Processing Machinery Uses19

Processing Machinery Uses

The wood lathe is a type of processing machinery and is used to create decorative or functional wooden objects. The wood lathe allows the worker to hold the wood stationary and rotate it on an axis while using various tools to shape and cut it. A lathe can be used as a tool for creating beautiful items out of a simple block of wood. Most professional wood turners fall into two categories: artistic turners, who produce small quantities of special order pieces, often decorative and as a hobby, and production turners who mass produce only functional items.

Processing machinery are responsible for making furniture parts such as table legs, finials, spindles, and stretchers. Decorative serving dishes such as serving trays, platters and bowls can also be made with a lathe machine specially designed for that type of work. A mini lathe is used to manufacture pens, key rings, mechanical pencils along with many other small items. Miscellaneous decorative products such as pepper mills, chess pieces, candlesticks, baseball bats, pool cues and tool handles can also be made with a wood lathe.

When motorized processing machinery became popular, many handcrafted items were replaced with machined items. The addition of a motor to the wood lathe has allowed hobbyists and businesses to shorten the time it took to create work that was still good quality. When CNC programs were developed, the computer was added to the lathe machine and the process became automated. This automation has done away with the need for an operator to attend each machine as it ran. No matter how popular or cost effective automatic lathes are, there will always be a high demand for handcrafted products, particularly in the furniture business.

Processing machinery can work in a couple of different ways. The wood lathe has two different methods of turning the wood, spindle turning and faceplate turning. Each method is chosen for a particular reason. Faceplate turning is used to create vessel shaped items such as bowls, vases, and plates. Spindle turning is used to make items such as furniture legs, handrail pieces, ball bats and pens. The method is chosen by determining the grain of the wood and the projected outcome after cutting. Careful process selection is necessary to ensure a smooth finish on the product.