Replies

1. 
   Andrew | Nov 04, 2004 02:09am | #1

   You can make a custom taper bit out of a spade bit. Use machinists blue, or a marker, and carefully layout the lines. Then take it to the grinder and slowly work until you've ground down to the line. Test it out, and do any fine tuning as necessary. If you don't want to go this way, talk to a sharpening shop, and see if they can either supply you with what you need, or grind a custom one for you.

   Andrew

1. 
   snorky | Nov 06, 2004 02:57am | #6

   One caveat to the spade it suggestion.  I ground down a spade bit several years ago to make tapered holes for Windsor chair legs.  The bit worked fine, but had a nasty habit of grabbing the wood and spinning it around.  If you try this method, be sure to use a drill press and securely clamp down your work piece.

2. 
   DougF | Nov 04, 2004 09:22pm | #2

   Greg,

   Just yesterday I saw a display case of industrial tapered reamers that went as large as 1" or so.  I'm sure they would work once you drilled the hole at the small diamenter and then tapered the sides.

   Doug

3. 
   BArnold | Nov 04, 2004 09:53pm | #3

   Greg,

   Ask and you shall receive!  Try this on for size.

   View Image

   http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=95-600

   Regards,

   Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

   ---

1. 
   GregGibson | Nov 05, 2004 04:04pm | #4

   Excellent, Bill.  Thanks. 

   Wow . . . at $25 plus shipping, I'll try to grind a spade bit first, see how that goes.

   Thanks, all.

   Greg

1. 
   BArnold | Nov 05, 2004 04:48pm | #5

   "Wow . . . at $25 plus shipping, I'll try to grind a spade bit first, see how that goes."

   Ditto!!!  I ran across the item when I was placing an order a few days ago.  At that price, you can afford to mess up a couple of spade bits, for sure.

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

4. 
   Clay | Nov 06, 2004 04:46pm | #7

   I ground a spade bit to do that job ... it works fine.  Since I found (as you will) that candle bases have no standard sizes or tapers, it was prudent to also make a simple tenon shaver (similar to an oversize pencil sharpener) to standardize the bases of my taper purchases so that they would all fit nicely into my sockets without a lot of carving.  I mount my tenon/base shaver on my lathe and it will shape the bases of several dozen candles in just a few minutes.

1. 
   BArnold | Nov 06, 2004 05:50pm | #8

   Clay,

   Can you show us a photo of your taper shaver?

   Thanks.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

1. 
   gweisenburge | Nov 06, 2004 06:12pm | #9

   Try a tapered spoon auger, like the one from Garrett Wade at http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=101166&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&iProductID=101166.

   The attached photo is from their catalog.Gary

   http://gwwoodworking.com/