Wood lathe vibration can be a very frustrating and potentially dangerous experience. Not only is vibration unsafe, it usually causes tool marks and interferes with a quality turned
The potential sources for wood lathe vibration are numerous, and in this article, we will systematically move through and eliminate each possibility.
After all, what we are looking for is a smooth woodturning opportunity to make the most of each wood bowl blank. Vibration needs not to be part of your wood bowl turning process.
I can’t tell you how frustrating it can be to have my lathe, which I’ve taken a good deal of time leveling to the floor, start dancing and walking away because of an unbalanced bowl blank.
Here’s what I’ve discovered, mostly the hard way, and how I manage vibration on my lathe.
Wood Lathe Vibration Dry Run
With no wood or accessories, like a chuck attached to the lathe, start the lathe and let’s check for any vibrations.
If any vibrations occur at this point, address them before any wood is turned.
A wood lathe is essentially a motor driven platform to mount and rotate wood. The headstock only needs to revolve smoothly and be able to hold the weight of a bowl blank.
Vibration from a wood lathe itself, without a blank mounted, is a sign of a mechanical or structural issue.
Drive Train Check
Turn off the lathe and see if the belt can be moved smoothly by hand around the headstock pulley.
If the electric motor turns rough or makes noise, it could indicate that the motor needs repair or bearings need replacing.
Headstock Check
If the motor and belt seem to move smoothly, but the headstock vibrates or makes excessive noise when the lathe is turned on, the headstock bearings may need repair.
Depending on the wood lathe and the manufacturer, repairing or replacing the bearings may be relatively simple, or more complex.
Contact the manufacturer for information on repairing the headstock bearings. Until the bearings are fixed, turning wood isn’t the best idea.
Wood Lathe Vibration Solid Footing
So your motor, belt, and headstock checkout fine. That’s good news, but you still might have a wood lathe vibration.
Let’s look further, and downward. Without good footing, any lathe will vibrate and rattle during operation.
All four legs need to have a good reliable connection with the floor. If even one leg is off the floor, just a hair, it can cause vibration.
To make this simpler, be sure first thoroughly to clean the floor of any dust and debris.
Depending on your lathe, you might have adjustable leg settings. Each leg setting needs to be adjusted to anchor the leg to the floor.
Footing Check Trick
With no accessories or wood attached to the lathe, turn the lathe on and check for any vibration.
Get down close to each leg connected to the floor and see if you can slip a piece of paper under the lathe foot. If you can, that leg needs to be lowered or adjusted until it makes firm contact.
Don’t extend the foot too far, because one of the other legs might become dislodged in the process. Recheck all legs with the paper technique.
Headstock Connection
Now that the foundational components of the lathe have been checked and corrected for vibration, we need to look at the point of connection to your wood bowl blanks.
The point of contact at the headstock is the most critical point to remove and eliminate vibration.
Why is this?
Imagine having a long 20-foot thin fiberglass rod in your hand. If you hold still everything is fine. However, if you move your hand which is holding the rod at one end just a small amount, the corresponding vibration and movement out at the other end of the rod will be dramatic.
This is precisely what happens at the headstock as well. If even a tiny issue occurs at the headstock, by the time it magnifies through a four-jaw chuck or faceplate and into a bowl blank, the vibration can be significant.
Solid Faceplate Connection
No matter how you attach a bowl blank to the lathe, take your time and make sure the connection is solid and clean.
If you’re attaching the bowl blank to the lathe with a faceplate, be sure the faceplate is centered, flat to the blank surface and secured using all screw holes possible.
Also, be sure, no debris is lodged between the bowl blank and the faceplate before securing and tightening the faceplate screws.
Here is an article specifically about making proper use of the faceplate.
True Tenon Connection
Forming a well-sized and angled tenon is key to making a stable connection with a four-jaw chuck.
In the article about creating the perfect tenon, I cover all the details needed to make an ideal tenon that can hold tight and accurate to the lathe chuck.
Take your time when forming a tenon and be sure to make a nice flush shoulder and a dovetail that matches your chuck jaws angle.
Remember, any imperfections at the tenon can magnify out into the bowl blank and become an annoying vibration.
Wondering about what tenon imperfections might cause vibration issues? Check out this article next.
Sweat The Small Stuff
- Take compressed air or an old toothbrush and clean the headstock threads and the receiving threads in all chucks and faceplates. Dust inside the headstock thread connection can cause the chuck or faceplate to shift a tiny bit off-center.
- Be sure all chucks and faceplates seat entirely flush to the headstock shoulder. A gap, even a super-thin gap, may allow vibration to extend out to the bowl blank. Fill the gap with a plastic washer if needed.
- Carefully thread all accessories onto the headstock threads slowly to avoid cross-threading. A chuck or faceplate mounted with cross-threads will most likely be off-axis and vibrate during operation. If cross-threads exists on the headstock, take time to file off any burrs to prevent future cross-threading. I use this very nice, small, angled metal file to correct any issues on my headstock threads
Dancing Wood Lathe Vibration
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to see a silenced cell phone go off in vibrate mode and float across a desk surface, you witnessed exactly what an unbalanced lathe can do.
Believe it or not, the microdevice inside a cell phone that makes it vibrate is a rotating unbalanced cylinder, very much like a lathe with an unbalanced bowl blank.
Based on the size of the bowl blank, the amount of unbalanced mass, and the speed of the lathe, wood lathe vibration can make a lathe move uncontrollably and dangerously across the floor.
Weighted Response
Just like placing your hand on that vibrating phone and holding it down, so too can we add weight to reduce wood lathe vibration.
Some wood lathes, like Oneway lathes, have structural cavities that can be filled with sand to weigh them down.
Depending on the lathe design, placing sandbags on leg structures or a custom crossbeam can be made to hold weighed bags.
Weighing down a lathe will reduce and absorb vibration and allow for much less wood lathe vibration.
Working Irregular Pieces
Very few bowl blanks are perfectly centered and balanced precisely. Turning large blanks or asymmetrical bowl blanks can and will cause wood lathe vibration.
The key to working with irregular bowl blanks is patience. Start by slowing increasing the lathe speed until vibration occurs.
Sometimes, if the lathe is well anchored, it is possible to turn up the lathe speed just a bit past the vibration point, and the turning will smooth out.
If the bowl blank doesn’t smooth out by going a bit faster slow down. Back the speed down until the wood lathe vibration subsides and the bowl blank rotates smoothly.
No Set Speed
There is no exact ideal speed for turning wood bowls. Instead, the speed that doesn’t cause vibration is the best speed to begin turning a wood bowl blank.
Large bowl blanks can be especially problematic. Vibration from larger pieces can cause a lathe to dance and walk across the floor.
Keep the speed low or right below the vibration point and work the bowl blank into a more balanced shape.
I’ve found that if you take your time and true up the outside edge of a bowl blank, the lathe speed can usually be increased.
As each step of the bowl turning process is completed and more material is removed, speeds can be increased without new vibrations.
To help understand lathe speed better, read this article.
Wood Condition
Moisture, shape, internal structures will all affect the rotation and vibration present in a given bowl blank.
I’ve seen blanks that look perfectly cylindrical and well balanced, cause wood lathe vibration like crazy. Sometimes there is a mass of wood or moisture in one area of the blank that is imbalanced on the opposite side of the bowl blank.
Internal knots or voids can also cause imbalance and make a smooth bowl turning experience elusive.
Tailstock Support
No matter what, the tailstock is not only great insurance, it also mitigates overall bowl blanks vibration.
Think of that fiberglass rod example from earlier. When you engage the tailstock, it is as if the other end of the fiberglass rod is now anchored and centered as well as the end you’re holding.
The tailstock pins in, or bookends the bowl blank and reduces any wood lathe vibrations.
Always use the tailstock when possible, and most vibrations generally are reduced to insignificant issues that can be avoided by reducing the lathe speed just a touch.
Lathe Speed
The lathe I learned on had a nice RPM readout, and I found myself getting in the habit of turning around 800-1000 RPMs.
When I purchased my lathe, I was a bit disappointed that it did not have an RPM readout display. Instead, I needed to adjust the lathe speed by feel and sight.
In the long run, not having the readout is a blessing. I’m more in tune with what speed is best for each given bowl blank without being influenced by a readout display.
Wood lathe vibration doesn’t occur that much because I’m not trying to push the speed up to some arbitrary RPM number. Instead, I’m listening to the bowl blank and my machine and making the speed just right for each situation.
Wood Lathe Vibration Extreme Solution
In extreme situations, mounting the lathe to the floor is a possible vibration reduction solution. However, I would do everything in my power first to reduce the vibration by other means first.
If you are designing large offset turned bowls or other deliberately unbalanced pieces, then mounting to the floor might be a good solution.
Do your homework and possibly even consult a structural engineer to determine the best way to anchor your lathe to the floor safely.
So remember, just because a lathe mounts to the floor does not mean the forces of an unbalanced wood bowl blank aren’t affecting the lathe and its support base.
Work within reasonable lathe speeds and don’t push beyond safe turning conditions.
Bench Mounting Wood Lathe
Similar to mounting a standing lathe to the floor, a benchtop lathe model can be bolted to a work surface.
The one thing to keep in mind is that once the lathe is mounted to the work surface, all the vibration energy from the lathe can be transferred to the workbench.
If the benchtop is not stable or secured well, further vibrations can occur.
It’s a good idea to reinforce the workbench or benchtop that the lathe is attached to before mounting and using the lathe.
Working An Unstable Bowl Blank
I have found that taking your time and truing up the side of a bowl blank usually helps reduce vibration the most dramatically.
After the sides of the bowl blank are true, the faces of the blank can also be smoothed which further reduces most vibrations.
Usually, with a nice trued up round cylindrical bowl blank, I can back off the tailstock and bring the lathe speed up to a pretty quick pace and begin shaping the outside of the wood bowl.
Wood Lathe Vibration Wrap
Without a smooth turning bowl blank on the lathe, it is almost impossible to create a smooth finished bowl shape without nasty tool marks and other imperfections that need further attention.
Not only will wood lathe vibration make bowl gouge tool performance difficult, but it also makes the whole process of wood bowl turning less enjoyable.
What wood lathe vibration issues have you had?
How have you managed to reduce or remove vibration from your turning process?
I’d be curious to know what has worked for you. Please leave a comment below.
These other articles might help your vibration issues:
• 5 WORST TENON SHAPE WOOD BOWL (FOOT, SPIGOT, ATTACH)
• 13 WAYS TO RUIN A WOODTURNED BOWL
• SAFE WOOD LATHE SPEED (CALCULATE, DETERMINE, ADJUST RPM)
Happy Turning,
Kent
Comments
I just got an old Gil-bilt wood lathe and drill press combo from the i don’t know 60s70s and jut picked up a small log got it spinning safe and put my tool to the wood and its just so loud. Those things have iron pipes a wood frame you know. Any ideas on quieting this down. Not sure if it noise from the tool rest or what but that’s where I think it’s coming from.
Marcus,
Less friction? 😉 I’m not sure.
I’d say identify where the noise is being made. The turning tools on wood can be noisy. If you’re hearing screeches and mechanical sounds, that’s different. The lathe should be quiet, other than the low hum of the motor, when you aren’t applying a tool to wood.
I hope you find a solution. Good hearing protection might be an answer too.
Happy Turning!
Kent
Hello I’ve been turning just over a year and I recently bought a nova comet ii midi lathe and using it for a weekend and any wood I seem to put in it tends to vibrate I’ve checked the runout with a dial gage and there is no run out so I took it back to the store and got it replaced now the second one started doing the same thing i can’t figure it out.
Curtis,
Oh man, I feel your frustration. Well, be sure to check several things.
Remember with bowl blanks we don’t want to be faster than 1000 rpm and starting a turning around 400-500 rpm is normal. Check out this article. https://turnawoodbowl.com/safe-wood-lathe-speed-calculation/
All the best to you and Happy Turning!
Kent
I’m a little surprised you didn’t mention a “bowl steady“. Just this weekend I was turning a bowl that started to vibrate due to wood flexing as it got thin (~1/4”) making it very hard to get a clean cut as I was about 1/3 done turning the inside. I applied my bowl steady to the finished outside and it quieted right down. It isn’t needed very often but can be a lifesaver for larger bowls.
Hello Mike,
Yes, that’s a good option. I don’t use one but I know others that do. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello Kent, I’ve just read your useful article on vibration. Good advice. But I believe there is another source of vibration as a bowl is turned. Resonance. As you point out in other articles, most bowls are turned so the gouge cuts alternately along and across the grain, so there is a rapid change in the cutting force every 90 degrees. I believe that the frequency of the change can match the natural resonant frequency of the rotating bowl and cause “judder” as you move the gouge across the diameter of the blank, as the rotational speed of the blank decreases towards the centre. So I usually find I cut smoothly as I start removing the interior of the bowl, then as I cut deeper, I get “judder” which is hard to control, then a little deeper, the cut becomes smooth, then deeper again, “judder” recurs. Does this sound sensible? Do you encounter “judder” and how do you manage it?
Mel,
Yes, this sounds exactly correct. Also, green wood will flex and add to that resonance.
This is why I like to clear the bowl interior from the rim down, in sections, and slowly remove the center core as I progress. Once I finish an area, I don’t return up the side-wall, instead, I only progress downward until the bowl is complete.
Great insight. Thank you for sharing!
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello again, and thank for confirming my suggestion and outlining your strategy to reduce resonant judder. The mass of the bowl influences its resonant frequency – the higher the mass, the lower the frequency. Many things have resonant frequency; you can make a “harp’ out of tuned wine glasses and even buildings have resonant frequencies- but very low, e.g. 2-4 cycles per second.
Whoa! Thanks for sharing. This is a very interesting way of looking at the issue of vibration and tool marks, etc. on the lathe. Thanks again!
I have just started using a wormwood screw that came with my Nova chuck. I have had it for years but never used it. While starting a bowl from a half piece if birch about 5 inch diameter, I experienced lots of vibration while turning the small tenon. I finished the job with miniscule cuts, removed the wormwood screw and no more vibrations.
The wood was fairly green, and I am wondering if there is something I am doing wrong when drilling out the hole for the wormwood screw? I did the other piece of the log, and had no vibration at all during the same sequence of making a tenon.
No, rush for an answer, but would like to know what I did wrong.
thanks
Hello Colin,
Hm? Good question.
Was the first turning loose on the screw chuck? Perhaps the hole was larger and there was some play in the screw or against the chuck. Also, be sure the bowl blank is flush against the top of the chuck and tight.
Let me know if that helps.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Kent,
I’ve been using a Jet 1221VS that I inherited. When turning dense, dry hardwoods, I have run into enough vibration that If the set screw is not tight enough the chuck will actually begin to vibrate off the spindle. The previous owner scored the spindle a bit (not enough to affect the threads) and I have been babying it into place trying to avoid making it worse. Am I overthinking this and can set the screw firmly or is there another option I should consider?
Thanks
Hello Bob,
I’m a bit confused. When you say “set screw: are you referring to a set screw on a four-jaw chuck or faceplate? The force of your tool should be keeping plenty of pressure on the work so it does not come loose unless you are reversing the headstock rotation for some reason. Also, be sure you are not turning too fast.
If any device, whether it’s a chuck or a faceplate is coming loose from the headstock while you are turning in a normal manner, something is wrong. As you turn and apply pressure, you are introducing force against the threads and continuously tightening the threads. It sounds like the headstock spindle may need to be replaced if it is scored or damaged in some way.
Have you contacted Jet? You may need to have it worked on to fix this issue.
All the best to you,
Kent
This is, by far, the best and most detailed article that I have read so far. I will go through the steps and try to solve my dancing lathe problems. I had already checked most steps.
We did have to move the lathe a few weeks ago, only by a few feet, but I checked the feet with paper and everything seemed good. Does the lathe need to be 100% level, as done with a true level? Mine might be a fraction off.
I must admit that I am not great with machinery. I’m a pretty decent woodworker and turner, but I’ve always thought of my tools as I do my car and computer … you don’t have to be able to fix them to be able to use them! This time, it may get me into trouble!
Thanks very much,
NWH
Hello Nancy,
Thanks for writing and the question.
No, the lathe does not need to be 100% level. However, if it’s off much it might move towards the lower side as it vibrated. So, being close to level can help.
I’ve also used cut-out sections from a thick rubber floor mat to go under each foot of my lathe. This helps the feet to grip the floor rather than vibrated steel against concrete.
Thanks again and all the best to you!
Happy Turning,
Kent
Would it help reduce vibration if you were to move the headstock/bowl blank toward the center of the lathe instead of having it at the far left? Would it distribute the weight more evenly to help reduce walking?
Great article, I plan to pass it on to local club members.
Thanks
Brian,
Thanks for the question.
It’s worth a try.
Perhaps, if you have a lathe with a movable headstock it might be worth a try. You might be able to add additional weight to the rails behind the headstock if it is positioned towards the center of the lathe.
It depends on the lathe and how sturdy it is constructed as well.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello,
thanks much for the article. I have one vibration issue – at normal conditions the bowl is spinning well on its own,but when turning the inner space of the bowl,it starts to shake and vibrate after touching the tool,even at slight touch,not forcing the tool. This vibration increases with distance from the chuck and makes the work not enjoyable. This phenomenon in little form occurs also when spinning the spindle by hand,having the gouge in cutting contact with the wood. I have turned approx. 7 bowls so far (walnut,oak and plum wood) and I always used a mortise attachment to the chuck. I have a diy lathe,which original parts are only headstock,tailstock and tool rest. All other parts I made or bought on my own,like stand,motor with step pulley and chuck. I do not have a speed controller and I only can choose between 700,1200,1700,2300 and 3000 rpm. But it works well and I made a 23 cm diameter oak bowl easily with the 700 rpm. Only that unpleasant vibration…thank you for any advice
Leroi
Hello Feroi,
Thanks for writing and for your question.
Slight vibrations or unbalance are many times caused by poor chuck connections.
If you are using a mortise, it can be difficult to see if the piece has shifted in the chuck. A small grab while turning can unseat the bowl blank from the chuck just a hair and that will cause an unbalanced situation.
Be sure you are forming inside mortise walls that taper and conform to your chuck shape. I recommend using a dovetail chuck design. Periodically, stop and tighten the chuck just a bit to make sure nothing has moved.
See if that helps and please let me know.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello,
sorry for my late answer,I had a left eye injury on a band saw and could’n work for some time.
Thanks for your advices,although I do not think it is an issue of poor attachment. I tried to attach the blank really tightly and it always holds well. Just few times I noticed it has shifted and it was clearly visible the bowl started to vibrate. That kind of vibration I mentioned occurs mostly when using a narrow straight chisel which cutting edge is perpendicular to the tool handle (and also to the lathe axis). I tried to use it for quick and rough removal of the material from the inside of the bowl,creating stairs on the inner sides,but when using a bowl gouge (I have already purchased my first one), it cuts even better. And my subjective feeling tells me this vibration can be also an issue of not very massive headstock bearing (which was originally intended for a maximum turning diameter of 14 cm,which I enlarged to a maximum of 44 cm during making a new lathe bed).
Thank you again
Leroi
Hello Leroi,
Thank you for writing.
It sounds like you have a good grasp of the possible issues.
Remember, scrapers introduced at close to a 90° angle to the bowl surface will have the most violent and abrupt impact on the wood surface, vibration, and yes, the bearings of the lathe even.
The bowl gouge uses angles to reduce that harsh impact and makes more diplomatic shaving cuts instead. 😉
Keep up the great work!
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello Kent,
thank you,so I will try just to improve my technique and avoid using the 90 degree contact with the bowl surface.
Look forward to reading your articles and turn more bowls!
Leroi
Leroi,
Thanks for writing and all the best to you!
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hi I’ve just acquired a very old Barnes lathe after a bit of TLC it works fine regarding speed control I used a heavy duty dimmer switch hope this helps.
Brian,
Thanks for writing.
This sounds like an exciting way to turn.
What year is the model you are turning?
Kent
I’ve only made about 10 bowls out of hard oak. I haven’t tried any other wood.
I have vibration problems when trying to true the blanks. Using a gouge to true up the blank tends to generate an increasing high spot as I go from one end to the other. As I go from one end to the other the gouge starts to cut out-of-round and the out of round increases as the bevel gets bumped out of round on each rotation. It’s like the gouge cuts inconsistently through the rotation. I end up using a scraper to knock off the high spot (It’s been as much as 1/8 inch out of round) and true the cut. When using the trued flat surface the next cuts tend to cut evenly without the bumping but sometimes the out of round bump reappears and I have to use a scraper again to flatten it.
I’ve tried sharpening, different angles of attack, different gouges, different speeds, different cut depths, and nothing seems to help cut a consistently round cut. I’m using a 4″ 4 jaw chuck and the blank is held very solid.
Is the hard oak the problem or is there some technique I’m missing?
Hello James,
Great question. Thanks for writing.
Oak can be a bit finicky to work with at times. From my experience, oak moves quickly and unpredictably.
If the oak is green or has any moisture, there is a chance it is distorting even while you turn.
When there are high spots, the problem is accentuated when we push the bowl gouge into the bowl blank. Instead, lock your arms up against your body and shift your body weight to glide the gouge across the tool rest without pressing into the bowl blank. Put downward force through the gouge onto the tool rest with your left hand.
At first, you should here the “click, click” as the gouge engages the high spots. Make light thin passes and if the difference is only 1/8″ within a few seconds you should hear a solid continuous cut without clicking.
Also, be sure the lathe is going as fast as safely possible without any vibrations. The quicker the speed, the smoother the cut.
Turn the oak quickly and don’t let it set because there’s a good chance it will move again. Oak seems to have a life of its own when it comes to drying and moving. I think of oak more like leather than wood. It never seems to dry completely and it moves in all sorts of directions.
James, here’s your massive bonus! Because you are learning to turn bowls initially using oak, you will be able to turn any wood, period! I know because I started making bowls with punky, hard, dry pecan. Eventually, I turned some sycamore and I about dropped my bowl gouge because it turned like a bar of soap. LOL
Let me know if this helps.
Enjoy and Happy Turning,
Kent
Kent
I am a novice for bowl turning but not for unbalance or out of center turning.
If the shape or the center of gravity is the cause of vibration you can remove part out of the center that is not necessary, with a multi tool e.g..
Handel vibration problem as a car wheel that need to be balancing.
Remove the drive belt if neccessary, the blank will turn and rest with heavy point down. Apply a counter weight opposite on the heavy point on the chuck (a clamp with holder for led pieces) or faceplate until this unbalance seems to be near the half.
Start turning, the vibration will reduce when some material has been removed and will increase when continue because of the counter weight.
Readjust counter weight when necessary until it can be removed.
Ab. I hoop you understand mine english.
Hello Ab,
I like your explanation and logic.
However, I don’t think I’d recommend adding any counterweights to a bowl blank. You run the risk of having objects flying off the lathe.
If a piece of wood is that unbalanced, and you can’t stand the time it takes to slowly turn away the unbalanced areas, get another piece of wood.
Please be safe,
Kent
Kent,
This comment will run a bit long, but I’m sure will speak for many turners.
I ran across your site on Etsy tonight around 10, and it is now 2 AM, and I’m going to continue reading after I send this note.
I spent over two thousand dollars between travel, lodging, meals and the time spent (2 days) with a well known and respected “turner.” I have learned more after spending four hours with your well thought and written articles than two days with the in person teacher. For free, to boot!
I’m one year shy of 80 years young, and retired six months ago as an owner/Founder/CEO of a small profitable business I founded almost 35 years ago. Time to move on…my best quality, as I continue my upward spiral in age, is wisdom. Someday, I’d like to meet you. I live in upstate NY, if I get to Florida in the not to distant future, i’ll Look you up.
Last, I started turning a bowl or two a week 4-5 years ago- self taught except for that less than perfect experience a few months ago. I’ve started to get serious, as I believe I’ve become relatively good at what i’ve done. However! Every article I’ve read of yours has pointed out what I do wrong, or put anther way, do better. Free- wow! Thank you! I’ve given most all my bowls away, two urns, and one for myself-1’ll send you a picture or two.
Let, keep em coming- Bill
Hello Bill,
Thanks for writing. Unfortunately, I didn’t respond quickly because your comment got tagged as spam. Not sure why, but I rescued it.
I’m thrilled to hear you are learning plenty from this site. And yes, look me up if you come to Florida. As a matter of fact, I am considering offering half and full day individual workshops. See my “Shop” section in the menu bar when these become available.
As I mention throughout my site, there are many different ways to get similar results. Don’t become discouraged if you have techniques that differ greatly from what I share here. If you are achieving the end results you desire, then all is good. If you’re struggling, then look for different approaches.
Keep up the turning and send some pics. I’d love to see what you are turning.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Your local hardware store should have plastic or nylon washers that can be used to fill the gap between the head stock and chuck.
Look in the plumbing section.
Mike,
Thanks for that tip!
Regards filing burrs off the spindle threads: My first full sized lathe is an old Powermatic which I purchased used. It had vibration and spindle run out that I thought might be the result of worn bearings. After replacing both spindle bearings I still had the vibration which I ultimately found to be due to a circumferential crack located at the bottom of the spindle 1X8 spindle threads on the bed side of the headstock. The thickness of the spindle shaft between the bottom of the threads and the Morse taper was less than 1/64th inch caused by one or more of three things: 1. Poor spindle design 2. thread filing 3. Reaming the MT. The point I wish to make is be very cautious when removing any spindle metal to stay out of the thread bottom and avoid unnecessary MT ream/cleaning. Since replacement spindles could not be located, I spent 8 months waiting for a new custom turned spindle at considerable expense. Thanks for your well written presentations.
Kenny,
Thanks for the comment and sharing all those details.
This is good information to keep in mind.
Hopefully, you’re back to turning now.
Happy Turning,
Kent
I have got JET (JWL-1440vs) LATHE.
I have an EASY WOOD TOOLS chuck.
It is suffering from vibration.
The suspicious part is the gap of threads.
Shake when joining chuck to spindle
Until final combination. .
It is assumed that there is a gap between the spindle thread and the chuck thread.
I am seriously considering whether to replace the spindle or the chuck.
More seriously, you can not buy spindle parts, from JET.
I also contacted EASY WOOD TOOLS, but I do not have a reply.
Thank you.
Hello Kim,
There are some chucks that do not seat properly on the headstock spindle.
In this case use a hard plastic washer, like this one for 1″ spindle or this one for a 1-1/4″ spindle to fill in the gap.
If the chuck seats all the way down to the base of the spindle but is still loose on the spindle, then I would recommend trying a different chuck. Replacing the spindle will be challenging.
Please let me know if this helps.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Great article got some good ideas. Only problem I have is the lack of a speed controller, changing the belt location can be very frustrating.
Wish there was some way to find a controller for my lathe.
Dan,
Thanks for writing.
Ah, yes, a lathe without variable speed control can be difficult to control. I would recommend staying on the speed that does not produce vibration and true up the bowl blank as much as possible. Then try a faster belt speed and see if the vibration is then diminished.
Or, if you’re into electrical projects, I know there are ways to wire an adjustable control to the lathe power supply. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about that process to help, but I do know it’s possible.
Hope that helps.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Thanks for the article and thank yous to all the commentators, valuable stuff.
Having a hard time with severe (and loud!) workpiece/gouge vibration. It’s like the lathe has an indentity crisis and turns into an instrument.
Working with a 4″ 4-jaw chuck on a small Record Power brand lathe. I’ve replaced the original hollow rails with solid steel ones. Never had a vibration issue when turning with the backstock attached. Seems it’s often just so, understandable.
What I’ve done so far to mitigate the very prominent resonant vibration:
– Secured all screws & bolts on the lathe
– Secured the lathe onto my workbench (heavy old school carpentry workbench, no way in heck it’s vibrating, plus the table is attached to the beams of the building – have also tried to remove that attachment, no difference)
– Checked table level and feet contact on ground
– Drive belt is intact with good tension
– Drive pulleys are intact and well secured
– I fabricated a few different faceplates / chuck adapters which I’ve attached to the blank very securely – tried ones (axle type) that clamp in between the chuck jaws and ones (ring-shaped) that the chuck expands in to
– Made sure the chuck bites/fits well into the adapters
– Woods turned have been apple, silver birch and a chessboard-pattern walnut/birch blank I made – all vibrate loud & harsh
– Attached large wood stuff (3″ by 10″, 50″ long, alder) securely to the lathe rails as a damping test, the vibration sounds a bit less horrible but the vibration at the workpiece and gouge remain the same (needless to say it wouldn’t have been a pleasant solution had it worked, the alder bit was a tad inconvenient as it’s as big as the lathe going 90° across the rails)
– Have made sure to use sharp tools – even new ones
– The chuck feels like it’s one solid object with the spindle, there’s no play to be noticed (but of course when talking machined parts a human would not necessarily be able to tell by feel/look)
– The lathe spins very smooth, sounds like an electric motor humming basically – same with blanks attached, unbalanced blanks even.
– Tried to turn objects of very different geometry – a shallow but wide bowl and a small diameter cup, deeper than the bowl – even an endgrain-wise turn (the chessboard blank). All vibrate and sound just as horrible.
– Tried 540 and 900 rpm (same vibration, just different pitch) – the last option in my humble lathe is 2000rpm and that could cause… Explosions. Don’t want that.
Aaand more, can’t remember everything. What to do, what to do… I guess I’ll get quality bearings for the spindle and replace them. I’ll go with SKF brand. The thing is… The current bearings sound absolutely perfect and feel solid. So I’m just guessing.
When applying a tool into the workpiece you can see the workpiece start to form a ghost of itself – it truely does vibrate. If I want a smooth cut, I’ll quite literally have to take off 0.1mm at a time and make 15 passes. It’s kind of ridiculous.
I’m ridiculous, lol
Eventually, this, too, shall pass.
Thanks again, Christ bless.
Jaako,
Wow! I feel your pain. That sounds like a very frustrating situation!
I think you are right about humans not being able to detect machined misalignments. I think I would try to cut a “perfect” small bowl blank cylinder that is very close to being balanced and mount that to the lathe. Then with the lathe in normal bowl turning speed range 400-900-ish range, I’d very closely examine the vibration. The vibration must be starting from some location. If the base and all fasteners seem secure, check the headstock and tailstock. I’m guessing it might be in the headstock bearings, or mount, or something.
I wish you the best in finding and solving this problem!
All the best to you and Happy Turning!
Kent