)

Experiment, find what works best for you, and do it your way. Who knows, you may learn something in the process. The best definition of experience is having made the mistakes and knowing what not to do. There doesn't seem to be much agreement within the answers you got but they all agree with my answer. They do it their way. If you are interested my way is when knocking off corners, sanding, and polishing I go slow. After rounded off I turn it up and open. Having a VS helps a lot.


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## oneleggimp (Aug 21, 2015)

I have a variable speed lathe but no speed indicator.  For turning pens, I turn it up most of the way and increase the speed  as the diameter decreases  For sanding I turn it down to the slowest possible speed and that's where it remains for finishing.


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## Chasper (Aug 21, 2015)

Turing all materials 4,000 rpm
Sanding all materials 4,000 rpm
Applying CA finish 4,000 rpm
Drilling on lathe 800 rpm
Using a lathe as a disk sander or buffer 800 rpm

I turn at 4,000 because that is the max speed mine will turn, I wish I had a lathe that spins faster.


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## JimB (Aug 21, 2015)

When I started turning I was intimidated by the speed. After a while I learned turning up the speed actually made turning easier. With pens and other small items I turn up the speed all the way. Larger items and bowls I turn it up to the fastest speed I feel comfortable with and will not cause any vibration.


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## TurtleTom (Aug 21, 2015)

SAFETY FIRST ! ! !
The diameter of the turning object should dictate the speed.  If you are going to make a pen from a log, don't start at 4000, at least without body armor.  
The smaller the part the faster the speed for cutting.  Does not apply to finishing.
Before I turn anything not perfectly round at high speed, I raise the tool post and wear safety equipment to protect me just in case.  Even if it is round, there's always rot that can affect body integrity.


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## mecompco (Aug 22, 2015)

Since I'm only doing small dia. work, I run the wood lathe at max (3200). 

For turning on the metal lathe, also at max (~2000). 

I drill, trim, sand and finish on the metal lathe at around 500 or so (I don't bother with the back gears, it will go down to around 40). I use the metal lathe as a press as well, turned off, of course. ;-)

Polish on the wood lathe at max. Speeds are easy to change on the metal lathe, not so much on the wood lathe.


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## Kunk35 (Aug 23, 2015)

Based on the posts here, I cranked up my speed on my last pen this morning, and I LOVE IT! I guess I felt a little intimidated before, but after seeing the speeds you guys use for pretty much everything, I went for it. Very nice. I'm pleased with how it works at the higher speeds. 

Kory


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## TurtleTom (Aug 24, 2015)

If that's you in front of the flag Kunk35, well done!  
(Did you know a veteran's political party is illegal?)


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## silent soundly (Aug 24, 2015)

I also have a 5 speed (Harbor Freight) lathe that I have to move the belts on to change speeds. I use the slowest speed (750) to knock off the corners of a blank. Then I use the second highest speed (2200) to turn it down to where I like it and also sanding. If I am going to do a CA finish, I slow it back down to 750. Then right back up to 2200 to sand, micromesh and polish.


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## keithbyrd (Aug 24, 2015)

Chasper,
My experience (minimal) with sanding at high speed was too much heat - however- you have piqued my interested - gonna crank it up tonight!


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## Skie_M (Aug 24, 2015)

keithbyrd said:


> Chasper,
> My experience (minimal) with sanding at high speed was too much heat - however- you have piqued my interested - gonna crank it up tonight!



Could be that he's using abranet sanding pads, which can take the higher heat from the higher rpms and dissipate it better with it's open mesh design.  It also doesn't load nearly as badly because the particles have a chance to just slip right through the mesh .... works great with good dust collection systems.


If you're using standard types of sandpaper, try to keep it under 1000 rpms ....  and keep in mind that sandpaper can take more heat than your fingers can.  You could take some paper towel and fold it into a thin pad to protect your fingers from the extra heat and bump it up a notch, but with ordinary sandpaper that's all I would do.  Getting grit with it's adhesive embedded in your lathe project is not kosher.


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## TurtleTom (Aug 24, 2015)

I frequently sand at higher speeds but since I use cloth backed sanding cloth I can use a 3 ft length and pull it under the piece using my hand to direct the sanding path where I want it and check for heat.  Been doing that a long time.  
   Since I fell in love the the Skew I no longer have to do that since even 1200 grit will dull the shine after the skew.  Skew then polish.  I haven't seen any 2000+ grit emery cloth for sale.  Maybe just the cloth back on the emery paper, have to test that.


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## keithbyrd (Aug 24, 2015)

I did two pens tonight - both PR - and sanded at 3500 RPM - I think I have a new protocol!


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## Skie_M (Aug 25, 2015)

Tried abranet for the first time tonight ... was sanding at 3200 rpms with my fingers under the net pushing right up against the alabaster .... NO HEAT.


I love this stuff, gonna go buy some more when this pack runs out.


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## kovalcik (Sep 3, 2015)

Quote from Stuart Batty when asked about lathe speed:

You want to be a little scared, but not suicidal.

Granted, he was talking about bowls, but I think it still applies.


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