How long before you know if a shaft will warp?

B

Belford

Registered
When turning down a shaft how long before you know if it will warp? Or can you tell during certain passes. I am interested in the process.
Thanks for any information.
 
Grain pattern is what causes most warp issues.
Nice straight grain is less likely to warp. Highly figured wood will undoubtedly warp.
You'll usually know if warp will be an issue in a few days, but warp can take several months to years to show. Pick your wood and plan accordingly..
 
Case in point
This one warped on me about a month after turning. Notice how the grain runs, that's where it warped up.
20251222_135558.jpg
 
I turn shafts very aggressively down to around .580. Mark any that move. After letting them rest a while, I take .01 off marking any that have moved. Rest them again and if any are moving on the next .01 pass, they're not getting another chance.
Kielwood is way more stable, you can wait weeks or even days between cuts.
I like months or years for regular maple, if you have enough stock it's very easy to do. Just keep rotating more in.
I keep a bunch a little over 14mm and a bunch around 13-13.5mm, so I can have a finished shaft in very little time.
 
You can do your best and follow what you think it's the best way to eliminate warp, but the only way is to have lots of shafts going and accept that a certain percent will end up as firewood.
 
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