Below you'll find an alphabetical list of commonly used terms used when turning a bowl.

Banjo:
This is the part on the lathe which slides along the bed and supports the tool rest. The banjo utilizes a locking mechanism to hold or clamp the tool rest base in place as needed.

Bed:
The horizontal part of the lathe which connects and aligns the headstock and tailstock.

Bevel:
The bevel of a tool refers to the area directly underneath the cutting edge of a tool such as a scraper or a gouge. This area has different uses depending on the tool, but by far the most common reference to a bevel is for the
gouge.

Blank:
A wood “blank” is the term usually given to a piece of wood which has been prepared in some way for turning—i.e. one which has been rounded smooth or cut into a section designed for lathe use. If a piece of wood is cut off from a log but still in its rough form, they are usually referred to as
logs, sections, or pieces.

Burl:
The term usually given for an unusual growth on a tree which produces some very interesting grain patterns (and turning challenges!).

Center(s):
Live center spins freely on the tail stock
Drive Center supplies the turning power from the head stock
Turning Between Centers:

Chuck:
Use to clamp material to the head stock to be turned

Vaccuum Chuck:
Using suction a piece of work is held to the head stock. Giving the ability to remove the foot withoput damaging the finished piece.

Faceplate:
A faceplate is a circular plate attached to the headstock spindle which has various holes in it to allow screws to pass through and into the base of the wood.

First Turn:
Wood that has been turned into a heavy thickness to allow it to dry before finish turning

Second (Finished) Turn:
After a bowl has reached it's desired moisture content it is then put back on the lathe for final turning. This allows the finished bowl to not move as much.

Headstock:
Supplies the power to the Drive Center or chuck to turn the wood.

Honing
A sharpening method to increase the sharpness of a cutting edge of a tool, or to smooth off burrs which develop during normal sharpening.

Live Center:
The holding mechanism in the tailstock which, using a system of bearings, rotates with the wood as it spins providing support and centering of the workpiece.

Mandrel:
A mandrel is a means of holding a workpiece by using a metal (or wooden) rod to hold things like pens, tops, bottle stoppers and the like.

Natural Edge:
The lip of a bowl or a goblet which includes either the bark of the tree or the rough surface underneath the bark.


Rough Turning:
The reduction of a square piece of timber to a round section.

Spalted Wood:
Wood which is in the process of fungal decay. This often shows up as black lines in the grain.

Surface check:
A split on the surface of the wood which is usually caused by uneven drying.

Tailstock:
The tailstock is the movable assembly opposite of the headstock which slides along the bed and provides support for workpieces.