Profession woodturner
Woodturners use a lathe to remove superfluous material from wood. The lathe turns the workpiece around its axis, as shape tools are used to obtain the desired shape.
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Personality Type
- Realistic / Conventional
Knowledge
- Wood cuts
Different ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given purpose. Influence of special attributes of the wood, like knots or defects.
- Woodworking tools
The various tools used to process wood, such as planers, chisels and lathes.
- Types of lathe tools
Types of tools used for the lathe machining process such as high-speed steel tools, carbide-tipped tools and carbide insert tools.
- Design principles
The elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.
- Types of wood
Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.
- Woodworking processes
Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.
- Quality standards
The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
- Lathe machine parts
The different parts of a lathe machine and their applications, such as the compound, the bed, the sadle, the cross slide, the cutting tool, the lathe dog and more.
Skills
- Avoid tear-out in woodworking
Use techniques to prevent the fibres of wood materials from tearing away, which produces a highly damaged looking surface, thus greatly reducing the value of the specific product.
- Tend lathe
Tend a lathe designed for cutting manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
- Wear appropriate protective gear
Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
- Turn wood
Turn wood in chiefly two methods, spindle and faceplate turning. The key difference between these two is the orientation of the wood grain relative to the axis of the lathe.
- Use turning tools
Use turning tools such as gouges and chisels to skin off rounded areas or cut new shapes in the wood.
- Work safely with machines
Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.
- Inspect wood materials
Carry out a thorough inspection of wood material using appropriate methods, instruments, tools, and other apparatus.
- Conform to health and safety regulations
Carry out all work in accordance with relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements and company policies. Take the necessary health and safety precautions during work including posture the body well, safely operate tools and machinery, and wear the right clothes and protection for the climate.
- Manipulate wood
Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.
- Position cross slide of a lathe
Position, by turning a specific lever, the cross slide of a lathe machine perpendicularly, calculating the size of the workpiece and the type of lathe cutting tools used for ideal positioning.