Two Methods for Turning Duplicates
Turning copies of a spindle on a hand lathe can be tedious work. Templates, gauges and other gadgets help but don’t substantially increase speed and accuracy. In contrast, this method, which uses the bandsaw, is the best turning aid I’ve found yet. On one face of the square stock, mark out with a template the desired profile and make bandsaw cuts to within 1/16 in. of the profile at convenient reference points. Bevel the square’s corners as you usually do, mount the stock on the lathe and begin turning. The cut lines will be easy to see and will allow quick and accurate shaping without so many stops for caliper checks. The secret to this method is accurate layout and careful sawing.
Robert M. Vaughan, Roanoke, Va.
Lee Watkins’ method for making dowels using a router and lathe (Fine Woodworking #25, p. 22) arrived just before I put the finishing touches on the deck I was adding to my house. Here’s how I adapted his method to make the deck railing a cut above the usual. Starting with the straight U-shaped fixture used to make dowels, I sawed off a curved section from each end. I screwed a V-shaped block to the bottom of the router base. This allowed the router to follow the profile of the top of the fixture and to transfer the shape to the spinning blank below. The shape I wanted in the railing spindles was similar to the backrest supports in a chair. The fixture helped me produce 85 identical spindles quite nicely.
Donald B. Sherman, Merrimack, N.H.
Fine Woodworking Magazine, August 1982 No. 35
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Incra Miter 1000HD
MicroJig Matchfit dovetail clamps
Hedgehog featherboards
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