Replies

1. 
   BG | Sep 07, 2004 11:53pm | #1

   Jellyrug,

   I watched a This Old House episode where the guy (not Norm) indexed the stock and cut/carved by hand.  I think it can also be accomplished with a jig and router too...
1. 
   Patto | Sep 08, 2004 06:10am | #5

   You got me curious,

   http://home.att.net/%7Ewaterfront-woods/Articles/SpiralCandle.pdf

   offers an approach with minimum investment but where you get to plug in more tools. No idea how the recommended book does it, but the cover sure looks flash.

2. 
   RickL | Sep 08, 2004 12:06am | #2

   http://www.legacywoodworking.com/

   The Legacy is probably the easiest way to go. By the time you rig up a carriage and figure out how to synchronize it to a slow rotation by hand crank or low speed gear motor of course. The slowest speed on the lathe would be too fast. Sears used to sell something similar to the Legacy. You can hand carve it as well.

3. 
   Patto | Sep 08, 2004 02:17am | #3

   Jellyrug,

   The carving is not too hard.

   You can lay out the flutes by wrapping a piece of paper around the wood to get the circumference then dividing that length into the desired number of flutes. ( || lines at an angle from each end, compass to walk out the desired number of divisions on each of the lines, jon the dots across the baseline with a straightedge - this will give you any number of divisions very accureately ) Then, if the column is cylindrical, take a long strip of paper the width of a flute and wrap it around the column at the desired pitch, draw down one edge, move it over and repeat.

   Carve out the flutes. I find that a hand made scraper blade (grind from a piece of old circular saw blade is really excellent for this) to match the flute profile is a good way of finishing them.

   If the column is not a cylinder, you will need to adjust throughout for the changes in diameter.

   Dave.

4. 
   jako17 | Sep 08, 2004 03:43am | #4

   Take a look at Stewart Mortimers book Techniques of Spiral work.He is the geru of spiral turning.I watched him cut a double start spiral 3/16 diameter and 6 inches long as the stem of a goblet.It took about 15 minutes! Just allow yourself significantly more time.However the process is fairly straightforward on larger stock.

5. 
   jyang949 | Sep 11, 2004 09:14pm | #6

   A router book from 1993 shows two "router turning machines" that can make spirals and more: The Sears Router Crafter and the Woodchuck Indexable Milling System.

   The Sears Router Crafter has been discontinued, but you can often find one on eBay.

   The Woodchuck appears to be the old name of the Legacy that Rick mentioned.

   The Trend Routerlathe (www.trendmachinery.co.uk/routerlathe) appears to be the same sort of product, but the company is in the UK, which adds to the cost.

   Rumor has it that Router Magic (by Bill Hylton) has instructions for a shopmade router turner. It was printed in 1996 so you could probably get a copy through InterLibrary Loan.

   Janet

1. 
   jyang949 | Sep 20, 2004 06:31pm | #7

   Willie,

   Out of curiosity I asked the library to borrow a copy of "Router Magic". Yes, it does have plans for a shop-made router lathe (photographs attached).

   The mechanism is straightforward (two bicycle gears and chains), but getting it all together would be, for me at least, another of those Unfinished Projects taking up space in the garage!

   Janet

   Edited 9/20/2004 11:36 am ET by jyang949

   
1. 
   jyang949 | Sep 20, 2004 06:37pm | #8

   Second picture.

   
6. 
   RickL | Sep 25, 2004 09:13pm | #9

   Check out John McNabs work on spiral in the Dec 2004 issue of WoodWork. The most amazing stuff. Makes stuff done on the Legacy mill look like beginners work.

1. 
   jyang949 | Sep 26, 2004 06:19pm | #10

   Did he use a router turner of some sort, or was it by eye?

   Janet

1. 
   RickL | Sep 26, 2004 06:39pm | #11

   He has a modified lathe for the small spirals but his big lathe is a home made 20' vertical unit with a small saw blade to do the spiral flutes. You really have to see the article to get a better idea. It even has a seat so he can ride up and down while he controls the work. Pretty amazing concept and truly unique way of working. It's not really a how to article. It's more of a profile of the artist which is one of the unique things about WoodWork which sets it apart from the other wood mags. Here, I found a link. Do a google search for more. Try John McNab woodturner

   http://www.accesswave.ca/~cpalmer/NWG_Apr2003/nwgApril2003z.htm

   Edited 9/26/2004 2:55 pm ET by rick3ddd