Lantern questions

[Kim Metzger]

I recently discovered Mike Peace’s 4-inch lantern ornament

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L2hlKPNH04
and made several to sell here in Mexico. The customer liked it so much he now wants a giant one and dropped off a 17 inch by 9 inch rosewood log. My biggest concern is the size of the four holes. Mike drilled 7/8” holes in a 2 ½” by 5” blank. How big can my holes be for, say a 10” tall lantern before it becomes impossible to turn the thing safely? And since I’m working with a round piece to start with, is there a way to space the 4 holes accurately?

 

[Phil Hamel]

I mount mine on a chuck on the lathe using a hole I drill up the bottom center that holds the t-light. I can use my built in degree wheel and a make shift pointer that way.
Not sure on the size of the side holes. A 9 inch round is roughly 4 times a 2 1/2 round so 4 times 7/8 would be rounded to 4 inch. [Don't try this at home, not responsible for damage or loss. Just giving rough math example.] Would also depend on what size the bottom hole is.

 

[Kim Metzger]

I mount mine on a chuck on the lathe using a hole I drill up the bottom center that holds the t-light. I can use my built in degree wheel and a make shift pointer that way.
Not sure on the size of the side holes. A 9 inch round is roughly 4 times a 2 1/2 round so 4 times 7/8 would be rounded to 4 inch. [Don't try this at home, not responsible for damage or loss. Just giving rough math example.] Would also depend on what size the bottom hole is.

Thanks for reminding me about the indexing wheel. I've never used it before.

 

[hockenbery]

An intriguing project. I would definitely practice concepts with another

With most turnings I prefer to driil holes before turning.

Just ideas to test
What I would do is
Turn the cylinder, mark the openings with the lathes index, I would drill 2” diameter holes using a vee block on the drill press,
Hollow the piece the enlarge the hole to 3.5-4” or whatever size you choose.

Tool for enlarging the holes.
I’ve used an old jigsaw to cut hollow form openings into square openings. So I would see how that worked cutting close to the line
Then I would use a carbide burr to smooth the opening to the line.

Other tools I might try for cutting is my air body saw with a hacksaw blade. Or a inverted cone in a foredom

Nice thing about cutting the holes is they don’t have to be circles.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

dropped off a 17 inch by 9 inch rosewood log

Is this rosewood? Brazilian? Does he have more of it?

 

[Dean Center]

I recently discovered Mike Peace’s 4-inch lantern ornament and made several to sell here in Mexico. The customer liked it so much he now wants a giant one and dropped off a 17 inch by 9 inch rosewood log. My biggest concern is the size of the four holes.

Kim, I think you're off the mark with your priorities. Your FIRST priority should be figuring out what inexpensive, commonplace wood you can substitute for the rosewood he dropped off. Especially if you're going to do a surface treatment such as shown in your post, it would be a crying shame not to save that rosewood for something where it's special qualities would be allowed to shine, rather than a tea light.

I also second the suggestion of making a prototype to test the hole size. Some folks could draw or visualize well enough to decide, but I'd have to see something concrete to tell.

 

[Kim Metzger]

Kim, I think you're off the mark with your priorities. Your FIRST priority should be figuring out what inexpensive, commonplace wood you can substitute for the rosewood he dropped off. Especially if you're going to do a surface treatment such as shown in your post, it would be a crying shame not to save that rosewood for something where it's special qualities would be allowed to shine, rather than a tea light.

I also second the suggestion of making a prototype to test the hole size. Some folks could draw or visualize well enough to decide, but I'd have to see something concrete to tell.

Understood. Will ask the customer to reconsider the wood for the project. But, my main concern is shaping the blank with large holes on the sides. No concern about getting a massive catch with a roughing gouge, skew chisel?

 

[Brian Gustin]

Understood. Will ask the customer to reconsider the wood for the project. But, my main concern is shaping the blank with large holes on the sides. No concern about getting a massive catch with a roughing gouge, skew chisel?

IMHO, It would be no different than "turning Air" when roughing out a non-round bowl blank, or turning a natural edge bowl, or a 6-pointed (or 8 pointed) dish from a square or cube stock - It just needs some care taken and delicate cuts - And if you have not yet "turned air" , perhaps you may do well to get in some practice on some scraps or "crappy wood" or firewood pieces to get the hang of the entry cuts when turning air..

 

[Kim Metzger]

IMHO, It would be no different than "turning Air" when roughing out a non-round bowl blank, or turning a natural edge bowl, or a 6-pointed (or 8 pointed) dish from a square or cube stock - It just needs some care taken and delicate cuts - And if you have not yet "turned air" , perhaps you may do well to get in some practice on some scraps or "crappy wood" or firewood pieces to get the hang of the entry cuts when turning air..

Thanks, that answers my question about the holes. I've turned plenty of air, including on the small lanterns I've already turned. And the wood is bocote. My mistake.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

John Lucas does this same demo and calls them mini lanterns. some of our members took off with some of John's ideas and made them shorter, vertical cuts instead of round, shaped or carved cuts (crosses, trees and more) .

As an alternative drill more holes or larger holes.

 

[Kim Metzger]

John Lucas does this same demo and calls them mini lanterns. some of our members took off with some of John's ideas and made them shorter, vertical cuts instead of round, shaped or carved cuts (crosses, trees and more) .

As an alternative drill more holes or larger holes.

More holes sounds good.

 

[Kim Metzger]

Is this rosewood? Brazilian? Does he have more of it?

My mistake. It's bocote. He has plenty if you want to buy some from him in Mexico.

 

[john lucas]

I published the article and Mike called and asked if he could do a video. I said yes. You could calculate the hole size mathematically. You know the hole size 7/8". The outside diameter after turning is 1 1/2" so probably 1 3/4" before turning. I'm not a Math person but I'm sure you can come up with a factor that tells you how much you have to enlarge 1' 3/4" to get to your outside diameter. Then apply that number to the 7/8" abd it will give you the hole size you need.
As far as turning something with that much air I would use a srg and be extremely light on the bevel.

 

[Kim Metzger]

I published the article and Mike called and asked if he could do a video. I said yes. You could calculate the hole size mathematically. You know the hole size 7/8". The outside diameter after turning is 1 1/2" so probably 1 3/4" before turning. I'm not a Math person but I'm sure you can come up with a factor that tells you how much you have to enlarge 1' 3/4" to get to your outside diameter. Then apply that number to the 7/8" abd it will give you the hole size you need.
As far as turning something with that much air I would use a srg and be extremely light on the bevel.

Thank you, John. What does "srg" stand for? Extremely light on the skew for the bevel?

 

[Brian Gustin]

Thank you, John. What does "srg" stand for? Extremely light on the skew for the bevel?

SRG = Spindle Roughing Gouge most likely. - probably would need light cuts / nibbles and a steady hand, I think, depending on how large the holes are - If you were going larger diameter (and I assume something like a table lamp instead of tealight?)

I might suggest 8 smaller holes/windows - which would not be too much trouble to nail down if your lathe has indexing wheel...

Or, you could go multiple smaller holes following a pattern? I'm imagining a sort of spiral pattern , say 6 1-1/2 inch holes half inch apart along the lathe bed, indexed one or 2 spots ahead for each one drilled, then roll back to start another "column" of holes... rinse and repeat til all the way around?) Lots of ways to be creative with the holes, I imagine..

 

[Mike Brazeau]

I would turn the piece round and do the hollowing before attempting to drill the holes. It would then be very easy to use the indexing and drill a centering hole where each of the holes will be located. Drilling the thin wall will be easier than drilling into the mass of the log piece. The holes could even be scribed and cut with a scroll saw and cleaned up as necessary after.

 

[Kim Metzger]

I would turn the piece round and do the hollowing before attempting to drill the holes. It would then be very easy to use the indexing and drill a centering hole where each of the holes will be located. Drilling the thin wall will be easier than drilling into the mass of the log piece. The holes could even be scribed and cut with a scroll saw and cleaned up as necessary after.

Thank you for the ideas.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Thank you, John. What does "srg" stand for? Extremely light on the skew for the bevel?

Spindle Roughing Gouge

 

[john lucas]

If you hollow first and then drill holes you get huge chip out inside. Drill first. I also do them with routed slots ( of course). I have a friend making large ones. He was using his mortissing tool to cut long slots but having a lot of work cleaning up the edges of the slots. I showed him how to use the router to clean up thise edges.

 

[Dean Center]

If you hollow first and then drill holes you get huge chip out inside. Drill first. I also do them with routed slots ( of course). I have a friend making large ones. He was using his mortissing tool to cut long slots but having a lot of work cleaning up the edges of the slots. I showed him how to use the router to clean up thise edges.

John,
What are your thoughts about large holes and the tendency to dive into them when turning the outside with a skew and the inside with whatever tool, as mentioned above? Generally, hollowing in the presence of voids, especially large voids, is an advanced skill. Not sure where the OP is on that spectrum.

 

[john lucas]

Large holes require very good tool control. Use your body so you can float the bevel over these areas. For new turners it's challenging. This us the one time speed is your friend. Higher speed makes it a little easier to skate over those openings. On the downside if you are putting too much pressure on the bevel you'll take off a lot more wood with high speed.

 

[Kim Metzger]

Thank you, John Lucas for your fine article, thank you Mike Peace for your fine demonstration and thanks everyone for your suggestions on how to proceed. Here’s the final piece in bocote (not rosewood).

 

[john lucas]

Thank you, John Lucas for your fine article, thank you Mike Peace for your fine demonstration and thanks everyone for your suggestions on how to proceed. Here’s the final piece in bocote (not rosewood).

Nice..