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We have a huge window in our lounge, 5 metres wide, and the curtain poles we have are not up to the job at 35mm diameter. We need 50mm jobbies, two at 2.5 metres. So I am making the poles from 2" thick beech. Not difficult. But We will need 40 curtain rings and the fittings. The rings are easily turned. A bit time consuming, but I have lots of that.
The rings are turned from a bit of the same beech as the poles and I get 3 out of a block. They are 3/4 finished before they are parted off the block, but the forth edge is the one that is unfinished.
To finish off the rings they need to be reversed so that they can be finished. So I made a pinch chuck. Dead easy to do and very effective. Jam chucks are even easier, but everything has to be exactly the same size for them to work well, and having 40 rings to do!!! They sit absolutely square in the chuck and using my little Bosch screwdriver it takes just a few seconds to change the rings. The bit of green foam in the middle is there to stop the hole from getting clogged with shavings.
Jam chucks are even easier, but everything has to be exactly the same size for them to work well, and having 40 rings to do!!!
I was given a set of very old, about 100 year old, box/brass pinch chucks by a good friend and they are wonderful things. It was these that gave me the idea of this chuck. I am getting a collection of them form 8mm, for turning tiny end caps, up to this at 3"-ish.
Oh and this is the poles, one finished and one square. I have posted this on the general woodwork forum, so I hope that it's OK on here??
The rings are turned from a bit of the same beech as the poles and I get 3 out of a block. They are 3/4 finished before they are parted off the block, but the forth edge is the one that is unfinished.
To finish off the rings they need to be reversed so that they can be finished. So I made a pinch chuck. Dead easy to do and very effective. Jam chucks are even easier, but everything has to be exactly the same size for them to work well, and having 40 rings to do!!! They sit absolutely square in the chuck and using my little Bosch screwdriver it takes just a few seconds to change the rings. The bit of green foam in the middle is there to stop the hole from getting clogged with shavings.
Jam chucks are even easier, but everything has to be exactly the same size for them to work well, and having 40 rings to do!!!
I was given a set of very old, about 100 year old, box/brass pinch chucks by a good friend and they are wonderful things. It was these that gave me the idea of this chuck. I am getting a collection of them form 8mm, for turning tiny end caps, up to this at 3"-ish.
Oh and this is the poles, one finished and one square. I have posted this on the general woodwork forum, so I hope that it's OK on here??
