Project Help - Making round turning blanks in central London

[Logan Rhyne]

Hi all,

Apologies if this is misplaced - if it is, perhaps someone familiar with the discussion board could kindly help redirect me. I'm working on an art project and have run into a limitation in my collection of hand and cordless tools - making perfect circles!

I bought a bunch of hardwood turning blanks on ebay for this project, but they're rough bandsaw cut and I need a way to clean them up. I'm not a turner, nor do I have access to a lathe, but I figured with access to a benchtop disc sander I could pretty quickly bring them down to a drawn circle line, which would be perfectly adequate for this project.

I looked into London-area shared shop spaces and makerspaces, but the price, waitlist, and/or induction training requirements all made them pretty undesirable options.

Does anyone have ideas or pointers on where I could do this? Or could recommend a cabinet shop or furniture maker in London who might be friendly for a small, simple job? I've got 10 blanks ranging from 5" to 10" in diameter and 1 - 3" inches in thickness and would pay ~100£ to get them into a shape, so to speak.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice!

 

[sunnybob]

COR :shock: , post them to me and I'll do them for a ton =D> =D> =D>

If you have a bench belt sander, presumably you have a small table or stop on it?
Rotate the belt arm so that its vertical.
make a turntable base from a piece of ply square and large enough to hold the blanks. Put a pin central, (anything, even a sharpened nail) Locate the pin the nearest you can get to central on the blank.
Clamp this turntable to the table or stop or whatever in front of the belt. Turn the belt on and slowly feed and rotate the blanks.
there, you have a circle shaper.
do I get the 100 for intellectual property rights :lol: :lol: 8)

 

[Logan Rhyne]

Thanks sunnybob,

Problem is that not only don't I have a benchtop belt sander, I don't even really have a bench

Live in a small flat and have a nice collection of cordless power tools, but don't really have space to have benchtop or shop tools - all those had to get sold when I moved. For now I've got a battery-powered random orbit sander. I've seen some videos of folks rigging up something using their drill, but I'd rather get help and do it properly and and safely than throw something hacky together myself.

If I had a belt sander, then the pin method sounds like a great tip. I'm open to shipping them off as well if it comes to that, though something local would be preferred.

 

[Lazurus]

http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.php

Try a post on here, there must be a turner who could rattle those out for you, would happily help but in darkest Norfolk

 

[Logan Rhyne]

Thanks Lazurus - cross-posted on awgbforum as topic,6133.0.html (don't have permissions to share links yet).

 

[sunnybob]

Thanks sunnybob,

Problem is that not only don't I have a benchtop belt sander, I don't even really have a bench

Live in a small flat and have a nice collection of cordless power tools, but don't really have space to have benchtop or shop tools - all those had to get sold when I moved. For now I've got a battery-powered random orbit sander. I've seen some videos of folks rigging up something using their drill, but I'd rather get help and do it properly and and safely than throw something hacky together myself.

If I had a belt sander, then the pin method sounds like a great tip. I'm open to shipping them off as well if it comes to that, though something local would be preferred.

Ahh, I read your post as you already having the belt sander.
Trust me, you wouldnt want to post them to me :roll: :lol: click on my name to see where I live.

 

[Freddyjersey2016]

Hi, Logan - have you come across the Men's Shed movement?
I don't know where you are in Central London, but there is an active Men's Shed in Camden - see http://www.camdentownshed.org/ - they have lathes; I am sure for a small donation they will help you... Send an email to Mike - his email is on their Contact page (say John Latchford referred you, I know Mike)
Good luck
John

 

[Logan Rhyne]

Thanks for the referral - I hadn't come across the Camdentown Shed before - they're only 20 minutes from me. I reached out to Mike with your referral. Thanks so much!

 

[kinsella]

Logan
If it doesn't work out for any reason give me a shout, I'm in Dagenham, part way through finishing my 50m2 shed. ahem or is that a workshop at that size? I have a wood lathe you can use if you wish.