Duplicate wood turning parts

[John Torchick]

Hope this is the right forum. I'm pondering a project- a small footstool for the living room to use while watching TV (that's telly for some of you ). I want to do a simple turning of the legs from round hardwood dowel or square stock. Question: What is the best way to duplicate turned pieces? Thanks in advance.

 

[hockenbery]

Hope this is the right forum. I'm pondering a project- a small footstool for the living room to use while watching TV (that's telly for some of you ). I want to do a simple turning of the legs from round hardwood dowel or square stock. Question: What is the best way to duplicate turned pieces? Thanks in advance.

Best way?????

There are lots of good ways.
What I would do is make a witness stick. From a full sized drawing.
This has the lines that match transitions and have a diameter for that transition.
hold the witness stick to mark the transitions with a pencil in the square if there is a square element and on the cylinder.
part in to the diameter of all the elements then Connect the transitions with the features - beads, coves, flats, pommels' ogees, etc...

A square at the top is often used to mortise the stretchers. You cam also have round stretchers and weave a seat from green white oak splits.

The most important thing with matching spindles is to get all the horizontal lines even from spindle to spindle.
Put a bead a 1/16 higher on a leg 10" apart and the human eye will be disturbed by it.
Make the beads a half inch wider and it might be noticed but probably overlooked.

Also after turning the first one, use it for a guide for the others. Don't copy the last one each time.
If I have enough wood and I haven't been turning spindles for a while, I might turn 5 or 6 legs and pick the 4 that I like best. If I plan to use costly wood, I would turn a prototype from green wood just to check the design and build up some muscle memory.

Have fun Al

 

[John Torchick]

Thanks for the info, HB. The stool will be approx. 16X18 and the same height as the one I'm using now. Just hate to keep carrying it from one room to the other. I like the witness stick idea or maybe a reverse template made from the first one. I use a reverse template for turning cork handles for my custom rods. Cane weaving wouldn't be in line with my lack of patience. Ask SWMBO about that one. Will do some sort of upholstery job with batten or thin foam. Thanks again!
I'm surprised you didn't ask to see pictures of the finished project.

 

[hockenbery]

John, Weave the seat!
Everyone needs a mindless activity now and then.
Patience is more a learned trait than innate one.

I would like to see a picture.... Just did not want to put undue pressure..

btw. Google "Alan Leland stool" Alan turns superb stools.
He has plans on the web for a tall and short stool.
In the shirt stool he uses a story stick...


Al

 

[john lucas]

John Patience is the key. You don't need fancy tools or even a whole lot of skill. Measure frequently. The story stick gets you started in the right direction. Measure the concave areas and use a parting tool to get close to that dimension. Then measure the high areas. Mark any known dimensions such as both sides of a bead or the beginning and end of a cove. Then just take your time and sneak up on the shape. It really helps to have profile cut out of some thick paper or plastic that you can hold up when you get close. When I first started doing furniture replacement parts for people I did a lot scraping with round nose scraper and the skew. You have to be careful if you put fine details in a piece because scrapers aren't the best tool for that. However I was usually able to sneak up on the dead on shape. Now days I'm good enough with cutting tools that I do most spindles with skew and spindle gouge to final dimensions.
There are some really cool techniques. My friend Joe Looper made a bunch of coat hanger wire thickness gauges. They all fit on a rod and were placed so the layed on the spindle where the important details were. when He used a parting tool to cut at these places the wired would simply drop off when he got to the right depth.

 

[Joe Greiner]

I think Craftsman once had a lathe with the dropping wire system.

But check out this apparatus: http://www.delorie.com/wood/tips/parallax-jig.html
I made an adjustable version and it worked very well.

 

[john lucas]

Joe that method does work. I tried it back when I did a demo on duplicating turnings. For the occasional turner it's very effective. What I do now days since I don't do a whole of duplication is to make up a story stick for the initial marking. Then I lay out outside calipers set for all the dimensions and put tape on them labeled 1,2,3,4 etc. Then I just grab the one I need for that dimension when I'm turning that section. Not as fast as the Gilbert measuring device but I already have these so it's a lot less expensive.

 

[John Torchick]

Duplicating parts

Thanks to all for their help! I'm still new at this turning game. I'm thinking to use square stock about 2X2 and just turn a bit of a bead just above the base- nothing fancy. The square end will fit the frame without having to do a lot cutting like on a round piece. John, you mentioned the parting tool. I have discovered that it is a very useful tool for turning. I'll buy enough stock so I'll have a piece for practice.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I moved this thread to the main forum. The How to forum is intended for you to post tips, techniques, and how to instructions. Many years ago there was instructions (maybe a sticky) on the purpose of the forum, but it seems to have disappeared. Here is an example of the intended purpose of the forum: Getting Started With Vacuum Chucking

 

[John Torchick]

Bill, no problem. Thanks for your help. Will make sure on the next threads of the same nature.