What's the best way to start/stop your lathe in regular use?

[Klaus Waldeck]

I finally got to try out my lathe last night, and I was not sure how I should be stopping and restarting it. I know this is a really stupid question, but I have no idea. I could stop it using the stop button, or by switching the direction to neutral, or by turning the speed all the way down. If I use the stop button, I have to turn the speed down and switch the direction to neutral before I can press the start button. That's nice as a safety feature, but seems to be too much if I just want to stop it temporarily while I inspect my work or move the tool rest closer. Maybe I'm just stopping and starting too frequently.

[Steve Peterson]

That sounds like a lot of trouble to go through every time. What type of lathe is it?

I have a Oneway 1224 and starting/stopping is completely obvious. There is a green button to start it and a red button to stop it. Next to this is a rotary speed dial and a toggle switch for forward/reverse.

Steve

[Reed Gray]

With the variable speed lathes, a number of people will turn the speed down to 0 to stop it. This is actually a safety measure so you don't start it up at high speed by accident. There are many instances of people mounting pieces on the lathe and not checking the speed before turning the lathe on. Most will have electronic brakes, so they don't spin forever. Just using the speed knob will not hurt your lathe.

robo hippy

[Don Orr]

I just use the big red On/Off button on my lathe. I figure that's what it's there for. Never had a problem so far. Sure I have to stop to reverse direction but you should anyway.

[David Walser]

As Reed said, it is good practice on a variable speed lathe to turn the speed down when stopping the lathe, but I wouldn't use that method to "stop" the lathe. For that, use the red stop button. Most variable speed lathes use a motor with a cooling fan mounted to the shaft of the motor. When you turn down the speed of the motor, you also turn down the speed of the cooling fan. (This isn't true with all motors.) Running the lathe for an extended period of time with the speed turned way down can cause the motor to overheat. There's simply not enough airflow to cool the motor properly. (At least that's the case in Arizona during the summer!) Bottom line: If you're turning the lathe off for more than a minute or two, it's a two-step process: turn speed down and hit the stop button. If you're turning the lathe off for the day, turn the speed down and turn the power off. If you're just stopping the lathe for a moment ot two to check your progress, simply turn the speed down.

[Klaus Waldeck]

I have the Grizzly G0766. There is no separate power off button vs. a stop button. The off button is under a safety stop plunger, and that hole thing covers the on button.

I think this motor is meant to be able to run at a slow speed without overheating. I can run it at less than 100 RPMs easily. I'll use the speed knob as my regular stop operation. I do like that as a routine as I'll never accidentally start the machine at a gallop.

Thanks for your knowledge and wisdom.

[Roger Chandler]

I have the Grizzly G0766. There is no separate power off button vs. a stop button. The off button is under a safety stop plunger, and that hole thing covers the on button.

I think this motor is meant to be able to run at a slow speed without overheating. I can run it at less than 100 RPMs easily. I'll use the speed knob as my regular stop operation. I do like that as a routine as I'll never accidentally start the machine at a gallop.

Thanks for your knowledge and wisdom.

The proper sequence on the G0766 is to turn the speed dial to zero, if you just want to check your work. If stopping for the day, then turn the speed dial down, then push the red stop button. Using the forward reverse is not the best idea for longevity of that switch, in my opinion. Of course, as a safety measure built in, they make you have it in neutral first before putting the dial back on forward or reverse to keep you from having the speed dial up then it ramping up with a large blank on it at 1200 rpm :eek:. This is the way I do it on my G0766, and did the same on my former G0698 18/47 lathe.

[Brice Rogers]

Klaus, I have a G0766 also. I also find it easier to just turn the speed control down to zero when stopping and just turning it up to restart. I don't particularly like having to fiddle with the direction control when I'm doing something. But when I'm done with a session, I just push in the red stop button and unplug the machine.

[Walter Mooney]

I too have the G0766, and I just turn the speed dial down when checking my work, then turn it back up when I'm ready to go (as long as it's not too long of an interval). The rest of the time, I do as Roger suggested.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow - everyone does it different than I do - but then - do what feels comfortable to you!

I do a lot of hollow forms - which means you are constantly stopping to remove shavings. I use the remote switch on my Jet or the regular on/off on the Robust to stop the lathe. I never mess with the speed adjust - once it is set - while hollowing. If I had to stop the lathe using the speed control - remove shavings - then adjust to where I had the speed set before - I would add a lot of time to what it already takes to hollow something! For those of you concerned about safety - when you are finished for the day - THEN turn the speed control down to zero, the on/off switch to off and unplug the lathe. Always check where the speed knob is located before turning the lathe on for the first time. Other than that - to me it makes no sense to mess with the speed once you have it set where you want.

[Geoff Whaling]

Klaus this is not a stupid question, too often product manuals rely upon the turners “common sense” as they do not explicitly state the correct protocol to start / stop the lathe safely.

Variable Frequency Drives offer significant advantages to wood turners with variable speed, increased torque at low rpm, reverse direction etc, however they also introduce new hazards that were not present on "traditional lathes."

The hazards,



VFD’s are typically powered the whole time the unit is connected to a power supply. They can hold a significant charge in the VFD for up to 30 seconds (perhaps more) after the unit is disconnected from power. Potential for electric shocks.



If control placement is not ideal, then inadvertent disturbance of controls is possible while performing other tasks – changing faceplates or chucks etc.



Unintended start ups from disturbance of controls may lead to significant injury. :eek:



Inadvertent selection of the “wrong” lathe rotation direction.



Inadvertent selection of an inappropriate speed for the type of project, blank condition etc.



Rapid acceleration of work pieces “up to speed” may stress “fragile” blanks.



Curious or helpful others, invited and uninvited visitors especially children. ;)


With traditional lathes lathe speed selection was a very conscious decision that required the turner to perform a number of steps to achieve. With VFD variable speed lathes this is merely a simple rotation of the dial, or a flip of the switch to select reverse, with far less time to re-consider your decision or actions. Best to develop a habit to take a few seconds to run through a mental check list. This will become automatic or second nature with time.

Many manufacturers acknowledge these potential hazards exist and supply machines with a cover over the reverse switch and or combination emergency ON/OFF/Emergency Stop controls and / or software management intervention i.e. time delays etc. Often there are economic factors for combining controls or for the location of controls in less than ideal positions. In some countries the fitment of particular control types is mandated by electrical safety & consumer law.

From a safety perspective there are a number of tasks and reasons why you should stop a variable speed lathe (any lathe or machine) in a particular manner.

Isolating power to the whole lathe, i.e. the motor, switches and even the VFD itself, for maintenance tasks performed on the motor or electrical components. Achieve full isolation preferably by mechanically removing the power lead from the wall power socket then waiting for the VFD to fully discharge before commencing maintenance tasks.

Power to the motor should be isolated by switching the ON/OFF switch to OFF for any task (changing chucks / face plates etc) where inadvertent start up may cause contact injuries with moving parts. Turning the lathe control to zero on the speed selector does not achieve this nor does selecting “neutral.”

For temporary halts in work, i.e. visually checking condition of blanks etc many turners fall into the “convenient” but not ideal habit of turning the VFD speed selector to zero. Usually they develop this habit due to the perceived inconvenience of using the engineered safety controls i.e. a mushroom Emergency Switch acting as a cover to the ON/OFF switches.

For longer halts in work it is good practice to develop a habit of switching the lathe OFF and making machinery safe while you are not supervising the machine.

For overnight or longer halts switch the lathe OFF and fully isolate power to the lathes electronics by switching the power circuit OFF at the wall switch / GPO and or removing the power lead to the lathe from the power socket. This also saves on power consumption.

As others have mentioned a very good safety habit to develop is to always return the lathe speed to a low speed setting at the end of each turning session or when changing turning projects.

Another wise safety protocol is to show your family how to isolate power to machines in your shop / shed, purely for your and their safety in an emergency situation where you may have become incapable of doing so.

A helpful & comprehensive lathe safety list @ http:// www .woodworkforums. com/showthread.php?t=164022 (copy & remove spaces)

[Brad Adams]

I just use the red off button on my 3520. That's what it's there for, to turn it off.

[hu lowery]

I can only speak for my own 766 but after weeks of always turning the speed control to zero to give a soft stop I tried flipping the forward and reverse switch to neutral or stop when running at whatever speed I was working at. Discovered that the lathe was programmed with a softer stop than I was giving it. Now I flip the switch to zero. Definitely works best for me as I tend to twist the dial a little rapidly when setting speed too and often overrun the preferred speed. When turning something fragile that could be a good way to eat a turning.

Once the lathe is out of warranty I may read the manual on the VFD. A novel idea but there are a lot of settings for most VFD's. Setting the speed it ramps up and slows down to a little more gradual wouldn't displease me.

Hu

[David Hill]

Great question.
Interesting thing is that on my Laguna 18/47--the book says to use the directional switch for most "off" switching and to use the big red "stop" button when a rapid stop is needed.
On my other lathes-- Nova and Vega--it's just turn it off.

[Scott Hackler]

I'm like Steve. Once I establish the speed I am turning or hollowing at, the lathe stays there and I just hit the OFF button. I am constantly shutting it off and on and sometimes hitting the emergency stop bar on my Vicmarc by accident and shutting if off when I didn't mean too! I also ave made it a practice to turn the dial all the way down after I am done working and go to shut off the VFD (Vicmarc's are weird and have a master off switch down by the ground on the VFD).

[Scott Haddix]

The thought that immediately jumped to mind when I read the subject line was 'out of the line of fire!'

[William Bachtel]

You got to be kidding me, Green is on, Red if off. All the time.

[David C. Roseman]

You got to be kidding me, Green is on, Red if off. All the time.


Actually, I don't think the OP was kidding. Some lathes have more options than others.

[roger oldre]

Even vfds are rated for number of starts and stops over a period of time. its what you have to do I guess. I have out fitted one newly built lathe with an air operated clutch and break and a lever control for the valve. two other lathes have rolling grip clutches on them and as often as possible I dont turn the lathe off. I know there is a difference between an artist wood turner and a production wood turner. The op didn't specify though and the best thing for a motor to stop and start is not to.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P12E08byJ6k/mqdefault.jpg

[glenn bradley]

I just use the red off button on my 3520. That's what it's there for, to turn it off.


You got to be kidding me, Green is on, Red if off. All the time.


Actually, I don't think the OP was kidding. Some lathes have more options than others.

Right, some folks are answering without understanding the question/situation. I admit to having done this myself a time or two when in a hurry and it will probably happen again. I apologize in advance:o. While the manual states that the variable speed is to be all the way in the counterclockwise position before hitting the start button, it does completely miss the "stopping to check you work" activity common while turning. I think Geoff W pretty well has you covered on the ins-and-outs of VS drives.

[Bill Boehme]

I finally got to try out my lathe last night, and I was not sure how I should be stopping and restarting it....

I stop peddling . . . your lathe might be different.:D

[David DeCristoforo]

My lathe is an older one without a lot of electronic controls. It has a red button and a green button. When you want to turn it on you push the green button. When you want to turn it off, you push the red one. It's kind of like a traffic signal. Red...stop. Green... go. "Unintended startups from disturbance of controls" is not really an issue since the two buttons are not in a position where one might unintentionally activate them. Plus, there are little bezels around the buttons that would prevent unintentionally pressing them. "Inadvertent selection of the “wrong” lathe rotation direction" is not an issue either as the lathe only turns in one direction. As long as you can remember which direction it turns, you're fine. There is also a speed control for the often denigrated Reeves drive. As we all know, electronics never fail like the old fashioned mechanical systems do and even if they do get messed up, all you need is a degree in electronic engineering and computer programming to get it up and running again. And we all know that every turner worth his salt possesses both of those. Those old mechanical systems? Well be prepared to get into some serious, highly technical processes like tightening a set screw! And the risks? Well, it's nothing as benign as getting electrocuted, let me tell you. We're talking potential for major bodily harm here... skinned knuckles, broken fingernails... you name it. If you'tre gonna take on something like that you better call 911 before you even start just to be sure they can make it in time!

[Geoff Whaling]

My lathe is an older one without a lot of electronic controls. ......... We're talking potential for major bodily harm here... skinned knuckles, broken fingernails... you name it. If you're gonna take on something like that you better call 911 before you even start just to be sure they can make it in time!

David you make some very good points about mechanical lathes - they give you a little more time to think about what you are doing when changing speeds, and sure they have less hazards (economic as well) when compared to EVS lathes.

I have a Vicmarc VL150 which has the controls just below the head stock similar to many other lathe designs. While doing small spindle work I tend to brush my left hip against the lathe cabinet which contacts the dial & fortunately so far has only rotated the VS pot to slow speeds. Doing bowls this is not a problem as I don't get my body into that position unless turning inside & outside profiles from the one mounting. On the latest VL150's Vicmarc has relocated the VS pot on the control panel which reduces this particular hazard.

I've seen a little more than "skinned knuckles, broken fingernails" happen to "turners who should know better." If you ever get to collaboration / participation style events it is interesting to watch some of the logic process that turners use to create their turnings & to do emergency lathe maintenance. Only a few weeks ago I watched a couple of very experienced turners pulling a small mini lathe apart to replace a broken belt - all with the lathe still connected to power and many helpful advisers offering technical advice! I'm sure in your shop you would not approve of your employees doing that. ;)

Belt Replacement - "1. Disconnect the machine from the power source (unplug)." Pretty basic rule but they didn't do it!

It would not be a pretty picture to see the results of what the VS speed pickup / encoder would do to fingers if the lathe was accidently turned on - but in this case that wasn't a hazard because there was no belt on the lathe. :o

[Jeramie Johnson]

Came across someone's video today. Again, this is why I always use the speed control. If done using, then power is killed also. Plug pulled if leaving shop (to protect electronics)

https://youtu.be/5y1wGm-ePi4?t=1657

[Geoff Whaling]

The thought that immediately jumped to mind when I read the subject line was 'out of the line of fire!' Me too!


Came across someone's video today. Again, this is why I always use the speed control. If done using, then power is killed also. Plug pulled if leaving shop (to protect electronics)

https://youtu.be/5y1wGm-ePi4?t=1657

Thank you for the link a valuable teaching aid. It helps to illustrate the value of the OP’s question and the potential consequences of not adopting a “safe” process. Fortunately it was a near miss. Others have not been so lucky.

Quite impressive to see how much the lathe bed and stand flexes, how the tail stock quill rotates, all caused by the dynamic balance issues resulting from unintended / incorrect speed selection.

The slow motion replay demonstrates the hazards of a very common woodturning scenario and how not using recommended safe operating procedures (controls) can very quickly escalate into a potentially dangerous event. It helps to dispel a few myths about the security of turning between centres. It’s only secure if you follow the process.

Safety is a relative concept!

The methods used to make a process “safe” will vary due to lathe design & construction, EVS/belt change/reeves drive, even position of controls, the size & condition of the project blank, available tools, operator knowledge / experience etc. What is safe for one turner/project/scenario may be unsafe for others - but using a check process is a universal safety protocol and some processes will universally produce desired outcomes.

Adopting simple check processes reduces and ideally eliminates some hazards & therefore risk.

Potentially dangerous events (near misses) in woodturning are usually (always?) the result of a combination of several hazards, some of which are known, some unknown, unforeseen, some are simply oversights and / or a lack of knowledge / experience by the operator – part of the learning process. We all have forgotten to reduce lathe speed at some time in our turning careers. :rolleyes:

However one or two “small” oversights may bring other more dangerous hazards / factors into play.

Running through a conscious process / routine to both start & stop the lathe can eliminate/reduce some of the potential hazards and pick up a few omissions like forgetting to reduce lathe speed, or lock the tailstock quill, remembering to stand out of “the line of fire” etc.

It costs only a few seconds of your time to adopt a check process - put on personal protective equipment (face shield etc), start lathe speed slow then increase speed, stop & recheck blank mount security, etc. Then following a process to dial, change belts, or reves drive selector back to a slow speed setting at the end of a session, isolate lathe at end of day etc all help to reduce risk.

A check list doesn’t have to be elaborate like a pilot’s flip chart but it may help beginners to document the checklist & doesn’t hurt old hands to review what they do once in a while. :)

http:// www .woodworkforums. com/showthread.php?t=164022 (copy & remove spaces as directed by Steve – thank you for leaving the edited link)