How to Wood Turn a Vase
A wood vase is a common project for a wood-turning enthusiast. If you have basic lathe skills and a suitable piece of wood, set aside about four or five hours of time to complete it. Try maple or oak wood; they are harder and cut slower so there is less chance for a big mistake. Pine is soft, so it cuts faster and requires a lighter touch. To start off with an easily shaped vase, try a Krater vase without handles. It is a straight sided vase and easier to turn. Another good vase to make is the Bernson Showcase vase with it bulbous bottom.
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Things You'll Need
- Lathe
- Gouging chisel
- Shaping chisel
- Sandpaper
- Hand saw
- Stain
- Paint brush
Instructions
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1
Select wood several inches larger in diameter than the diameter vase you wish to turn. Set the block into the lathe chuck by opening the jaws and locking one end into the chuck. Center the other end on the dead center point in the lathe.
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2
Turn on lathe. Set to a slow speed of between 2000 to 5000 rpm or a speed you are comfortable with.
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3
Rough out the basic shape of the lathe using a gouge chisel. Cut a general shape that follows the same basic contours of the vase. Use a 1-inch chisel for blocks larger than 6 inches in diameter, and a 1/2 inch gouging chisel for smaller blocks.
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4
Switch to a shaping chisel and begin to cut the final shape of the vase from the roughed out form. Follow the general form, moving the blade deeper into the block at the throat of the vase and then drawing it out away from the center as you move toward the bottom of the vase.
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Continue to shape the vase with the shaping chisel until your vase's shape is complete.
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6
Set the lathe to 1000 rpm and apply sand paper to the surface. Sand away all rough spots.
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7
Cut the vase from the block at each end with a hand saw. Apply a stain of your choice with a paint brush.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit wooden vase 1 image by Mograph from Fotolia.com
