svarvade

Svarva is the turning process in which a workpiece is rotated on a lathe while a fixed cutting tool removes material to create shapes with circular cross-sections. The term is used in both woodworking and metalworking, and in Swedish, the past tense form svarvade refers to pieces or components that have been turned.

In practice, the workpiece is mounted in a chuck or between centers, and the lathe speed is set according to material and tooling. Cutting tools such as gouges, parting tools, and skew chisels are guided along the surface to complete the shape. Common operations include facing to create a smooth end, rough turning to establish a cylindrical form, finishing passes to refine the surface, and, in metalworking, threading or boring. Woodturning often also involves hollowing to produce bowls and hollow vessels. Finishing steps may involve sanding and applying oil, wax, or varnish. Safety considerations include eye protection, guards, proper chip control, and tool handling.

Materials typically worked by svarvning include wood, metal (such as aluminum and steel), and certain plastics. Turned products range from furniture components like spindles and table legs to decorative objects, pens, and machine fittings. The technique has ancient roots and gained widespread industrial use after the development of powered lathes in the 18th and 19th centuries, which enabled higher precision and production scale. In everyday Swedish usage, svarva describes both the action of turning and the resulting finished, turned objects.