Faceplate Turning; Tool Rest - Grizzly G5979 Instruction Manual

Faceplate Turning

Faceplate turning projects fall into two categories:
those that extend below the level of the
lathe/extension bed and those that do not. If your
project will rotate below the level of the
lathe/extension bed, you will need to rotate the
headstock to the 60° or 90° positions (discussed
further in Adjustments section). But if your pro-
ject does not extend below the lathe/extension
bed, it is safest to rotate the headstock 180° so
the project will rotate over the extension bed. This
allows the operator to stand directly in front of the
project and allows use of the tool rest without the
extension arm, thus, eliminating undue flexing of
the tool rest.
Figure 19. Faceplate turning large projects.
Figure 20. Faceplate turning small projects.
1. Locate the center point of the workpiece by
carefully drawing diagonal lines from corner
to corner. The point of intersection is the cen-
ter of the work. Find the center of round work-
piece by using a center finder instrument.
G5979 Wood Lathe
2. Using 4 wood screws, attach the workpiece
as close to the center of the faceplate as pos-
sible. Make sure that the wood screws will
not interfere with the lathe chisels or intend-
ed cuts.
3. Adjust the headstock to the desired position
for the turning operation that you will be per-
forming.
4. Attach the faceplate/workpiece assembly to
the headstock spindle using two wrenches.

Tool Rest

Adjust the tool rest as close to the workpiece as
possible without actually coming into contact with
the workpiece. Test by hand-turning the work-
piece before turning the lathe on. Ensure that the
lathe chisel is fully supported by the tool rest.
Support the lathe chisel on the tool rest with one
hand, while the other hand controls the chisel.
See Figure 21.
Figure 21. Proper hand positioning.
Wear a face shield dur-
ing the test run and
operation of this wood
working lathe. Failure to
do so could result in
serious injury.
-19-