Lathe Vibration Calculator

Damping needs from workpiece weight and balance.

Workpiece weight (lbs)

Workpiece diameter (in)

Imbalance offset (in)

Current RPM

Lathe weight (lbs)

Tab to move between fields

Imbalance force (lbs)

90.9

Vibration severity (%)

45.43

Severity rating (1-4)4

Lathe/workpiece mass ratio20

Safe starting RPM265

Diameter max RPM600

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Workpiece weight (lbs), Workpiece diameter (in), and Imbalance offset (in).
Set Current RPM and Lathe weight (lbs).
Review Imbalance force (lbs) and Vibration severity (%).
Use Severity rating (1-4) and Lathe/workpiece mass ratio to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Current RPM

Workpiece weight (lbs): Weight of the blank to be mounted on the lathe.
Workpiece diameter (in): Maximum diameter of the blank.
Imbalance offset (in): Estimated distance the center of mass is off the lathe axis. Rough bark blanks may be 0.5-2".
Current RPM: RPM you plan to run or are currently running.
Lathe weight (lbs): Total weight of your lathe (heavier = more vibration damping).

Imbalance force (lbs): Centrifugal force generated by the imbalance at given RPM.
Vibration severity (%): Force as percentage of lathe weight. Under 2% is smooth, 5-15% is rough, over 15% is dangerous.
Severity rating (1-4): 1=low, 2=moderate, 3=high, 4=dangerous — reduce RPM or true the blank.
Lathe/workpiece mass ratio: Ratio of lathe weight to workpiece. 10:1 or higher is ideal for stability.
Safe starting RPM: Recommended starting RPM to keep vibration manageable.
Diameter max RPM: Maximum RPM based on the 6000/diameter roughing rule.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Workpiece weight (lbs) = 10, Workpiece diameter (in) = 10, Imbalance offset (in) = 0.5, Current RPM = 800 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Imbalance force
Imbalance force = centrifugalForce * 0.2248
90.9 = 90.9
Calculate Vibration severity
45.43 = 45.43
Calculate Severity rating
4 = 4
Calculate Lathe/workpiece mass ratio
Lathe/workpiece mass ratio = latheMass / workpieceWeight
20 = 20