Signpost - Almost a WIP!!! (Quite a lot of turning)

[Richard Findley]

Hi all,

I had a commission: To make a signpost similar to this:

The idea is it is to celebrate the couple's anniversary and should have their names and their childrens names on the signs.

I decided that mine would be rather more refined than this picture, the client was fairly open with the brief but went with a turned column and a more traditional point to the sign rather than the fingers of this one.It should also be free standing. It is made in AWO.

Started out by gluing up 2 bits of 2" thick by 4" wide Oak to give me 4" x 4". I was a little unsure how big to make the post but as 2" was what I had I just went with 4" as a starter. Ended up at 3 1/4", judged by eye.

Mounted up on the lathe, this is the first time I've pushed the limits of my new lathe bed extension:

Got it round and then put in a series of cuts to help guide me to an even thickness all along:

Then just "join the dots"

There was a simple ball finial to turn for the top (also glued from 2") and a simple cross halved foot/base for it all to stand on. The base has a hole drilled through and a larger hole to take a turned tennon (adout 45mm diam) I later fixed it all in place with a Stainless Steel 6" Coach screw with Ext wood glue on the wood joints and Epoxy on the metal screw thread. The finial would be attached by a Stainless steel treaded rod (12mm) and a good dollop of Epoxy.

Now for the signs. Wizer was going to cut the lettering on his CNC set up but he managed to break it so I went with plan B and bought the Milescraft Letter jig from Rutlands:

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/1262 Currently on offer for £50. It worked pretty well. There were a couple of little niggles which I managed to overcome and the result was good. I think. I sprayed then completly black with Chestnut Ebonising Lacquer:

Then passed then under the P/T:

Next was to cut mortices. I set up my Router jig on the lathe and used a new 3/4" by 1" long router cutter to give me the mortice I was after:

And repeat 4x:

The indexer on the lathe is handy for router work!!!

Next problem is fixing a square shouldered tennon to a round post. I mulled it over in my head over my lunch and decided the easiest way was a sharp chisel and to cut some flat shoulders:

I then cut the tennons. I used my new Tennon Cutter Router bit from Wealdons. I had played with it before but never used it for a job. My advice: even if you cut tennons only occaisionally you need one of these in your life!!!!!! The cut is soooo clean I can't believe it!!!!!!

I then just rounded off the ends of the tennon with a chisel:

Glue up time!!!!

Been a while since I've done a complicated glue up and I'd forgotten how fraught they can get.... not that this is particularly complicated, just called for me to have 4 very long arms!!!!

The signs are supported by Stainless Steel screws inside the mortices/plugged from the other side. Will photo them tomorrow when I do my final clean down. Just needs a light sand, screw holes plugging then lots of coats of oil before delivering later in the week.

I hope you enjoyed my post. All comments and questions welcome as usual.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Chems]

That's great, very unusual from the normal WIP. Making round things looks like good fun. I liked your method for getting black lettering too.

 

[The Shark]

Hi Richard,
A very interesting WIP, and as usual a quality product at the end of the job.
It is interesting to see how you got around the various problems by using a bit of the old grey matter!

What oil are you going to use?

Malc

 

[Richard Findley]

Thanks for the comments guys. Not quite up to Chem's standard of WIP yet but getting there :wink: :wink: !!

Planning to use standard Chestnut Finishing Oil. About 5 or 6 coats ought to see it through for a couple of years when more coats can be applied. I don't think there is a fool proof "just apply once" type product for out doors woodwork so oil will have to do until one is found.

Cheers

Richard

 

[laird]

Nice WIP, thanks for sharing.

 

[Mcluma]

Very nice, liked the wip pics

 

[Richard Findley]

Thanks for all your comments!!

A little update and clarification.

Samuel and Dave are screwed through the inside of the mortice, Laura and Charlotte are screwed through opposite holes at an angle. Not ideal but it was the best solution I could come up with:

Stainless steel screws are alright but the pozi heads don't stand up well. In future I will treat them more like brass screws and put a standard screw in first then just finish with the SS screw.

I turned tapered bungs to fill the holes:

And glued them in place:

Just cleaned them down with a sharp chisel. I thought I'd photographed it but seem to have missed that one!!

The final job with 1 of about 6 coats of oil on it:

I hope to get a shot of it in situe when I deliver it tomorrow night!

Re: the Router jig, I find this method so versatile, allowing me to follow any profile of work whick is handy for things like flutes. The box jig is ok for straight stuff but that's about all. Plans are in Keith Rowley's woodturning bible. I also do a demo on Routing on the lathe if any one is interested :wink:

Cheers

Richard