I have seen spirals on canes, or christmas decorations, or other ornamental turnings. I know that it involves some sort of file/micro plane work with the lathe off. Exactly how do you get a good even spiral, though. What is the technic for doing it? So far I haven't run across anything on the web on it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Quick question on spirals...
- Thread starter Jonathon.C
- Start date
Jonathon,
Some of the smaller spirals you may have seen could have been produced using the Sorby spiral tool. You can see it at this link.
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/
Other highly developed spirals are made using exotic additions to the lathe, the cost of which would most likely be prohibitive unless one were to do production work of this type. Sorby also sells an attachment for ornamental work. A visit to Sorby's web site may also lead you to a short video of some of their specialty tools at work.
Also, some are hand carved on the piece after it has been turned.
Some of the smaller spirals you may have seen could have been produced using the Sorby spiral tool. You can see it at this link.
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/
Other highly developed spirals are made using exotic additions to the lathe, the cost of which would most likely be prohibitive unless one were to do production work of this type. Sorby also sells an attachment for ornamental work. A visit to Sorby's web site may also lead you to a short video of some of their specialty tools at work.
Also, some are hand carved on the piece after it has been turned.
Ornamental Turning is the term to Google.
Most of the instructions I've seen in books involves a lot of layout, hand cutting and carving, and lots of sanding.
In addition to the tools mentioned above, you could also buy a Legacy ornamental milling "lathe" which uses a router to cut almost anything imaginable. Yeah... that's really expensive. But I know a guy who has one...
http://legacywoodworking.com
http://legacywoodworking.com/gallery.cfm
I've not explored or even looked at a copy of the books by the GURU of ornamental turning...
Holtzapffel I believe the name is..
Enjoy:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jeharr/history.htm
Most of the instructions I've seen in books involves a lot of layout, hand cutting and carving, and lots of sanding.
In addition to the tools mentioned above, you could also buy a Legacy ornamental milling "lathe" which uses a router to cut almost anything imaginable. Yeah... that's really expensive. But I know a guy who has one...
http://legacywoodworking.com
http://legacywoodworking.com/gallery.cfm
I've not explored or even looked at a copy of the books by the GURU of ornamental turning...
Holtzapffel I believe the name is..
Enjoy:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jeharr/history.htm
Last edited:
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
There are couple of good books on spiral techniques, Stewart Mortimer's is the most complete. Simple spirals are easy. Just take some thin masking tape and wrap around the piece to create the spiral. You can adjust it by unwrapping and rewrapping as needed. When you get what you like simple draw in some pencil lines around it. Now you just carve away the area inbetween the lines. I clamp a small piece of scrap to my dovetail saw and cut a line down the center. The piece of scrap acts like a depth stop for the saw.
Then I use a round wood rasp to cut out the basic spiral in a sort of U shaped groove following the saw cuts. Then I take a flat cabinet makers rasp and round over the top of the U to complete the spiral.
There are of course much more complicated ways to lay out the spiral and to cut it but this is simple and quick.
Then I use a round wood rasp to cut out the basic spiral in a sort of U shaped groove following the saw cuts. Then I take a flat cabinet makers rasp and round over the top of the U to complete the spiral.
There are of course much more complicated ways to lay out the spiral and to cut it but this is simple and quick.
Some of the most amazing spiral work I have seen is by a gentleman named Bill Bowers in Anchorage, Alaska (http://turningsbb.com/page6.htm). He has written several articles for woodturning design (www.woodturningdesign.com) on that subjest in fact it was a series on spiral turning. That would be a good place to start. If you need I could try and find out the specific back issues.
Good luck and happy trails
Good luck and happy trails
Took a while to find, but here's a link to the Amazon ad for Stuart Mortimer's book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0854420630/woodturningre-21/026-6453680-5336459
And if you search for "Holtzapffel, Jacob" Three books turn up.
Does anyone know how many books the Holtzapffels published?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0854420630/woodturningre-21/026-6453680-5336459
And if you search for "Holtzapffel, Jacob" Three books turn up.
Does anyone know how many books the Holtzapffels published?
SEARS Spiraling router jig
Sears, sold and may still sell a jig that works with a router to produce spirals on spindal work. I have seen them in action and it dos the job on i believe items of 5" diameter or less and I believe about 30 " in length. This jig sold for around $125 you may find one from sears or ebay.
Sears, sold and may still sell a jig that works with a router to produce spirals on spindal work. I have seen them in action and it dos the job on i believe items of 5" diameter or less and I believe about 30 " in length. This jig sold for around $125 you may find one from sears or ebay.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Sears no longer sells the Router Crafter. I bought one off EBAY but they were selling for more than the original new price. I watched them for about 3 months and finally got one for $139 which was actually what Sears sold them for about 10 years ago.
I have a router book that shows you how to build one using bicycle gears. I don't remember which router book it is so If anyone is interested let me know and I'll dig it out.
I have a router book that shows you how to build one using bicycle gears. I don't remember which router book it is so If anyone is interested let me know and I'll dig it out.
Hey thanks for the suggestions everybody!!! I probably wouldn't do spirals enough to make it worthwhile getting expensive tools... I will probably stick to something like the microplane... thanks for all the help!!!
Jonathon.C
Jonathon.C
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Jonathan Check out the Cabinetmakers Rasps from Highland Hardware. I like mine and I've heard from others that they outlast the Microplanes. Highland Hardware is in Atlanta. I believe you can do a search and find them.
Hey, thanks for that suggestion about the rasps... I'll have to check those out! Thanks for all the help!!
Jonathon
Jonathon
- Joined
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About this router book
Hi John, How are you?
My dad is interest on these projects (book) that you have mentioned, could you please, dig it out on your books for him? If so, how I can buy from you these copies (or originals)? We lived in Brazil. Thanks in advanced!
john lucas said:
Hi John, How are you?
My dad is interest on these projects (book) that you have mentioned, could you please, dig it out on your books for him? If so, how I can buy from you these copies (or originals)? We lived in Brazil. Thanks in advanced!
I just saw yesterday that the new woodturning magazing has an article on this subject and it is written Stuart Mortimer.
Stacey
Stacey
djb said:
I have one of the Sears Router Crafters. When you got one, the default was a square head on the one end, about 2 1/2" - 3" square. There was an option spur type center available as a replacement option. It then works closer to a lathe in that you don't have to have that big end on your piece to turn it. I got one and it does expand the ability of the unit by quite a bit.
Paul
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
If you want to build something similar to the Sears Router Crafter you can get the book Router Magic by Bill Hylton. It is a Readers Digest book. It has a chapter called Router lathe and it's built using bicycle gears. I was going to build it until I found a router crafter on ebay. I bought the book on Amazon.com but I'll bet you can find it on many of the websites that sell woodworking books.