How fast do you run your lathe

[Yard Dog]

Hope this is in the correct category folks :pray: How fast do you run your lathe when turning pens? do you run at the same speed for acrylic and wood and also when sanding.

 

[Jimjam66]

general rule of thumb is that for wood you run it as fast as is safe, and ditto for sanding wood. Watch out for finger blisters due to heat buildup when sanding at high speeds, though. Acrylic is extremely heat sensitive, so you need to slow it down when sanding (and sand wet if possible). For me, turning is done at around 3000rpm, acrylic sanding at around 1500rpm wet and taking care to allow heat to dissipate.

 

[mattyts]

I drill wood at 700 RPM (2nd speed) Acrylic at 300 RPM (1st speed)

I turn wood and acrylics at full speed, 3,000 RPM and I really should half that speed while sanding to cut down on heat but often I just leave it on full if I had an electronic variable speed I probably would change it.

Sanding is always done wet with plastics,usually water and taking care not to let the sandpaper get clogged up because if it does, friction takes over instead of cutting,your blank heats up and begins to crack or warp.

 

[brody2123]

When drilling usually I go around 300 rpm but the wood will tell you if you're going too fast. If you start smoking or see ypu drills flute packed solid with debris, back off the speed.Again 300/400 for acrylics.
With regards to turning, as fast as you feel safe, but as the others have said watch for heat build up on the acrylics. I turn my acrylics at 2500 rpm and wood the same or higher.
Sanding wise, I go around 1000 rpm dor wood and 1000/1500 rpm for acrylic but I only use wet and dry on these due to the risk of heat buold up.
You'll find we all give different answers, vut ypull find ypur pwn favourites after a while

 

[silver]

As per David, (jimjam)

 

[wm460]

I drill about 30 RPM
Turn at 3000 RPM, sand about 1500 RPM on the VL300.
Wet sand and put finishes on my VL100 about mid speed it not variable so I don't know.
Now I got my other little girl going I will be able to tell you soon.

 

[Neil]

Drill on the lathe ? I don't.
Turn on the lathe 4000rpm
Acrylic being a generic name for not wood the answers vary, but not as fast.
Sanding wood zero rpm, always with the grain never running.
Acrylic, 1200rpm for the micro mesh, don't sand it lathe running but will dry sand with wet and dry, 320 400 before micro mesh and finish off after 12000 with a quick swipe with chestnut burnishing cream.

 

[Grump]

Flat out with everything. If it buggers chuck another on and go again.
Keep myself awake, if it too slow I sleep init?

 

[Neil]

Forgot to say, it depends on your lathe, depends, a little, on the wood, the tools, the turners experience, apart from that standard speed!

 

[Doug]

How fast do you run your lathe when turning pens?

At the minute 0 RPM but when I have the opportunity 2500 for turning & 1200 for sanding

 

[Woody]

After I had been turning for a few years I started making pens and made pen sets for the whole family with exotic woods turning and sanding full speed the next day every pen I made had split wide open I soon found out about heat build up and started sanding a lot slower that was over 20 odd years ago and have never had a pen split through sanding since it works for me and that is how I teach people to turn
Now I turn every thing as fast as possible large items slower that small items out of shape logs even slower and sand always on my second speed large or small wood or plastic
So far you have had a few different ways of turning and sanding and before this post runs its course you will get a lot more good luck experiment and find what works for you

 

[Jim]

3000rpm for turning both wood and acrylics, sometimes you may not need to sand the blank but if you do halve the speed, it works for me, it is about finding what works for you. Acrylics i only ever use micro mesh pads on them ..

 

[Grump]

I t also depends on your life expectancy init?
Alex and Matty can afford to turn slowly, the rest of us have to get a move on init?

 

[Goulss]

Turning : Big stuff as fast as you dare, small stuff as fast you can.

Sanding, slow enough to not create heat!

 

[chas_41_uk]

When drilling 500rpm (thats the slowest my lathe goes).
Acrylic about 2000prm
Wood, whatever feels safest, but usually ayting from 1000prm upwards
Sanding 500rpm

 

[Yard Dog]

Thanks again didn't realise 3000+ would be the speed to be honest it sounds fast to me that. I am sure I will learn as I go along with the help of this foreum.

 

[Dalboy]

The serious answer.

As a general rule the smaller the work the faster I spin it.

And the non serious

"How fast do you run your lathe"

Not very fast as it has problems keeping up