Lake Superior Woodturners MEETING DETAILS
Date Saturday May 18th, 2024 NOTE THE DATE, IT’S A CHANGE FROM OUR REGULAR MEETING DATE!
Time 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Location Jon Stephenson’s Shop, 9 Kilner Bay Drive, Superior, WI
AGENDA
Coffee & chatter
9:00 Call to Order
Presidents Report – Susan Van Loon Runnoe: Introduction of new members
and visitors
Treasure’s Report – Paul Howard: Current balance, Income and Expenses
Old Business
New location option on London Road
Superior Craft School update
New Business
Show & Tell – As always we love to see what you’ve been turning. You can ask for
critiques of your work, or you can simply show your turnings. We can discuss turning
‘challenges’, talk about best practices, and chat about perplexing pieces of wood you
would like suggestions on how to turn it or what to turn it into.
Safety Minute: Open Discussion. See AAW Safety Tips – “15 Safety Tips For The
Wood Lathe”
Raffle: We have a great membership, and once again we are looking for help with raffle
prizes. If you have something you could donate whether it’s a piece of wood, a tool you
don’t use, or a turning you have done we would appreciate the donation. Depending
upon the quantity received your donation may be saved for a future month’s raffle.
Wood Species Review: This month: Green and Black Ash- Ray Hyde.
Note; If you have a Wood-type you would like to present for discussion please let us
know.
Program – Jon Stevenson & Caleb discuss and show techniques on replicating spindle
turned pieces. Talk about Copy Lathe pros & cons. How to use a Story Board & other
techniques.
Contact Information
President Susan Van Loon Runnoe sjeval@pcsinter.net
Vice President Doug Runnoe
Treasure Paul Howard
dorun920@yahoo.com
218 341-8247
218 391-5419
paulhowaed2208@gmail.com 218 340-2208
15 Safety Tips For The Wood Lathe
Posted on January 29, 2016 by Stephen Johnson
Perhaps you’re new to woodturning or Santa recently left you a new lathe under your Christmas tree.
Woodturning provides hours and hours of pleasure and satifaction. But let’s not overlook some of the
dangers of using this innocent-looking, yet powerful spinning machine. In this article, I will give you
some safety tips for the wood lathe. Follow these tips and this amazing hobby will continue to reward
you the rest of your life.
- Get some training. This could be as simple as getting your woodworking buddy to come over
and show you how to properly operate a lathe, to watching a few online videos. Better yet,
attend some classes offered by a local craft store or woodturning club. Woodturning clubs are
located all over the country and are usually filled with people willing to teach you the craft. - Make sure your shop’s kid proof. Remove starter keys, unplug power tools, and/or use guards
to block electrical outlets or switches. Store hazardous chemicals out of reach. Secure sharp
tools like your lathe chisels. - Remove wrenches and adjusting keys. Get into the habit of checking to make sure all adjusting
keys or tools are removed before turning on the lathe. It’s also a good idea to spin the lathe with
your hands first before you turn it on. - Wear eye protection. I highly recommend a faceshield to protect your whole face. At a
minimum you need to wear ANSI approve safety glasses. You never know if a piece of your stock
will fly off and hit you in the face or eye. But if the whole piece were to come off, it could
damage more than just your eyes. - Keep your work area clutter free. A messy work area can contribute to accidents and it breeds
inefficiency. - Secure clothing and jewelry. Make sure you’re not wearing any loose clothing or anything that
could dangle from you and get caught up in the spinning lathe. Tie up long hair, remove
necklesses or lanyards. Don’t wear gloves. I recommend removing rings or any jewelry since it
could potentially catch on something. Don’t forget camera straps especially if you photograph
something spinning on the lathe. - Safely secure your workpiece to the lathe. Understand how to best secure the wood on the
lathe for the project at hand. Again, this goes back to training and understanding the capabilities
of the hardware and potential hazards. Assess the diameter of your stock and run the lathe at a
recommended RPM (revolutions per minute). With variable speed lathes, start at a lower RPM
and work your way up, checking to see if your workpiece is seated and aligned properly. Also,
check and make sure everything is locked tight on your lathe — chucks, tailstock, tool rest, etc.
Avoid using stock that has significant cracks or knots. - Keep your tools sharp. It’s always harder to work safely with dull tools. Sharp tools translate
into smoother and usually easier turning. Find a system or method that makes it easy to keep
your chisels sharp. It doesn’t take much. - Maintain positive control of your turning tool at all times. Present your specific turning tool
correctly to the workpiece being turned. This goes back to proper training. The danger here is
having your chisel catch in the wood in a hazardous way or big chunks of wood coming off the
lathe. We’re all sometimes guilty of being more aggressive than the wood allows. Bigger
workpieces can have more momentum and create a greater force on your tools than smaller
pieces. For large projects like bowls, it’s a good idea to stand off to the side of the wood rather
than directly in the plane it’s spinning. - Inspect your turning tools. Periodically check your turning tools. These chisels are subject to a
lot of strong forces over time. Look at your handles and make sure they are in good shape. If you
notice cracks, you may want to go ahead and retire the chisel or replace the handle. - Watch hands and fingers. Be aware of all potential pinch points. Probably the biggest one being
between the workpiece and the tool rest. See that your tool rest is locked down and properly
positioned relative to the piece being worked. - Dust protection. Dust is definitely not good for your lungs and long-term health. I recommend
getting a dust mask that you can wear under your faceshield and doesn’t create a lot of fogging.
You can check out this article I wrote that reviews a few dust masks. If you can afford it, go
ahead and buy a dust collector which will suck the dust away as you work. - Hearing protection. If you run the lathe and a dust collector for significant periods of time, you
probably need some kind of hearing protection. It may not show up immediately, but constant
exposure to high noise levels could eventually reduce your hearing or create ringing of the ears.
I have some ringing of the ears at 48, and that’s probably from shooting guns in my earlier years
without hearing protection. - Periodically inspect your cords supplying your lathe. The shop can be an unforgiving
environment, so check your cords to make sure there’s no fraying or exposed conductors. Make
proper repairs if you find something wrong. Also, make sure you are using extension cords with
adequate current capacity. - Apply finishes safely. Read the directions on all finishing products. Understand the affects it can
have on your skin or health. I recommend wearing nitrile gloves when applying CA or other
finishes. Also, use an applicator that won’t adhere to the workpiece and then get caught up in
the spinning lathe. Many people tend to use paper towel products since they easily tear away.
Also don’t forget to wear eye protection, particularly when applying a finish on a piece that’s
spinning.
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