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Types of Softwoods

Softwoods are wood classifications that come from gymnosperm trees. These trees are classified by their thin, needle-shaped leaves and production of cones. A lot of types of softwood are used across the building and wood crafting sectors due to their high availability and affordability.

Among the many softwood kinds there exists a range of distinctive characteristics and specific applications for which they are better suited for. From weather-resistant cedar to lightweight and resilient pine, the types of softwood provide an abundance of options for making furniture, construction projects, and others.

Types of Softwoods

Softwood is valuable in many types of construction and woodworking projects. They are usually lighter in weight than their counterparts and typically have better dimensional consistently due to their even and straight grain. There are various kinds of softwood with unique qualities that are adaptable to certain uses and applications.

Pine

Pine is a kind of softwood that comes from the Pinus genus. Pines are evergreens and can be found around the world. This is a plentiful softwood variety and is used by craftspeople in several applications such as framing, joinery, flooring, cladding, furniture, and fencing. Typical types of pine are Ponderosa pine, Eastern white pine, and Scots pine.

Examples of Uses: Pine can be used to construct boxes, serving trays, and children’s toys.

Spruce

Spruce is a variety of the Picea genus. These are kinds of coniferous softwoods that grows in the Northern Hemisphere, mostly in North America and European countries. They have outstanding sound properties. Meaning that it helps encourage resonance in musical instruments.

Examples of Uses: Spruce can be used for construction lumber, crates, musical instruments and millwork.

Fir

Fir is a variety of softwood that comes from the Abies genus. Douglas fir is the most general type of fir on the market, however, there are a lot of other kinds, comprising of balsam fir and noble fir. Douglas fir is usually used as Christmas Trees.

Examples of Uses: Fir can be used to create chairs, trim work, cabinets, and baseboards.

Larch

Larch is a softwood coming from the Larix genus. This is a kind of deciduous conifer, meaning that whereas they have needle-shaped leaves, they lose those leaves in com autumn. Larch wood has natural oils making it more rot and wood pest infestation resistant.

Examples of Uses: Larch can be used to make tables, chairs, interior flooring, and paneling.

Redwood

Redwood is a softwood that comes from numerous species of the Sequoia genus. The capability of redwood to endure outdoor weather conditions due to its natural oils making it some of the most favorable wood for outdoor applications. Redwood also has first-rate natural thermal insulation aspects.

Examples of Uses: Posts, boxes, baseball bats, indoor furniture, and see saws.

Cypress

Cypress wood comes from multiple species in the Cupressaceae genus. People value cypress wood for its adaptability but also for its exceptional resin and oil content, which gives it water resistance qualities.

Examples of Uses: Railroad ties, doors, decking, barrels, and porch swings.

Softwoods Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Wood Working offers softwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

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What is a Lathe
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What is a Lathe?

A lathe is a machine used for shaping wooden or metallic pieces. It implements a wooden or metal piece by spinning it through an axis while a motionless cutting device keeps taking away undesired material from the workpiece to form the wanted shape.

These machines are used for different product fabricating operations like drilling, sanding, deformation, cutting, and turning. They are utilized in metal working, thermal spraying, glass processing, and wood turning of different artistic pieces.

As one of the most ancient machinery devices able to carry out a wide range of fabrication duties, it is also referred to as the “Mother of All Machine Tools.”

How Does a Lathe Work?

Before learning how a lathe works, it is vital to know about its parts. Most comprise of the following:

  • Bed
  • Headstock
  • Tailstock
  • Spindle
  • Motor
  • Chuck
  • Cutting tools

The Working Process of a Lathe Machine

Step 1: The piece to be worked on is placed between the head-stock and tail-stock. It is fastened with the chuck that aids in putting the workpiece into a firm position by clutching it from the outside.

Step 2: The raw material is spun with the aid of a spindle that is connected to the motor. It makes the piece spin at its axis.

Step 3: A cutting tool is then placed in the holder that holds the tool at a proper distance from the spinning workpiece in order for its blades to cut the workpiece as wanted. Various kinds of cutting tools are used for various wanted shapes and materials.

Kinds of Lathe Machines

Currently, you can find several kinds of lathe machines out of which are some of the most used:

Engine Lathe

Engine lathes have been a favorable invention since the Industrial Revolution. They used steam engines as a power source for continual rotation. These machines are now used primarily for industrial purposes, for boring or drilling metal workpieces.

Speed Lathes

Speed lathes are utilized for cutting action on wooden pieces. As the speed of the revolution of the spindle in this kind of lathe is high, they are also referred to as speed lathes. These are one of the easy machines to understand because they only consist of a head-stock, tail-stock, and a tool turret.

Turret Lathes

Turret lathes are perfect for producing matching workpieces. It has a turret that enables the machine to hold several cutting tools that can be used at the same time.

Tool Room Lathes

Tool Room lathes are the best choice if you want accuracy with cuts. Regarding function and operating process, these lathes are identical to Engine lathes. You can easily manage the velocity of these lathes in accordance with the wanted cut.

Glass Lathes

As glass is extremely fragile and could shatter when lathed with a blade, these types of lathes utilize heat from a torch to make it pliant. After the glass gets pliable, it is then shaped by hand. This kind of lathe is primarily used to produce glassware like bracelets or designed mirrors.

Woodworking Supplies Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Woodworking offers hardwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Lathe, Woodturning, Woodturning Projects, Woodworking Tools
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Woodturning Projects for Beginners
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Woodturning Projects for Beginners

Improve your woodworking skills while making masterpieces with the following learning-oriented projects.

Few tools place as much intimidation into the minds of novice and advanced woodworkers alike as the common wood lathe. Nevertheless, this hesitancy is mostly misguided, as lathes are all hat and no cattle. Whereas it’s not an easy skill to master, don’t let the significant size, the harsh sound or the sight of airborne wood chips hinder you.

Woodturning Projects

Since your creativity is the only restriction on what you can make with a lathe, below are only some of the best beginner woodturning projects to help you get your feet wet.

Bowls

Bowls are among the best woodturning projects to build fundamental skills with since you can make them as basic or intricate as you wish. Larger projects on the lathe are usually harder to complete, so you can begin with small bowls and move up from there.

Wooden Bracelets and Bangles

Wooden bracelets and bangles are potentially the best beginner woodturning projects since they’re somewhat large and they finish stunningly. Sanding is just as much a component of woodturning as is common woodworking, and bracelets offer an excellent way to hone your skills on curved wood.

Candle Holder

Candle holders are a perfect project to experiment with once you are ready for medium-sized projects. Even though these holders come in all sizes and shapes, you can utilize the lathe for creating tall stems with swoopy curves that make for gorgeous centerpieces.

Wooden Spoons

Wooden spoons are an excellent way to show off your skills in addition to the natural beauty of the wood since they offer differing perspectives on the grain considering that it’s handle is cylindrical, and the ‘bowl’ portion of the spoon is flattened.

Handles for Anything and Everything

Woodturning is a favorable skill that you can usually use to enhance existing DIY hobbies—or even common activities such as gift-giving by adding a personalized touch with custom-turned handles. As with all the projects on this list, you can begin creating handles with as much basicness or refinement as you can, which makes them perfect for beginning and assessing your progress.

Rings

Rings, comparable to bracelets and bangles, have somewhat simple designs and are suitable for practicing since they don’t require large amounts of material. Nevertheless, rings are a little harder to produce than bracelets since they are smaller and involve more precision, making them amongst the small woodturning projects that are perfect for honing control of your movements.

Wooden Beads

Comparable to rings, wooden beads are a praiseworthy choice for beginners since small woodturning projects are generally easier. They’re also a lot less expensive should you make a mistake, which, at the end of the day, is what you’re supposed to do while you’re learning.

Round Boxes

Boxes might not be the first thing that you think of when thinking of wood lathe project ideas since they are usually square, but that’s precisely what makes round-turned boxes so unique. Round boxes are perfect projects for novice and average skilled turners to undertake since the fact that the box and its lid must fit snugly together means making them an exercise in your dimensional symmetry skills.

Drumsticks

Drumsticks, although simplistic, are a good project for those interested in improving their woodturning skills since both singular pieces must be almost identical in shape, weight, feel and size. Additionally, drumsticks typically have a small taper, giving them a reachable and pleasant element of difficulty.

Wooden Plates

Another beneficial woodturning project for novice and average turners is making wooden plates. The method of making a plate is comparable to creating a bowl, but requires a little more precision in most situations, making it a reasonable advancement from turning a bowl.

Wooden Vase

Wooden vases are favorable woodturning projects since they’re functional and attractive. Nevertheless, before you undertake a large-scale vase, aim to make some smaller ones first; large vases are among the more difficult woodturning projects and are time-consuming.

Rolling Pins

Rolling pins are a must for the community that is woodturning, and for good reasons. They are useful, somewhat easy to make and are perfect for exhibiting the natural flow of the wood’s grain.

Cups

Cups are great for a beginner project since they have a plethora of uses and are somewhat simple to make. Maybe you want a cup to drink your afternoon tea out of or a holder for your writing utensils, a wood-turned cup gets the job done and at the same time looks attractive.

Goblets

Maybe the only thing greater than drinking out of a majestic goblet is taking a drink from one that you made on your own. Fortunately, making a goblet using a lathe isn’t too challenging and the process provides a multitude of chances for you to strengthen specific skill sets.

Lamps

Lamps are among the most difficult lathe projects a novice or average can try. Even though lamps can be as small or large as you wish, you’re probably going to want to take the chance to display your skills. Gorgeous lathe-made lamps have distinct, exquisite shapes and a polished feel.

Hardwoods Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Woodworking offers hardwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Hardwood, Woodturning, Woodturning Projects
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