174 total views
Lathe Machine is the favorite machine for those who love to surround themselves with shavings! The possibilities offered by the wood lathe are limitless. Its operation is simple: a shaft equipped with jaws rotates at high speed and a tool turns the wood. Turn on the lathe and get to work!
How does a wood lathe work?
For beginners, I will give a brief summary of how a lathe machine works : a motor drives a shaft placed on a vertical axis on which irons , cutters or a tool holder are mounted . To mill a piece of wood, slide it onto a board placed in front of the tree. Then you can profile or calibrate it as you like! Thanks to the enormous variety of accessories available, the lathe allows extreme versatility of processing, from cabinet making to carpentry work . In fact there is to get lost among the myriad of models available on the market and all their features. Power ,guide , shaft diameter , driver , safety… with my advice you will be able to master any wood lathe without problems!
Which power to choose for the different processes?
As often happens in workshop machine tools we can find two types of motors, which in turn can be single- phase or three- phase (for the latter, always pay attention when you connect the phases!). Without going into too much detail talking about rotors or stators, we can see that the two types of motors are distinguished in:
- asynchronous , carbon brush motor, subject to wear.
- synchronous , motor equipped with permanent magnets.
For both types of motors make sure they are equipped with a thermal protector (such as a probe) that turns them off in the event of overheating until they are up to temperature again.
The power , expressed in Watts (W) and in Horsepower-Steam (CV), determines the rotation speed of the shaft expressed in Revolutions / minute (RPM). The power also determines the depth of pass that can be carried out in the wood, that is the depth and height of the material that can be removed without the risk of overheating or accidents. Lathes can be divided into two power categories :
Lathe from 1400 to 2200 W
These motors allow a wide range of machining, even on hardwood, but in this case be careful and limit the subsequent depths of cut . However, with 1400 and 1600 W it is difficult to work large diameters or hardwood in quantity.
Lathe from 2200 to more than 4000 W
These are machines intended for professional or industrial use . They have no problem working on large diameters, even on hard wood and in chains. They allow you to install tools of considerable diameter.
Rotation speed
The rotation speed must be adapted to the type of rods mounted on the shaft and its diameter. Therefore it is important to choose a machine that allows you to select the shaft speed, mechanically or electronically , otherwise you will be limited in your work. Generally you will notice that machine tools:
- low-end models allow you to choose from one to two rotation speeds, the minimum sure, but also what a novice needs!
- mid-range or high-end have three to five speeds, such as 1800-3000-6000-9000 rpm. You will never have problems with any kind of work!
- high-end models are equipped with stepless speed adjustment for maximum precision!
Too low a speed can create a risk of rejection, with your piece being shot out at 200 km /h! Too high a speed can tear the tool apart. Another function you need to pay close attention to: some machines are equipped with an inverter for the direction of rotation . They should only be used by experienced people!