Preventing green turning messes

[Stan Calow]

What do you folks do to protect your work areas and tools when turning wet, green wood? I've done it only a few times, and spent more time cleaning up the mess than turning, and having rust pop up on a lot of surfaces. That stuff flies all over. Do you hang plastic around the lathe, coat lathe and tools in advance, or just expect to do a big cleanup? Special set-up just for green wood?

I didn't see this topic addressed in my reference books or an online search. Any tips appreciated.

[Prashun Patel]

I have plastic curtains around my lathe for all turning.

I don't protect the ways; I just wipe and vaccuum them when done. Eventually, they become moderately resistant to flash rusting.

[Richard Coers]

There is no preventing, just limiting. I have water dripping off the ceiling joists, and running down the back wall. I have a sheet of plastic sheeting behind me that I roll up when not in use.

[John K Jordan]

What do you folks do to protect your work areas ... having rust pop up on a lot of surfaces.

I rarely turn green wood. I do process a lot of sopping wet wood on the bandsaw and some species will rust the table if a piece of wood or wet sawdust is left on the table for just a short time. I use a metal protection spray on cast iron and steel. I can't remember the name but if you want I can check when I go to the shop.

[roger wiegand]

One of the reasons I loved the wooden ways on my old lathe and the stainless steel ways on my new lathe. I should come up with a curtain system. There's a sap stripe across the floor, up the wall and across the ceiling. And up the front of my turning smock.

[Edward Weingarden]

I use shower curtains on the four sides of my lathe. The curtain on the wall behind the lathe stays in place. On the other three sides I put up the equivalent of shower rods made with pieces of 2 x 4s cut to 1 x 1. I hang the shower curtains the same way they would be in a shower; they slide open and closed. I keep them closed when I'm turning, regardless of whether it's green wood or dry. The curtains are not see-through clear, but translucent, so as not to block the natural light during the day.

[Thomas Canfield]

I use shower curtains supported on 3/4" EMT that is hung on strings to allow for adjusting in use. Taller shower curtains are available from Amazon. I currently use 7' high with 8' ceiling, but used 8' high with higher ceiling in previous shop. I leave a gap at ceiling for air circulation, but have the curtains on floor to try to corral the shavings. Easy to pull back to open up when not turning.

[Don Stephan]

An occasional squirt of WD-40 along the ways during turning and afterwards. If turning oak, keep a small brush (I use an "acid" brush sold for spreading glue) on the headstock to wipe out wet accumulation in the bowl gouge flute. It includes metal dust worn from the cutting edge. From experience, wiping the flute out with my finger leaves some metal dust on my skin and then "black iron" smudges on the wood.

[Stan Calow]

Thanks everyone. Shower curtains are a good idea. I hadn't thought about the ceiling.