• July 2025 Turning Challenge: Turn a Multi-axis Weed Pot! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to James Seyfried for "NE Red Oak II" being selected as Turning of the Week for July 21, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

An underhanded request

Kirk Amidon

Kirk Amidon

Joined
Jan 8, 2021
Messages
368
Likes
478
Location
Wrentham, MA
I'm trying to improve my spindle turning, and one thing I've heard is the advice to use your fingers to steady the work. Working on finials, so think thin and delicate. The overhead style is comfortable and works reasonably well, but sometimes blocks my vision. I know that some folks prefer the underhand approach. My local club is not meeting again for a couple of weeks, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of a video or site that shows the underhand grip reasonably well. Most videos I've found are so focused on the turning project that it is tough to really see how the grip is being done.

While my robust rests are too large for my hands, the nova rests I have allow me to get my hands around them easily.
 
Robust sells a thin rest. It's very easy to do an underhand steady with that rest. The round tool rest from bestwood tools works even better for this technique.
 
Kirk RAmidon said:
video or site that shows the underhand grip reasonably well
Click to expand...

I use the underhanded more in demos so my hand is out of the way.
I’m using the short comfort rest so I’m sort of coming around the end of the rest.

These clips show how I do it fairly well. Thumb on top of the tool. This is an ornament turned from a board. Cabochons will go in the hole. In these, I use my forefinger on the other side of the tool more or less.

trim.83A7C49B-E64E-4881-8E55-13297872D296.gif

trim.B9ED1B68-141A-452B-B52C-CACF1719B324.gif

In this one, I use two fingers - the middle finger on the lower finial and the forefinger on the globe

trim.AC6958C7-C77C-4A6E-BD7E-DCDD2BB03A80.gif

I also have the Rubber Chuckie finial center. Great for some work.
 
Cindy is the star of finger support with an underhanded grip. She's pretty petite, so I assume she has small hands. She's also a rock climber and those small hands are extremely strong.:oops:

Doug, can you show a picture of the finial chucky?
 
Probably just as important, from an unknown spindle master, "The bevel should rub the wood, but the wood should not know it."

robo hippy
 
Tom De Winter said:
I've watched Cindy Drozda turn her delicate finials using the finial toolrest made by Steve Sinner of Advanced Lathe Tools ( https://advancedlathetools.com/lathe-tool-rests/ ).
It makes it easy even for those with small hands to give underhand support to work.
Click to expand...
I love this tool rest. I haven't done any finials, but I find the rest very versatile, particularly for getting into tight spaces.
 
Steve had some copper colored rests at the Rocky Mountain Symposium that he was selling at a reduced price. Close-outs, perhaps. The ones he brought were snapped up instantly, except the longest ones. You might ask if he has more of those at his shop at the reduced price. I think the only difference from the regular ones was the color, but I could be mistaken.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top