what is the best wood for turning on lathe

What is the easiest wood to turn on a lathe?

The easiest species of wood to turn are pine and cherry. They are soft and easy to shape on the wood lathe and should be used by anyone who is trying to learn how to turn wood.

Is Pine good for turning?

Pine is an excellent wood for beginning turners. It is a soft wood and is easy to shape on the lathe. Cutting with a gouge or skew chisel produces a better finish than a scraper when turning between centres. When you are turning bowls you will need a properly burnished scraper to produce a good surface.

Can you use any wood for turning?

Fundamentally you can turn with any type of wood, however it's a good idea to stay away from anything pressure treated. Also, certain tropical woods like cocobolo and rosewood and can cause some irritants. It doesn't bother all people, but some people have a stronger reaction to those than others.

Is Hickory a good wood for turning?

Ironically, hickory turns extremely well with very sharp tools, but it does scratch easily, so always sand hickory with the grain rather than holding sandpaper on the turning while the lathe rotates it in the spindle, as the wood scratches easily opposite the grain pattern.

What are the 5 best woods for turning?

Reader's Choice - Top Woods to Turn. With so much effort put into such a small piece of wood, turners are very serious about their stock. ... Figured Maple. There are several types of figured maple including curl, fiddleback, spalted, tiger, birds-eye, and more. ... Walnut. ... Cherry. ... Boxelder. ... Rosewood. ... Pacific Madrone. ... Red Elm.More items...

How long should wood dry before turning?

Wood will become “dry” by letting it sit for a long enough period of time. A rule of thumb that is thrown around often is one year of air drying time per one inch of wood thickness. A dryer or kiln can be used to reduce the moisture content more rapidly.

Where can I find wood for woodturning?

9:2716:34How to Find Free Wood for Turning - Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnother source to look at are lumber mills. And people that do firewood guess what they don't likeMoreAnother source to look at are lumber mills. And people that do firewood guess what they don't like and guess what the mills. Don't like they don't like crotches.

Is Cherry Good for woodturning?

Cherry is a hardwood but it is not as hard as oak or maple; it will scratch or dent if subjected to misuse. But due to cherry's unique colorization process the scratch or dent will color up to match the surrounding wood and will blend in quite nicely.

How do you pick wood for turning?

1:307:46Choosing Turning Blanks Presented by Woodcraft - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere are basically three ways to buy wood. One is boards or planks another is logs or branches. AndMoreThere are basically three ways to buy wood. One is boards or planks another is logs or branches. And the last is pre-prepared turning sections known as blanks.

Is Birch good for turning?

Birch is an excellent wood for turning because it's close grained and finishes well.

Is lime wood good for turning?

Lime is perfect for carving and good for turning. Also known as Basswood or Linden, it's smooth texture and even grain along with the very limited number of knots make it an ideal choice for carvers.

What is the best speed for turning wood?

The wood lathe speed rule of thumb is – do not to exceed 1,000 RPMs. One thousand RPMs seems to be a magical point at which bowl blanks either go up or down if they come off the lathe. If the speed is under 1,000 RPMs, then a dislodged bowl blank is supposed to fall to the floor.

What is pine wood good for?

Some common uses include sap production, resin production, building furniture, and in-garden use. Pine trees can be used for firewood and even as ornamental trees as well. Read on to learn more about what some advantages to growing/using pine wood are, and some great things that you can do with pine!

What can pine wood be used for?

It is one of the most popular woods used in manufacturing and carpentry and can be found in many homes around the world in the form of flooring, windows, furniture and so on.

What are the disadvantages of pine trees?

The Disadvantages of a Pine TreeNeedles and Cones. Pine trees, like other needled evergreens, drop needles. ... Sap. Pine trees exude a sticky sap. ... Soil Requirements. While most pine trees will grow in poor soils with low levels of nutrients, they need an acidic soil pH below 7.0 to thrive.

What are the advantages of using pine wood?

Properties of PineAdvantages of PineDisadvantages of PineLight WeightSusceptible to Scratches and DentsResists Shrinking & SwelllingCan be easily damagedGood ElasticityAttractive Grain Options2 more rows•Jul 1, 2015