• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Turning for Profit | Woodturning | Lathe |

Helping woodturners make more money

  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Library
      • Turned Bowls
      • Christmas Projects
  • Inspiration
  • Make Money
  • Woodturning Techniques
  • Workshop Expertise
    • Splinters
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Library
      • Turned Bowls
      • Christmas Projects
  • Inspiration
  • Make Money
  • Woodturning Techniques
  • Workshop Expertise
    • Splinters
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Technique / Wood Turning Safety Tips
A Wood Turning Lathe

Wood Turning Safety Tips

By //  by Robin 34 Comments

divider
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.

Drawing of a man wearing a hard hat, and a bubble with a mask and goggles
Safety gear sitting on a wooden table

Drawing of a man wearing a hard hat, and a bubble with a mask and goggles

Safety Tips to Increase the Safety of your Turning

Wood turning involves spinning wood and sharp tools.  Spinning wood can lead to dangers and injury.  But observing some simple rules can help you avoid common injuries associated with wood turning.

Safety Tips for Wood Turning

I wanted to introduce this blog with an exciting do what I say not what I did story!  Yes, I’ve had bowls fly off of the lathe and hit my face shield, but no bumps on the head.  I’ve had bowls chip, crack and disintegrate on the lathe but no cut fingers or injuries to my hands.  So for me safety has been a mental attitude as well as a physical concern.  I have walked away from the lathe when tired or unable to focus.  Wood turning is fun but not to the point of risking injury.

Consider the safety tips below and enjoy your turning.

The speed at which you run your lathe has an impact on your personal safety and enjoyment of wood turning.  The general rule is to start out slow, especially if the wood is out of round and unbalanced on the lathe.  Once the wood is trued and round you can increase your speed.  If you have waves or bumps on your wood try adjusting the lathe speed up or down a bit.  I use a faster speed at the end when I am sanding and finishing the project.

I know how lovely a variable speed lathe is.  Changing the speed is easy.  My mini-lathe has belts.  While it doesn’t take long to change the belt.  (Pulley Tip)  I have a tendency to not change the speed as much.  However to make sure I’m not going too fast I tend to use the bottom three speeds on the mini-lathe.  One turner I know, with a pulley system, keeps all his turning at the middle speed.

Safety Tips #1: Safe speed for turning a bowl.

How can you determine the right speed for turning a bowl?

The formula is (diameter of bowl in inches) * (RPM of the lathe) = 5000

Or you can divide 5000 by the diameter and get the speed of the lathe!  A later video suggests 6000 for the initial speed and 9000 as the factor for final finishing.

Safety Tips #2: Eye Protection

Eye protection is crucial. This video shows you two types, goggles and a face shield.

He also mentions not wearing loose clothing which is a really good idea. You should also check the integrity of the wood you are putting on the lathe. If there is a crack or soft spot in the wood it could disintegrate as you attempt to turn it.  I tried to turn a bowl out of some very punky wood and it flew off the lathe several times.  Good thing that punky wood is soft wood.

Safety Tips #3: Personal Condition

One factor that has an impact on turning safely is your physical and emotional condition.

Don’t turn when you are tired or you have consumed alcohol or drugs.  Be alert and aware of the dangers inherent in wood turning and other wood working activities.  Richard Raffan said that all of his major injuries occurred at the end of the day when he was tired and not paying enough attention to his work.

Here’s another initial safety video with a few more tips.  Sounds like he is reading the script and the background music might put you to sleep.

I would slightly disagree with the suggestion that you do not try advanced techniques.  You should develop your skills, carefully expand your repertoire of techniques, and gently increase the difficulty of your turnings.  For more difficult cuts move the tool across the rest and the work as if you were making the cut but angle the tool to miss the work.  Get used to the movement that you want to achieve first then bring the tool to the work.  You could also slow down the lathe speed as well.

3 General Safety Rules

Keith Rowley from England attributes most accidents at the lathe to three things.

1.  Ignorance of correct techniques

2.  Taking unnecessary risks even when experienced

3.  Tiredness or lack of concentration.

Keeping these three things in mind will greatly increase the safety of your wood turning.

Additional safety tips

– don’t wear loose clothing or jewelry that can get caught on the wood

– turn rough / out of balance wood by hand before turning on the lathe

– start the lathe on slow speed and then increase the speed

– always stand to one side and out of the “firing line” when starting the machine

– make sure that there is at least 3/4″ of tool rest beyond the end of the wood you are working on

– when learning to turn, stop the lathe before adjusting the tool rest (see #2 above)

– minimize the downward leverage on the tools by keeping the tool rest as close as possible to the work piece

– remove the tool rest when sanding

– do not wrap steel wool or finishing cloths around your fingers, instead hold them loosely in your hand so that if      they do get caught they are released from your hand without taking your fingers with it.

– wear a dust mask or respirator when turning

– keep a fire extinguisher in the workshop

– don’t smoke or allow others to smoke in the shop

Safety gear sitting on a wooden table

Basic Lathe Maintenance

In addition to turning safely, basic lathe maintenance will allow you to enjoy many hours turning at your lathe.

Basically a clean and oiled lathe will run easier with less vibration which will improve your turnings!  Looks like I have a little bit of work to do out in the shop.

Additional Resources

Most wood turning books will have sections on safety with similar safety tips.  The following two are quite helpful and straight forward in their presentation.

Turning Wood W/Richard Raffan

Woodturning: A Foundation Course (New Edition)

Stay safe and enjoy your turning.  What have you been working on?  Please leave a comment.

Filed Under: Technique, Workshop Tagged With: beginner turners, hazards, lathe maintenance, safety, Safety rules for wood turning, turning tips, wood turning, wood turning safety

Related Posts:

You may also be interested in these posts:
Christmas Projects Title

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast

Turning Blanks: How to cut dimensional lumber on your table saw to make turning blanks

Turning Blanks from your Table Saw

Shop notes are a great aid in your woodturning projects

Woodturning Shop Notes

Woodturner Shop Safety

9 Shop Safety Tips for Woodturners

Before you start teaching woodturning to children ask yourself 3 important questions

Teaching woodturning to children – 3 preliminary questions

Parting tool is versatile

Parting Tool – More versatile than you thought

Previous Post: « Old wooden tool box with tools Turned tools for the Wood Turner
Next Post: How to Turn a Canning Lid Lifter A canning pot, jars and lids sitting on a counter »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. How to Maintain Your Wood Lathe - Turning for Profit says:
    December 21, 2015 at 11:18 am

    […] weeks your wood lathe needs maintenance. In addition to maintaining your lathe make sure you always turn safely as […]

    Reply
  2. Bird Feeders - Turning Project Part II - Turning for Profit says:
    January 26, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    […] Take your time and enjoy the process.  Use tools and procedures that you are comfortable with and keep safety upper most while you are […]

    Reply
  3. Five Common Turning Woods and Their Health Challenges - Turning for Profit says:
    June 17, 2016 at 12:49 am

    […] are quite common and used frequently in woodworking and woodturning.  In addition to using your lathe safely you also want to consider what you are turning as well.  For example I wouldn’t want to turn […]

    Reply
  4. Jar Lid: A Woodturning Project - Turning for Profit says:
    September 13, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    […] Remember to turn safely.  If you are not sure about a cut or what you want to do, turn your lathe off, and walk through the process first.  Wear your safety equipment and dust protection.  Turning is fun and I want you to enjoy it for as long as possible. […]

    Reply
  5. Is Your Woodturning Affecting Your Health? - Turning for Profit says:
    September 22, 2016 at 1:41 pm

    […] can affect your health.  Take care of yourself and you’ll be turning for a long time.  Safety at the lathe is critical but these other risks need to be considered as well.  Start where you are and make […]

    Reply
  6. Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast - Turning for Profit says:
    October 6, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    […] Each day I share a wood turning project on my Facebook page.  Join me there and get the turning project of the day, delivered to your Facebook homepage.  You can also sign up for my newsletter (scroll down a little bit) which will notify you, on a weekly basis, of new projects and post for you to enjoy.  Remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  7. 7 Mistakes that Kill Sales at the Show - Turning for Profit says:
    October 15, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    […] If you like these business posts or enjoy different wood turning projects please sign up for my newsletter.  The sign up box is just a little lower on the page.  Remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  8. Woodturning Workshops I - A great way to learn - Turning for Profit says:
    October 30, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    […] Thanks for reading and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  9. Woodturning Workshop II – Tips and Tricks - Turning for Profit says:
    November 10, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    […] Thanks for reading and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  10. Mini Decorations - A Woodturning Project - Turning for Profit says:
    December 1, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    […] I appreciate you visiting my site.  Remember to always turn safely. […]

    Reply
  11. Credit Cards - Are They Right for You? - Turning for Profit says:
    December 6, 2016 at 10:03 am

    […] Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  12. Gifts for Woodturners - 24 Inspiring Ideas - Turning for Profit says:
    December 12, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    […] Well this is the bottom of the post.  Have a good day and remember to always turn safely. […]

    Reply
  13. Roughing Gouge - Turning Technique - Turning for Profit says:
    December 14, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  14. A Woodturner: Reflections on the year - Turning for Profit says:
    December 23, 2016 at 10:41 am

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  15. 5 Tips to Prepare Your Shop for Action - Turning for Profit says:
    January 5, 2017 at 11:08 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  16. 5 Wood Turning Projects for the Garden - Turning for Profit says:
    January 25, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for allowing me to join you on your woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  17. Spile: How to Tap into Sap - A Woodturning Project - Turning for Profit says:
    February 13, 2017 at 6:41 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  18. 5 Steps to Prepare Rough Wood for Turning - Turning for Profit says:
    February 19, 2017 at 11:53 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for allowing me to join you on your woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  19. How to top a good wine - make a bottle stopper - A woodturning project - Turning for Profit says:
    February 27, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely […]

    Reply
  20. Pricing your Turnings: The Nuts and Bolts - Turning for Profit says:
    March 7, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for allowing me to join you on this woodturning adventure.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  21. Sales Training for the wood turner - Turning for Profit says:
    March 10, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  22. Mounting Wood on a Lathe Without Using a Chuck - Turning for Profit says:
    March 24, 2017 at 12:01 am

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for allowing me to join you on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  23. Diz: A Turned Fiber Tool Project - Turning for Profit says:
    April 4, 2017 at 4:09 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  24. What Will Sell? A Woodturner's Challenge. - Turning for Profit says:
    May 11, 2017 at 12:12 am

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  25. Turned Weed Pot - A woodturning project - Turning for Profit says:
    May 13, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    […] The second one had a bend in it and the lathe vibrated a bit until I turned the blank round.  Always wear a face shield especially when removing bark from a branch.  Even birch bark can fly off at a good […]

    Reply
  26. Wooden Handle - A woodturning project - Turning for Profit says:
    May 19, 2017 at 6:12 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  27. 6 Steps to master the craft show season - Turning for Profit says:
    June 7, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for letting me join you on your woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  28. 7 Gifts for Men, Turned by You - Turning for Profit says:
    June 9, 2017 at 12:30 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  29. Build a Solid Foundation for your Sales - Turning for Profit says:
    November 15, 2017 at 1:05 am

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can me and your fellow turners in Woodturning Entrepreneur, a free Facebook group.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  30. Woodturning Introduction - What you need to get started - Turning for Profit says:
    November 28, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  31. How to Turn a Lidded Box - A Woodturning Project - Turning for Profit says:
    January 8, 2018 at 12:41 am

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  32. 5 Money Mindset Issues Woodturners Face - Turning for Profit says:
    January 22, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    […] I love wood turning and sharing with you.  You can follow me on Facebook as well.  Thank you for joining me on this woodturning journey.  Have fun and remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  33. Photographs From the Edge - A book review | Turning for Profit says:
    February 20, 2018 at 10:56 am

    […] Thank you for joining me on my woodturning (and more) journey.  Remember to turn safely. […]

    Reply
  34. Coin Bank: A Woodturning Project | Turning for Profit says:
    February 21, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    […] to follow safe practices as you turn and wear appropriate safety equipment. If at any point you are unsure of the turning process suggested stop and figure out a way that is […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA
Refresh

*

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

About me:

Welcome to the Turning For Profit Community! I'm Robin. Turning for Profit is about helping you find hope and joy in your woodturning hobby. It's about projects that fill your inventory and inspire your creativity. It's business help to get you set up and making a profit quickly. If you've always wanted to work from home playing with wood, let me help you realize your dream of Turning for Profit. Read More…

Help for Beginner Woodturners

Learn to use 5 different wood turning tools, with confidence, while you turn 7 projects, building your wood turning skills sequentially.  Includes tips and ideas for marketing your wood turning, when you are ready to move forward.


Footer

Inspiration:

You don’t have to be good to start.  You just have to START to be good. — Joe Sabah

Handmade with Care Stamp

7 Gifts for Men Made on the Lathe

7 Gifts for Men Made on the Lathe
Christmas Projects Title

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast

Christmas Ornaments: Build Your Inventory Fast
Finished Niddy Noddy with yarn.

Niddy Noddy – A Woodturning Project

Niddy Noddy – A Woodturning Project
  • Start Here
  • About me
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclosure

Site Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Mai Lifestyle Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in