Things that "turn" up

[HOJ]

So the request is to make 4 new capitals for some wooden columns, this is the sample I was given:



Some of it hasn't been eaten, enough to make a plan:



The scale:



The plan, at this stage, is to laminate pieces together (vertical) to make up the volume (I'll use bigger sections) which won't give me end grain as such:



I have 155mm over my lathe bed, so will just fit, without the square section though.

By the way, I don't do much wood turning so this will be a massive learning curve.

 

[Bingy man]

Quite a job there , I don’t have a lathe but always amazed what can be achieved with a block of wood - good luck and be nice to see your results..

 

[Stigmorgan]

Looks like a nice simple job that could easily be a PITA

 

[HOJ]

be nice to see your results..

Maybe maybe not!

simple job that could easily be a PITA

It already is, but I've messed up better jobs than this before

 

[Tris]

Richard Findley does quite a bit of this sort is stuff. If you can find some of his videos there's a lot of good information about glueing up multiple pieces for a project.

Looks interesting and hope to see some finished pics

 

[Paul Hannaby]

I made some similar to that a little while back and I think slightly larger diameter. I used Iroko because the modern fast growing pine won't last anywhere near as long as the original stuff.

 

[Fergie 307]

Maybe maybe not!


It already is, but I've messed up better jobs than this before

That's the spirit

 

[duke]

So the request is to make 4 new capitals for some wooden columns, this is the sample I was given:

View attachment 192035

Some of it hasn't been eaten, enough to make a plan:

View attachment 192036

The scale:

View attachment 192037

The plan, at this stage, is to laminate pieces together (vertical) to make up the volume (I'll use bigger sections) which won't give me end grain as such:

View attachment 192038

I have 155mm over my lathe bed, so will just fit, without the square section though.

By the way, I don't do much wood turning so this will be a massive learning curve.

Curious, I am guessing you are reproducing this capital on a T & M (time plus materials). If you were to give a price would you double your estimated cost ? To cover your you know what.

 

[HOJ]

I used Iroko

I have quite a bit of 3" thick Sapele knocking about so that's probably going to be my route, rather than buy anything in.

If you were to give a price would you double your estimated cost ? To cover your you know what.

I have no idea how to price something such as this, but I have an interest in this type of work, as its far outside the normal routine stuff, so I look at is a means of learning rather than just earning, I will cover my costs though, and hopefully get more work from the client on the back of it.

 

[HOJ]

Made some progress cut and shut some blocks of sapele:



Glued up and a nest of of clamps:

 

[HOJ]

Made a bit of progress on this today up to a point, cut the blank into the the round:



Made a template for the moulding:



Made a caliper so I can set the diameter:



Put it on the lathe:

Not so good far too much run out, so project abandoned.

 

[duke]

That's a bummer!

 

[Tris]

Looks like the tailstock end is pretty well centered, why not flip it around and use the tailstock mark to remount the blank. Even if you have to taper towards the tailstock to get it balanced up there's enough there to still get your design out of I think

 

[BC'er]

If you have an angle grinder and some 40 grit pads and can rig up a simple brace you could with some careful work get the block running true.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Have you checked the faceplate runs true with nothing on it? Did you mount what appears to be a packing piece first and check that runs true before affixing the blank? It's a flimsy little lathe to expect much accuracy on a blank that size.

 

[niall Y]

Surely it isn't going to not wobble. At least, until it has been trued up on the lathe. I would not expect to be able to place a circular blank on the lathe and not get some degree of run-out. So, a very slow speed and a bowl gouge should help establish the true outer circumference.
I don't understand the actual problem, unless the diameter of the blank is the actual diameter of the widest part of your turning, and you haven't left yourself enough meat to true up.

 

[HOJ]

Ok, just for the sake of clarity, it was a cheap lathe back in 1997, but did what I needed it for, but I'm no woodturner and it was always a bit of gamble if it would work.

The piece is over sized but very round as I cut it out on my circle cutting jig on the bandsaw.

The face plate is running out, that's why I fitted a block on it to try and true it up, but that didn't really work, with the bearing on the head not being that good either.

But still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[okeydokey]

All is not at all lost. Follow Nialls advice and you will easily have a round piece of wood that you can with some gouges shape to the profile - take your time