Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
A couple of guys have asked me about the bent finial on some of my work and it's very easy to do. Easier to post photos than to explain so here are a few shots of the jig I made from scrap wood.
Scrap pine cut into a rough arc defining the curve you want. The hole at bottom is to accept the finial base.
The runners at the end of the jig base are to prevent the top piece from moving around and making it much easier to clamp.
Hard to see but the piece at left has a slight dado let into the curved face. This helps to register the work piece and prevent it from flopping out of the jig when pressure is applied..
So, after the turned piece is placed in the jig, just clamp it together. In this case I'm using green hackberry, which is an excellent bending wood I've learned.
After a day or so, remove the clamp and that's it. This hackberry piece was finish-turned but the steaming opens up the grain considerably. I finish sand by hand working through the grits. 150, 151, 152, 153...
Scrap pine cut into a rough arc defining the curve you want. The hole at bottom is to accept the finial base.
The runners at the end of the jig base are to prevent the top piece from moving around and making it much easier to clamp.
Hard to see but the piece at left has a slight dado let into the curved face. This helps to register the work piece and prevent it from flopping out of the jig when pressure is applied..
So, after the turned piece is placed in the jig, just clamp it together. In this case I'm using green hackberry, which is an excellent bending wood I've learned.
After a day or so, remove the clamp and that's it. This hackberry piece was finish-turned but the steaming opens up the grain considerably. I finish sand by hand working through the grits. 150, 151, 152, 153...