lathe speed chart

[Michelle Rich]

I ran across this & thought I'd share. I think this gives folks a great idea of the forces & speeds one deals with when turning. Hope this helps

[Jon McElwain]

Interesting chart. It looks as though my favorite speed where the tool touches the wood is somewhere around 30 miles per hour - give or take of course. Sanding speed is probably around 7 to 8 miles per hour for a bowl.

[Reed Gray]

Looks like I prefer 50 to 100 mph. Jimmy Clewes prefers warp factor 7 or so. Sanding speeds for me are snail speed. Interesting chart.

robo hippy

[Dan Hintz]

Interesting chart... though to nitpick, I wouldn't label it as a rotational force, just speed.

[Mike Golka]

There is a good article here on speed and force: http://www.docgreenwoodturner.com/lathespeed.html

[Dennis Ford]

Nice chart; like Jon's my preferred speeds are in the 30 mph range most of the time.

[neil mackay]

Oh dear it looks like I might be a the lunatic end 100 mph +

[Jon McElwain]

Interesting chart... though to nitpick, I wouldn't label it as a rotational force, just speed.

Dan, I had the exact same thought! :D

[Eric Gourieux]

Seriously, Reed and Neil, are you really turning at those speeds? 14" dia at 2000+ RPMs?

[Thom Sturgill]

Interesting - if you take the formula 6000 <= rpm X dia < 9000 (Dale Nish ?) then no lathe I know of can turn the 'proper' speed for spindles less than about 3"

[Montgomery Scott]

There is a good article here on speed and force: http://www.docgreenwoodturner.com/lathespeed.html

Interesting page, but as usual they get "centrifugal" force wrong. There is no such force. Centripetal force is the force required to keep an object in circular motion as it is always accelerating towards to locus, and so the force is opposite of what is shown. What he is trying to describe is the reaction.

[Mel Fulks]

When I was in school centrifugal did exist along side centripetal .Im glad I never learned the difference between them......what a waste of time that would have been !

[Reed Gray]

The mid speed range on my Robust is about 2200 rpm, which was modified with Brent's help from original set speeds. I wanted higher mid range speeds. I turn just about as fast as the blank will handle without vibration. 10 to 12 inch blanks will spin that fast no problem. I did work my way up to those speeds, and I NEVER would think of doing those speeds without checking the wood first for any cracks, no punky wood, no rotten wood, no knots, no bark. Jimmy Clewes turns his winged bowls at 3200 rpm, or as fast as whatever lathe he is using will do. Sounds like an airplane propeller. I don't know if he as tried the new Nova 24 inch lathe which is supposed to go to 5,000. As I have said before, "professional driver on closed course, do not attempt!" For me the wood cuts cleaner with less work.

robo hippy