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Wooden Thimbles

B

Bill Turpin

Joined
May 15, 2004
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Location
Western North Carolina mountains
My wife purchased a cutter for wooden, sewing thimbles from Craft Supplies. She does not like their instructions, which are also almost unreadable. Does anyone have any experience with this tool? TIA for any hints.:-)

Bill an WNC mountains
 
thimble

a little, my sister quilts and i have made a few, i use just split off pieces of wood rounded up or large pen blanks. burl or heavely spalted woods should be stablized, the pen blanks i used were a little over 1" square i used the small oneway jaws on spindle and revoling center on tail stock, shape outside, (i bought a cheap ... i mean inexpensive thimble at walmart for pattern) and shaped the outside of the side, switched to thimble tool on tailstock and hollow inside, detail outside side, and reverse with home made jam chuck, then part off much like you would the base of bowl or hf. surprizing it takes almost as much time as small bowl. soft maple tends to break out at the center of the top if you get it too thin!!!!!! :eek: i sure there must be someone who has more experience making thimbles :D

ps i think i used a drill bit with tape and sandpaper on the end of it for a jam chuck
 
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Bill I don't have that tool but have one almost exactly like it to drill the cups in candlestics. You shouldn't need any instructions. Just chuck up the wood put the cutter in the tailstock and then drill as deep as needed. I don't know how well it works by chucking this way. I predrill my candlesticks in the drill but don't remember having any problems.
 
Bill,
Have you tried calling Craft Supplies and talk to their technical people? They should be able to clear up what the instructions fail to convey.
 
Bill
I round up my wood blank, just like you are going to make a spindle. I then cut a tennon and put it in my chuck. I install the cutter in a Jacobs chuck and drill the hole in the end of the wood. Keep the speed down as the tool tends to chatter and is hard to sand out. I have marked the cutter for the correct depth and that will depend upon who will be putting the thimble on their finger. I shape the outside and part off, allowing for enough wood to reshape the top. I made a tapered jam chuck for the thimble and turn and finish the top. Sand and finish with your favorite finish. I can knock one out in about 15 minutes. Best of luck making thimbles, they are a lot of fun.
 
I got chatter in the drill press and moved to drilling on the lathe. The quilter I live with wants to use them for quilting and asks for very dense wood (boxwood, african black wood, and dense fruitwoods have passed the test) or a bit of metal inset into the end of the thimble where the head meets the thimble. Pewter works. She also like having the thimble open on the back of her finger - think pierced work.

Note that the working thimble user has a few differernt outcomes in mind than the those who collect to hang in a display.


They can be fun once your get the mandrel made and practice on a few.
 
I made a couple for a friend's wife. I chucked a spindle and hollowed out the inside with a detail gouge. Shaped the outside. Parted it off and used a jam chuck to clean off the top.
 
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