Right/Left Handed Turning?

[Richard Baker]

Probably doesn’t matter, assuming most of us turn both right and left handed as needed, but which is which? Usually one hand is at or near the tool rest, and the other hand is at or near the end of the tool handle. But which is left handed? Just tell us one, and we’ll try to guess the other one.

 

[rbabbittjr]

I am right handed and my right hand is on the handle and my left is near the tool rest. I am also curious. Why do you ask?

 

[Bill Boehme]

I am right handed and my right hand is on the handle and my left is near the tool rest. I am also curious. Why do you ask?

That is also what I have been told.

Richard, just in case you have trouble guessing the other, my understanding is that when your left hand is on the handle and your right hand is against the tool rest end, that is referred to as "left hand turning".

Sometimes, I do "right hand turning" going in either direction with a skew on a spindle and just shift my body position. That probably means that I have some sort of perverse mental condition. Even worse is that other times, I do the same sort of behavior while doing "left handed turning".

Bill

 

[Andy Coates]

right and left-hande turning

Whilst what you have both said or implied is correct, I think there may be some confusion here.

Firstly, the terms refer to faceplate turning only and relates rather to the direction the workpiece rotates in than the individual's handedness.

Right-handed turning would be when the lathe is rotating in the conventional direction, and you are cutting the wood - regardless of which hand is holding the tool handle - on the left at about the 9 O'clock mark.

Left-handed turning is usually done on static headstock lathes, that do not have a reverse function, on the outboard end. The workpiece in this instance is turning backwards in relative terms and you are forced to cut the wood on the opposite side to that which you would normally cut at...so 3 O'clock rather than 9.

Interestingly this technique can be used for turning deeply undercut bowls on any conventional modern lathe with a reverse facility and the workpiece mounted in the conventional manner on the normal side of the headstock.

Move you tool rest as deep into the centre of the lathe bed as you can to allow you to address the inside of the bowl at the 3 o'clock point...make sure it doesn't catch as usual...and turn the lathe on in the reverse position. Now you can stand in your usual manner at the headstock and cut the undercut easier by entering the wood at 3 and cutting around to centre. It will feel "odd" at first but saves you leaning over the bed and contorting or working from the other side of the bed to what is usual.

This, at least, is my understanding of the terms as used here in the U.K.

Andy

 

[Mark Mandell]

Cautionary Note

Taking Andy's suggestion without special preperation of the chuck mount will get you hurt.

If you spin your lathe clockwise and attempt to use any tool other than sandpaper, the whole assembly, wood + chuck, is coming right off, likely damaging you, your piece, and your lathe. Using the lathe as described must be done with special mountings for the chuck and adapter to prevent it's coming loose. This involves set screws and such and will usually require some modification of your lathe's spindle.

m

 

[Andy Coates]

chuck lock

I should indeed have pointed out that the procedure requires that the chuck is locked onto the mandrel for this procedure. Presumption is often dangerous!

Sorry folks

 

[Bill Boehme]

Taking Andy's suggestion without special preperation of the chuck mount will get you hurt.

If you spin your lathe clockwise and attempt to use any tool other than sandpaper, the whole assembly, wood + chuck, is coming right off, likely damaging you, your piece, and your lathe. Using the lathe as described must be done with special mountings for the chuck and adapter to prevent it's coming loose. This involves set screws and such and will usually require some modification of your lathe's spindle.

m

Many lathes have left-handed threads on the outboard side of the headstock and my chuck is threaded both LH and RH so that it could be used either way without needing a setscrew. Thanks to Andy for clarifying the definition. My WAG was based on what I have been told is the correct technique for holding a skew depending on the direction of cut.

Bill

 

[underdog]

Good discussion, but this thread makes me want to go to the local Woodcraft store and ask if they have any "left handed skews". 😀

 

[Bill Boehme]

Good discussion, but this thread makes me want to go to the local Woodcraft store and ask if they have any "left handed skews". 😀

Sorby, Hamlet, Crown, and a few others make a dual purpose skew which can be reversed simply by flipping it over (about the longitudinal axis, just in case someone finds himself holding the sharp end).😀

Bill

 

[Mark Mandell]

Many lathes have left-handed threads on the outboard side of the headstock and my chuck is threaded both LH and RH so that it could be used either way without needing a setscrew. Thanks to Andy for clarifying the definition. My WAG was based on what I have been told is the correct technique for holding a skew depending on the direction of cut.

Bill

Bill,

That's fine as long as your chuck body is threaded L/R as well as any adapter you may be using. I had a chuck with a dual thread adapter, but the adapter-to-chuck thread was righty-tighty only. If I had tried to use it running clockwise, the chuck would have spun off leaving the adapter on the spindle.
🙁

 

[Bill Boehme]

That's fine as long as your chuck body is threaded L/R as well as any adapter you may be using. I had a chuck with a dual thread adapter, but the adapter-to-chuck thread was righty-tighty only. If I had tried to use it running clockwise, the chuck would have spun off leaving the adapter on the spindle.

My only experience is with Oneway chucks which use a tapered surface to join the adapter to the body in precise alignment and then three screws to pull the two parts tightly together. I wasn't aware that some chucks and adapters screw together.

Bill

 

[MichaelMouse]

Good discussion, but this thread makes me want to go to the local Woodcraft store and ask if they have any "left handed skews". 😀

You are young, grasshopper. Thirty years and more ago it was common to find left and right skews rather than the two-beveled type that we have now. Allowed for a longer bevel and flatter planing action similar to a low-angle block plane. I still use a scraper ground to be a straight chisel with a long bevel (2:1) for planing. Of course, I hold it askew when doing the planing. It also allows more closely spaced beads when using it as a beading tool, because of the greater clearance. Can be grabby if you're not careful, however.

 

[Mark Mandell]

My only experience is with Oneway chucks which use a tapered surface to join the adapter to the body in precise alignment and then three screws to pull the two parts tightly together. I wasn't aware that some chucks and adapters screw together.

Bill

Vicmarc chucks for one.

Congrats there Mr. webmaster!!

 

[georgetroy]

One of the earlier books on woodturning, title I think was the Craftmans woodturner by Peter Child. The Myford ML8 was featured and when you turned out board it was with the left hand. The right hand leads and the left follows. So it was with the General 260 I had for a number of years. I would turn outboard left handed. The only trouble is if you do too much of it, then when get on the inboard side and address the bowl to the right of the tool rest you will get a big surprise. I can turn both ways but I rarely see any need for it. My 4 main lathes all feature variable speed and reverse now. So tighten the set screw and do what you want. I also have Don Derry's hollowing rig, I can turn inboard with that in reverse, again I see no gain if you are on the end on the lathe. GT

 

[Richard Baker]

Wow! Whowouldathunk it would turn out to be that interesting? I was just curious, and also too tired last night to do anything else but write something. I switch from right to left sometimes just to give some tired muscles a brief rest, or as the work requires.

On the other subject, my faceplate has set screws but my chuck would unscrew itself. Have done some left handed sanding but not turning.

Thank you all for the great response!

 

[woodwish]

Sorby, Hamlet, Crown, and a few others make a dual purpose skew which can be reversed simply by flipping it over (about the longitudinal axis, just in case someone finds himself holding the sharp end).😀

Bill

I was thinking holding the sharp end didn't seem right, now I understand! :cool2:

A slightly different take on this LH & RH thing. I met a guy up in Iowa last summer that was left handed, so he actually stood on what most of us consider to be the "back" side of the lathe to turn. We even talked about how he tapped his chuck so he could put in a set-screw to hold it. All of the other left-handed turners I know just learn to do it the same way the right-handed people do it. This guy did nice work so I guess it works for him, just seemed odd to me. 😎

 

[Wilford Bickel]

After I received my lathe with reverse on it I was able to add a set screw to all of my chucks, adapters and faceplates except one. If the unit has an unthreaded area where it meets the headstock it is a simple matter with the drill press and a good tap to make that change. The one face plate I could not do was threaded all the way and did not leave me an area for the set screw to come through without messing up the threads on the face plate.

Wilford