Replies

1. 
   salamfam | Jan 16, 2010 08:44am | #1

   Hello Rick,

   Making long turned pieces in two sections and tenoning them together is a common practice, tall bed posts for example. However, doing this on a chair is another matter altogether. Originals most certainly have been turned from one piece. I have never made a chair like you describe, but my gut tells me that I could possibly turn the back legs in two pieces if I were careful to place the joint in the leg where there will be the least amount of stress, likely near the very top of the leg. I would cut the pieces to be joined from the same piece of stock and keep them in sequence when joining back together. This would only be for appearance. My gut also tells me that the tenon joint will need to be a perfect fit with no gaps or looseness. There are many ways to skin a cat. If you are careful I think this one will work.

   Bob, hiding from the ASPCA again!

1. 
   tincup57 | Jan 16, 2010 09:58am | #2

   Thanks Bob. One other thing I was thinking about was to scale down the back and front legs. Center to center on the lathe, I can probably handle 42" so perhaps I turn the finial seperate. We'll see.

2. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 16, 2010 10:37am | #3

   Couldn't you "stretch" the
   Couldn't you "stretch" the legs in Photoshop? ;-)

   Instead of turning the long legs in two pieces, installing tenons, and hoping for the best, how about shaping the legs by hand? Sounds like a perfect job for a good spokeshave if you don't have a long-bed (springpole?) lathe.

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Jan 16, 2010 12:01pm | #4

   Another vote for Ralph's
   Another vote for Ralph's approach.

   Second option, get some dowels from the manufacturer that have not yet been cut to length. Hand shape the feet and finials. Dowels are made from longer lengths of timber and cut into standardized lengths.

   Another option is to contact

   http://woodchairparts.com/contact.html

   to see if they can turn something that long. They normally run duplicating lathes, so you might need to mock-up a leg from two parts, send it to them and they'll send you back as many replications as you want. I have found them to be much less expensive than even hiring someone locally (not a knock on the local turners, just that it takes a lot of time for them).

   I would not consider it "cheating" to have rear legs turned. You will be doing the pattern, the joinery, the assembly, finishing, and the rest of your chair.

   Disclosure: just a customer of Normal Square Woodworking.

1. 
   tincup57 | Jan 16, 2010 03:43pm | #5

   Good ideas all, I will practice with the spoke shave, I have a couple. Still need to locate a source of the 48" dowels. Thanks, everyone.

1. 
   user-64052 | Jan 16, 2010 05:17pm | #6

   those legs should be of 1 piece. The solution is to just make an extension for your lathe

   View Image

   ron

2. 
   user-64052 | Jan 16, 2010 05:25pm | #7

   you didn't say what you were
   you didn't say what you were making it out of but one can get h/maple dowels 6' long in 1/4" increments up to 2"dia. from A&M wood specialty "www.forloversofwood.com" 'which would ne another alturnative for you. Good people to deal with. I have been buying from them now for 30 years

   ron

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 16, 2010 07:35pm | #8

   Ron, now that is a lathe extension!

3. 
   woodshaver | Jan 16, 2010 08:27pm | #9

   Hi tincup57, you could use a wood moulding plane say a 1" round, or somthing similar. turn the finial tips sepretly and attach.

1. 
   tincup57 | Jan 17, 2010 09:45am | #10

   Again, great tips by all, I especially like the extension idea, I went out to knock the west wall out of the shop but the rain stopped me :) Moulding planes is a good idea. I am making a shaw back rocker so thosr maple dowls may be what I need right now to get started. Thanks all. Rick

4. 
   TomHigby | Jan 20, 2010 06:45pm | #11

   Rocking chairs are subject to severe racking stress. For that reason the posts must be very strong--one piece. Tenoned posts will not do!

   Facing that very same problem,(I'd promised my daughter-in-law a rocker for a grand-child) I made an extension for my lathe. I used 1/4"x1 1/2" angle stock bolted and braced to the lathe-bed.

   You will also need a steady support, and I made that from in-line skate wheels. It's also a good time to learn to support the work-piece with one hand -- sounds scarey, but quite easy.