Three Easy Projects on the Wood Lathe

by HAB in Workshop > Woodworking

328 Views, 4 Favorites, 0 Comments

Three Easy Projects on the Wood Lathe

Image (4).jpg

In this Instructable I'm showing you how to make 3 simple projects on the wood lathe. I am NOT an expert, so any tips are welcome. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Supplies

For these projects you'll need the following:

-a lathe [DUH]

-chisels meant for a lathe

-a drill with drill bits

-saw

-sandpaper

-oil or stain of your choice

-epoxy

-grinder or metal saw

Supplies:

-wood (I used logs I collected from

trees around our place)

-a 3in piece of threaded rod

-a nut to fit it

DISCLAIMER. Be responsible! I am NOT responsible for injuries sustained because of this instructable. Safety goggles and a dust mask are required.

One last thing. Each step is a project.

Making a Dry Vase

Image (18).jpg
Image (10).jpg
Image (11).jpg
Image (13).jpg
Image (14).jpg
Image (16).jpg

1.Take your blank and use a roughing gouge to rough it down. I forgot to take pictures but it's pretty simple. However, if you need instructions YouTube has you covered.

2.Next, turn down the neck of the vase using a skew chisel. Use a caliper to get your desired size.

3.Smooth out the curve with the same chisel. Now is also the time to add any details such as grooves or rings.


4.Sand well, starting with low grit and moving up. If you are sanding with the piece on the lathe, stop before using another grit and sand with the grain to get rid of any scratches.

5.Drill a hole in the top of the vase and sand it as well as possible.

6.Use oil or stain to seal the outside of the vase.

Making Handles

Image (9).jpg
Image (12).jpg
Image (4).jpg
Image (2).jpg
Image (5).jpg
Image (6).jpg
Image (8).jpg
  1. Rough down your blank again using the roughing gouge.
  2. Round off the ball of the handle with the skewing chisel.
  3. Sand the handle starting with a low grit and moving up.
  4. Use the parting tool to cut most of the way through the piece; then use a saw to finish cutting through.
  5. Sand the ends smooth.
  6. Drill a hole in the smaller end of the handle. Use epoxy to glue a section of threaded rod into the hole and find a nut to fit it.
  7. Attach it to your cabinet, door, etc. This is a very simple handle. Yours could have rings or anything else really.

Making a Honey

Image (6).jpeg
Image.jpeg
Image (3).jpeg
Image (4).jpeg
Image (1).jpeg
  1. Rough down your blank.
  2. Get the larger end of the honey dipper down to the size you want it. Mine was about 3/4in across.
  3. Using the parting tool, carve grooves in the end of the honey dipper. This is how the honey will stay on the dipper.
  4. Thin down the handle with a flat chisel.
  5. Sand it very well. This is very important because you don't want pores for honey to get stuck in.
  6. Take it off the lathe and cut off the unnecessary wood from the ends.
  7. Use food safe oil or stain to seal it. I used vegetable oil, but the wood seemed to get stringy after a while.

You're done! I hope it made sense. If you try one of these projects let me know. Thanks for viewing!