# Help with turning speeds



## lkgraves (Feb 1, 2014)

Hello,

I am a relatively new turner.  I am primarily interested in making pens and bowls up to 10".  I have a Jet 1221 vs lathe.  Can you please recommend the approximate speeds for each aspect of turning (differentiating for wood pens, acrylic pens, and bowls where appropriate).  Exact speeds aren't important, I'm more interested in ranges and relationships between steps.  If this already exists somewhere, feel free to point me to the right spot and I will do the research.

Examples:
Drilling
Turning (with Carbide Tools)
Sanding
CA
MicroMesh 

Thanks for the help.


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## longbeard (Feb 1, 2014)

Drilling - i use a drill press and it's on the slowest speed, I would think it would be the same on the lathe, slowest speed.
Turning a pen - i have a belt drive lathe, so i have my belt one step down from the fastest speed. Maybe 2500 to 2700 rpm (been awhile since i've looked at that sticker)
Sanding and MM - slow speed for me. 500 rpm
CA finish - slow speed again. 500 rpm
I dont turn bowls, but i do know that it will be a slow to medium speed depending on the blank. Others will chime on this subject that is more experienced.


Harry


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## Ted iin Michigan (Feb 1, 2014)

Interesting Q. 

For pens, I drill pretty slow (drill press). Prob in the 350-500 range. Speed depends on the material. Wood and most acrylics go faster than Tru-Stone. I like to turn faster. I guess in the 2500 range. Maybe faster. My sanding speeds start off at, maybe 1500 and go slower as the grit gets finer. CA goes on at the slowest speed I can go. My polishing starts out slow and gets slower. By the time I'm at the final stage, I rotate the piece by hand and polish longitudinally.

I've only just started doing bowl work so I won't comment. Not esp competent there yet.


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## hard hat (Feb 1, 2014)

I do all of those on the lathe at about 2000 rpm. Doesn't matter the material or finish, it's all the same. 

Why? I hate changing belt position and it works. What does vary is how I drill, the harder the blank, the slower I feed and the more I lubricate.


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## TimS124 (Feb 1, 2014)

You wouldn't by chance be an engineer? I find fellow engineers tend to over-focus on the proper speed, proper tool rest height, proper distance between tool rest & material being turned, etc.  It took me quite a while to let go of all that and realize it'll work just fine even if I'm not spot-on the ideal settings.  I found the lathe to be good therapy… :big grin:


I've turned fast and I've turned slow…sometimes on the same material.  It's not as binary as most would expect.  I'm especially likely to slow down when dialing in that last bit of fit & finish even if the bulk of the shaping and material removal was done at a fast pace.

Your lathe likely came with recommendations for turning speeds based on the diameter of what you're turning.  Usually, there's a lower speed when roughing in (since the piece may be quite unbalanced) and a higher speed once your workpiece is smooth/balanced.

Even then, a bowl blank can have inconsistent density so the speeds are simply GUIDELINES.  If your lathe isn't turning smoothly, slow it down!

I use a drill press and keep it about 500 rpm.  That drills fast enough for everything I care about (wood, acrylic, antler, TruStone, etc).  Going faster can produce a lot of unnecessary heat which can cause other problems.

You mentioned you're new to turning…so turning at slightly slower RPMs will give you more time to monitor what's going on.  As you gain skill, try picking up the speed (yours as well as the lathe's).

Dry sanding produces friction.  Slower RPMs will produce less heat…  How fast your lathe should go depends on how much pressure you're applying…a light touch is better.

Wet sanding at high RPMs will fling the water/slurry…here too, slower makes sense.  Make sure you protect your lathe's bed during wet sanding.

High RPMs while applying CA will make you quickly understand the value of slowing things down…  :biggrin:

I love my variable speed lathes because I can easily tweak the speed up once the rough-in is done and quickly kick it down when I'm ready to sand.  My hands don't fit well in the tiny belt-changing spaces on my Jet 1014vs…but it really doesn't matter since I can just twist the knob to change speed.


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## TimS124 (Feb 1, 2014)

As for bowls, how fast you turn depends a bit on whether you're turning green wood or dry wood.  It also depends on how beefy of a bowl gouge you're using.

Green wood cuts like butter and you can work very quickly.  Dry hardwoods can generate a lot of heat so slow down a bit especially on your first umpteen bowls.

A beefier bowl gouge can take off more wood per cut which can be more useful than how fast your bowl blank is spinning.


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## lkgraves (Feb 2, 2014)

Thanks for taking the time to offer up all of the great suggestions.  TimS - I'm not an engineer, but as an accountant we share the same desire for preciseness and detail.  

Even more than the exact speeds, I'm just trying to understand which steps should be slower or faster than the others.  All the comments were helpful, thanks!


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## mikespenturningz (Feb 2, 2014)

For drilling I go at 500 or less, for turning the pen I crank it right up, for sanding I go at a about the same speed as drilling. The most important thing is to have fun..


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## TimS124 (Feb 3, 2014)

lkgraves said:


> Thanks for taking the time to offer up all of the great suggestions.  TimS - I'm not an engineer, but as an accountant we share the same desire for preciseness and detail.
> 
> Even more than the exact speeds, I'm just trying to understand which steps should be slower or faster than the others.  All the comments were helpful, thanks!



The lathe will be good therapy for accountants as well…a chance to not have to be so precise (though it can take some effort to get used to that kind of freedom).  

To see how that works…take a blank of hardwood about 3x3x12 and turn a mallet…no tape measures and no calipers allowed.  The shape/style is up to you.  Handle diameter should whatever feels good (stop the lathe to check that by gripping the handle periodically).  The lack of measurements is tough the first few times but it'll open a world of opportunity at the lathe. 

Pens are similar, especially as you move away from the kits.  But even with the kit pens, there's a lot room for artistic freedom (something honest accountants likely don't get to experience at work).  :biggrin:


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## low_48 (Feb 3, 2014)

hard hat said:


> I do all of those on the lathe at about 2000 rpm. Doesn't matter the material or finish, it's all the same.
> 
> Why? I hate changing belt position and it works. What does vary is how I drill, the harder the blank, the slower I feed and the more I lubricate.



You start turning a 10" bowl blank at 2000? I've turned for 28 years, that speed on a rough blank would scare me. I would start any bowl blank that would fit on that lathe at the lowest speed and bring it up till the vibration started. Then slow it back. That's why all my lathes have electronic variable speed. Speed up as it gets round and finish turning in the 1500 range.


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## BSea (Feb 3, 2014)

low_48 said:


> hard hat said:
> 
> 
> > I do all of those on the lathe at about 2000 rpm. Doesn't matter the material or finish, it's all the same.
> ...


I'm guessing/hoping he's only talking about pens.  But that's pretty fast for drilling most blanks.  

For me:
Drilling - 500
Turning (pens) - 2500
Sanding/CA/MM - 1200
Friction Polish - 1700 to 2000


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## plano_harry (Feb 3, 2014)

I apply drill and apply CA at 400 and sand/MM at 750 because I don't have to change belts.  I turn between 2500 and 3100.  I will often start out at 3100 for rounding because it is less vibration.  Sometimes I back off once it is smooth, but if the material is behaving well, I don't think about changing speed.  I probably turn acrylics slower so they don't get hot.  Never turned a bowl - I might get hurt!

Harry


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