The two projects at a glance
| Build | Difficulty | Time | Stock | Lathe needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling pin, 2 × 13 in | Beginner | An afternoon, plus finish | One 2-1/4 × 2-1/4 × 15 in close-grained hardwood blank | At least 15 in between centres |
| Spurtle, 12 in | Beginner to intermediate | An afternoon, plus finish | One 1-1/4 × 1-1/4 × 14 in close-grained hardwood blank | At least 14 in between centres |
Tools for both: a roughing gouge, a skew or spindle gouge, a parting tool, calipers, a handsaw, abrasives from 120 to 220 grit. Every lathe in the BenchRoot lathe guide has the length for both.
Both are spindles: the grain runs along the lathe's axis, the work is held between a spur centre and a live centre, and every cut runs downhill. If those words are new, start with woodturning basics and how to use a lathe.
Reading the speed from your chart
| Blank | Diagonal of the square | Chart row | Roughing | General | Finishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling pin, 2-1/4 in square | About 3-3/16 in | 2–4 in | 760 rpm | 1600 rpm | 2480 rpm |
| Spurtle, 1-1/4 in square | About 1-3/4 in | Under 2 in | 1520 rpm | 3000 rpm | 3000 rpm |
The corners of a square blank sweep a circle as wide as its diagonal (side × 1.414), so rough at the speed for that size. Figures are Grizzly's for its G0844 only; read your own lathe's chart.
Build 1: the rolling pin
| Part | Qty | Size (in) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank | 1 | 2-1/4 × 2-1/4 × 15 | Close-grained hardwood, straight grain, no knots or splits |
Finished size 2 in diameter × 13 in. The extra 1 in at each end is waste for the centres.
Turning the rolling pin
Prepare and mount
Square the blank's ends, mark and punch the centres, and mount it between centres with the live centre seated and the quill locked.
Rough to a cylinder
With the rest close and the speed set for the blank's diagonal, rough it round with the roughing gouge, downhill, to about 2-1/8 in — 1/8 in over the finished size.
Mark and size
Lathe stopped: pencil the pin's ends 1 in in from each end of the blank. Running again, cut sizing grooves to 2 in with a parting tool and calipers every 3 in or so.
Plane it straight
Plane the whole length down to the bottoms of the sizing grooves with the centre of a skew's edge, or a spindle gouge. Stop the lathe and check it with a straightedge; light passes show the high spots.
Shape the ends
Ease the two ends of the pin with a small round-over, cutting downhill into the waste, and leave the waste at least 1/2 in thick for now.
Sand and finish
Lathe off: remove the rest. Sand from 120 to 220 grit at a slower speed with the paper folded. Wipe on mineral oil or a finish labelled food-safe with the lathe off.
Part off
Part each end down to about 1/4 in, stop the lathe, saw through, and sand the end grain smooth by hand.
Build 2: the spurtle
| Part | Qty | Size (in) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank | 1 | 1-1/4 × 1-1/4 × 14 | Close-grained hardwood, straight grain, no knots or splits |
Finished length 12 in: finial 1 + neck 1/2 + shaft 10-1/2. The extra 1 in at each end is waste.
Turning the spurtle
Mount and rough
Mount the blank between centres with the tailstock only snug — WEN warns that excessive pressure overheats the centre's bearings. Rough it round to about 1-1/8 in.
Lay out
Lathe stopped: from the headstock end, mark 1 in of waste, the 1 in finial, the 1/2 in neck and the 10-1/2 in shaft.
Shape the finial and neck
Size the neck to 5/8 in with a parting tool, then round the finial into a ball 1-1/8 in across with a spindle gouge, cutting downhill from its widest point on each side.
Taper the shaft
Size the shaft to 7/8 in at the neck and 1/2 in at the tip with the parting tool, then join them with light, even cuts. Keep the cuts light and the tool sharp: a thin spindle flexes away from a heavy cut. Hold the tool firmly with both hands, as Grizzly asks for roughing.
Round the tip
Round the tip into the tail-end waste, leaving the waste thick enough to hold.
Sand, finish and part
Lathe off and rest removed, sand from 120 to 220 grit at a slow speed, apply mineral oil or a food-safe finish, part both ends to about 1/4 in, stop the lathe, saw off, and sand the ends by hand.
Finishes for kitchen tools
Both pieces touch food. The Forest Products Laboratory lists mineral oil as a penetrating finish used on wood utensils and says not to use baby oil, whose added ingredients should not touch food; edible vegetable oils work but can turn rancid. Whatever the finish, it advises checking that it is safe for food from its label or maker. More on oils is in the finishing oil guide.
Safety— Spindle safety
Face shield on, the tool on the rest before it meets the wood, the rest moved only with the lathe off, and the work parted short and sawn with the lathe stopped. Read your lathe's own rules in its manual and in the lathe guide; see also woodworking safety rules.
Before turning either project
- Blank sound and straight-grained, cut to the cut list
- Lathe has the length between centres
- Roughing speed read from your chart for the blank's diagonal
- Rest close and locked; work turned by hand
- Calipers set to the finished diameters
- A food-safe finish chosen
Sources
Both are BenchRoot designs; every dimension is on the drawings and in the cut lists. Speeds shown are read from Grizzly's chart for its G0844 as an example; use your own lathe's chart. The designs were not turned for this page. No downloadable plan is offered.
- 1.
Model G0844 14" x 20" Benchtop Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2019.
Used for: Grizzly's speed chart for its G0844 — under 2 in: 1520 rpm roughing, 3000 general and finishing; 2–4 in: 760, 1600 and 2480 — used to show how a chart is read; low speeds for roughing and long work; the live centre at least 1/4 in into the work.
- 2.
Model 34034 14" x 20" Variable Speed Wood Lathe, Instruction Manual. WEN Products (store-hosted copy), 2019.
Used for: Spindle mounting and roughing from about 2 in from the tailstock end, downhill, to within about 1/8 in of size; smoothing with a skew; sanding from 120 to 220 grit with the rest removed; finish applied with the lathe off and buffed at the lowest speed; enough tailstock pressure to hold the work without overheating the centre.
- 3.
Easy Parting Tool — product information and safety. Easy Wood Tools.
Used for: Never parting completely through between centres: cutting to about 1/4 in and finishing with a handsaw.
- 4.
Mark Knaebe. Finishes for Wood Bowls, Butcher Blocks, Other Items Used for Food, and Children's Toys (FinishLine). USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2013.
Used for: Finishes for items used with food: mineral oil as a penetrating finish for utensils, never baby oil, vegetable oils that can turn rancid, and checking that any finish is safe for food from its label or maker.
About this guide
Written by BenchRoot Editorial. How BenchRoot sources, checks and corrects its pages is set out in the Editorial Policy. If something here is wrong or unclear, the contact page explains how to tell us.