Extreme newbie questions inside

"Severe back problems force me to ask this--can turning be done from a sitting position?"

Absolutely. Many turners work from their wheelchairs. This site:

just one of several describing the issues on the web. Others use stoolsand still others ride the bed of the lathe .. but that's another story.

"What kind of noise issues can I expect?"

Not sure what you mean by this.

- Andrew

=========================== Yes , you can turn sitting down. I've been doing it from a wheel chair for the past 4 years now, but it requires some pretty radical changes compared to standing turners.

First, you have to choose the equipment wisely. Since you'll have to get your legs underneath the lathe, you have to select one where the spindle to lap distance is not excessive. Most of the "mini" lathes have the motors mounted underneath, so, although they might seem a good choice initially, by the time you figure in the height of the mounting surface (bench, stand, etc.) your spindle is up near the level of your nose! You can tilt the lathe toward you, but this redirects the "out of balance" forces away from the straight up and down direction, so that can be problematical. Additionally, you have to rig some way to position your tool rest, as the conventional way won't work with the tilted lathe, at least not without some difficulty.

If you are already a turner, as I was prior to losing use of my legs, you have to relearn tool use. The "turner's sway" is no longer an option, so you have to learn to use more control without being able to hold the gouges in against your body. That means you'll lose some of your power. Longer gouges may pose a problem also, as they won't pass in front of you. If you're in a wheel chair, you don't have much side to side movement available. If you're in/on a wheeled/castered chair or stool, you have some side to side movement, but risk sudden stops on floor shavings or debris.

So, yes, it can be done, but it's not as much fun as standing.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

I had my 2nd L4-5 operation for Xmas, my first one was 12 years ago. I find that I'm in less pain the more I turn, up to a point %-). Apparently the slow gentle lunging motion, much like Tai-Chi, keeps my back from stiffening up and is good, non-impact, exercise. I DON'T do it from a sitting position, but making sure that lathe height is correct is crucial. I guess the real questions are, how bad a back problem and what kind, and what has been done about it.

As for noise, a lot of that depends on technique, it'll get quieter as you get better. Catches are noisey, chatter can be noisey, cutting at the wrong angle can make a squeal, and depending on your voice, swearing can be noisey too. %-)

I hope that helps, Dave in Fairfax

How loud is the machinery and the actual wood removal? I probably would have to do this in a closed room inside the house.

The simple ? is... do I need hearing protection during?

It can never hurt, but a lot of turning is listening to the sound, and the feel of the tool as it cuts the wood. I don't use hearing protection, but if I can't hear the birdies over the turning, I'm doing something wrong. If you are brand new to turning you need to be able to hear what you are doing, as well as feel it. I can't recommend that a person not use protection. This is America where lawyers reign supreme. You'll have to make that call yourself. You could try some spindle work w/o it to see wha tthe volume is like and make your decision based on that. If you are going to be in a closed room in a house then a good mask and dust removal equipment are crucial. The Dust Collector/Shopvac will make more noise than your lathe and the cutting will. Did I mention that's crucial, it is. Exotics and the Walnut family are renowned for their effects on your lungs. JKust plain pine or maple dust is bad for you if inhaled, that's why your nose is designed the way it is.

Sorry about the lack of a cut and dried Y/N. Dave in Fairfax

I always wear earplugs. I can still hear the sound of cutting with them in. They are the orange type with a harder foam in a flaring vessel shape with a piece like a shoelace string tip inside to help with insertion. Some other types cut out a little more noise, perhaps too much.

Ahh, ok. I thought it was related to the use of a chair somehow. I couldn't figure out how the chair and/or the lathe with the chair was going to be making a whole lot more sound than just the lathe itself.

In general, it really depends on the lathe. Some squeal and run loud and some are as soft as a computer running. What lathe do you have and maybe an owner of the same lathe can comment on that. A good lathe won't be really loud. Of course, it depends on the type of turning you'll be doing too. Thin walled bowls can do some squealing on their own! If you have to wear hearing protection, you've not got a great lathe or something is wrong with it. The clothes washing machine is far far louder than I'd accept in a lathe.

- Andrew

Plenty to ponder, thanks. Slip

Don't let the need for ear protection and dust collection turn you off to turning. Good protection cuts out specific decibel limits and certain ranges. A little looking should make it possible to find one that'll filter out loud noises like the DC and allow you to hear the lathe. The problem, as I see it, is that the noises will be magnified inside a closed room, as will the dust concentration. Do you have a deck or patio that you can move a lathe out onto when in use? That would take care of the dust problem, to a large degree, as well as decreasing the noise level. It does a wonderful job of stress reduction as well as helping my back. Dave in Fairfax

I've not purchased one yet because of the questions I've asked.

Here's some comparisons based on my experience, for comment:

Fine Woodworking measured several common types of woodworking machines and reported that the shopvac was one of, if not THE LOUDEST "machine" in the workshop. I'd have to dig out the article to get specifics.

Tablesaws were also somewhere near the top of the list. My JET contractor isn't that bad, and I don't always wear protection. A buddy has a DELTA direct drive (with a tiny belt inside the motor/gearbox housing) and I saw him pick up his earmuffs before turning it on. As soon as he turned it on, I wish I had brought mine with me. I did bring them the next day we worked together because that saw howled horribly.

At the time of reading the article, I had never turned a stick of wood so I ignored lathes which may have been in the article, but from my experience here's what's loudest:

buddy's DELTA tablesaw my 1957 six inch planer shop vac router my JET tablesaw ... then further down the list ... my antique lathe because the 3/4 hp motor and old lathe bearings make some vibration and hum. Tool use adds to the noise level. sander/jigsaw/drillpress barely count dropping a beer on the concrete floor while admiring my work always makes a loud noise. ...

When I eventually upgrade from the antique lathe (circa 1900), I expect the new one to be more quiet.

It's time to retire that Altair, Chuck! And upgrade from the bow lathe while you're at it. Or did you finally get that Stealth Mode installed on your lathe?

Yeah, I have some computers like that too. But as long as they're all running, I leave 'em alone. What's a little smoke and parts of the harddrive flying all over the place once in awhile.

- Andrew

Hmph, my computer is louder than my lathe.

-- Chuck *#:^) chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply. <

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

Thanks to all.

It's a Sinclair...you know the ones they used to give out at the gas stations with the dinosaur on the sign.

I wish either one of them was louder than my neighbor, who obviously used WAAAAY too many drugs in his youth (?) and who also has an electric guitar and karaoke machine and thinks he can sing. It sounds more like he's torturing large animals...

-- Chuck *#:^) chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply. <

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

Hey, cool! I want one of those computers.

Is that the same guy with a loading shoot going up to his garage door?

- Andrew

Sitting position might not be a real problem. I have an acquaintance that was injured in an accident several years ago and turning has become an excellent artistic outlet for him. He had to build his own stand to adjust bed height to his chair.

Most of the noise from my JET 1442 comes from the cutting, not the machine. In fact the machine is so quiet I can barely hear it when unloaded. Cutting noise depends on material, speed, etc. but still not excessive. The downer with a machine like the 1442 might be the thickness of the bed. Pretty large to get legs under.

Keep in mind that computers run on smoke and it is bad form to let the smoke out of the box.