Popular Woodworking 2006-10 № 157, страница 71

I use this white board to provide a clean visual background while I am working, as well as to prevent any item I don't catch (as I part it off) from dropping behind the lathe where it would be harder to retrieve. The board is laminate glued to hardboard. Finish materials, paint and sometimes moisture from wet wood are all flung onto the board during turning, so it needs to be cleaned regularly. After cleaning, I apply a coat or two of paste wax to keep things from sticking to it.

Place the toolrest in a convenient position and lock everything down. Cover the bed to protect it from metal shavings, and file the top of the toolrest to remove the irregularities. Run the file along the front edge a couple of times too, or it will become quite sharp over time. I use rubber-bonded abrasive blocks to further smooth the rest; you can also use sandpaper. Then coat the toolrest with paste wax, allow it to dry and buff with a clean cloth.

The bed of the lathe quickly becomes scratched and covered with sap residue and finish materials, making it more difficult to move the toolrest.

Apply a thin coat of paste wax, allow it to dry then buff it smooth with a clean cloth. Two or three coats won't hurt, particularly near the headstock, where buildup tends to be heavy.

The toolrest is subject to considerable abuse, and regularly develops scratches, dings and grooves. These irregularities interfere with the movement of the tool as it slides along the rest, and this will make turning accurately and cleanly more difficult.

Remove the tailstock and toolrest base. Polish the bed with rubber-bonded abrasive blocks or sandpaper (#180 grit is good, unless the bed is badly scratched or dinged) until it is clean and smooth.

Clean out the Morse taper whenever you are going to insert a drive center (or live center, in the case of the tailstock). This plastic taper cleaner is available from Packard Woodworks (800-6838876 or packardwoodworks.com). If you don't have one, you should at the very least blow any dust or other particles out of the opening.

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