Coat pegs

[milkman]

As you can see my first attempt at a coat peg has had varibale results Has anyone any wise words on turning the button end. This is really my first attempt at turning other than some dodgy pole lathing once.

Cheers
Marko

 

[Russell]

Did you turn between centres with the tail stock supporting the button end or use a chuck? I would turn them between centres and clean up the end after wards. I would turn them as I would any bead. Start by sizing with a parting chisel and then with a spindle gouge or a skew chisel (I prefer a skew) roll the bead from the centre to the sides alternating left and right to keep it even until I was happy with the shape.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a start!

Might be an idea to turn the button first, make a bead (using tailstock support) and then pare down the shank... concentrate on getting a clean cut with sharp tools...

Are you using a spindle gouge/beading and parting tool or what?

stick a piece of scrap in and have a go at a series of beads... pine is cheap and challenging, if you can get a good finish with the tool 'proper' wood will be a breeze :wink:

 

[CHJ]

__________
__________Have a go at turning something like this between centres.
__________Using a Spindle gouge or Skew as recommended by Russell and Graham

_________ _____ click on image for larger view

By the time you have produced the last bead you should have about mastered it.
If you can't get it right on dry wood try using a piece of green hedgerow wood such as hazel or beech until you get the hang of tool approach.

You are obviously tearing out chunks as opposed to cutting, how sharp are your tools, how well controlled is your bevel contact, the wood structure is very weak along this short grain area and sharp tools are essential to reduce the forces applied, as is a rubbing bevel to prevent the tool edge 'diving' into the wood.

 

[milkman]

thanks guys plenty to go on here, after getting back last night and consulting a woodwork book i found i'd been using the wrong gouges for the whole thing. I going back to it tomorrow and will take your advice with me. will post more results here.

Thanks

 

[Blister]

I have had something similar happen , when the wood was to dry

the grain come out in chunks

 

[milkman]

Followed your advice and this is a lot better. Started with some greenwood then pine then the white oak I'm using for the finished piece.
Not quite nailed it to a working method [I need to make about ten of these] but getting there and am happy with the shape.

Sharpening the tools is a 'mare. The parer and skew are gradually going convex, which can't be good!

Cheers for the kind advice.

Marko

 

[Anonymous]

Marko, 10 mins with someone who knows how to show the simple method takes the 'mare' out of sharpening :wink:

 

[Bodrighy]

What tool are you using for the button? I find that using a skew (longest point) I can generally get a reasonably smooth curve. Easier thasn a gouge. By the way, if you can get a good finish on pine you are doing good.

Oak in my experience is usually very brittle and difficult to work in spindle stuff. Might be my skill kleve mind

Pete

 

[milkman]

Yeah i got a pretty good finish on some pine, I used a skew for the button and rotated it perpendicular to the workpiece. Only thing was it produced a very tight radius curve.
In trying to get past this I had a lot of trouble with the chisel biting and kicking back. I managed it but would like to nail a better method for this. See my attempt at a visual below
Had no specific problems with the oak. Its so ludicrously strong in the shear plane I thought it would be good for this. Yes there is the risk of the button edges splitting off but I think this is secondary in a coat peg.

I'm leaving the button unfinished as it needs a grip for the coats going on it.

NB The chisel might not be the right way round in this pic for the roll but it was when I actually did it