I have begun making parts for a German Christmas pyramid. For those who don't know, it is a small carousel , usually decorated with a scene of little holiday figures that spins around. It is powered by the heat of candles passing through a horizontal wooden fan on the top. I have already turned a group of little figures for the carousel platform The base hub that the rotating platform rests on will have to be turned. A simple task. turning the top hub, to fasten the vanes is the problem. My lathe has an index wheel that I can use to help lay out the top hub, but the slots for the vanes need to be at a 40 degree angle. I thought of mounting my compound drill press vise on the lathe, mount my electric drill on the vise and a small saw blade on the drill. the use the slide to move the rotating saw blade in and out on the top hub.
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German pyramid parts
- Thread starter Perry Hilbert
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
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- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
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- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
That probably works..
I would use slotted pins to hold the fan blade on the hub.
I would build a bank with all the pins in it with the slots in the blank
For 10 pins Cut 5 dados in a strip of wood
depth= the width of the slot needed and
Width= twice the depth of the slot + a bandsaw kerf
Space the dados switch twice the length tenon length younwant on the pin and a little bead etc.
Glue a strip of wood on the dado face.
You now have 5 slots in your blank.
You can now turn this piec between centers to the diameter you want. Turn the tenon areas to diameter.
Make a little bead where the tenon joins the slot area.
On the bandsaw using a fine tooth blade (14 tpi ) I would use a small sled I use to cut pen blanks to cut the pins to length. Coping saw will do too. I would share the slot edges on a sanding disc.
Glue the fan blades into the slots.
I would drill the holes In the hub on the drill press using a vee block to center the hole on the hub.
Use a miter guage to set the angle of the blades as the tenon of each is glued into the hub
I would use slotted pins to hold the fan blade on the hub.
I would build a bank with all the pins in it with the slots in the blank
For 10 pins Cut 5 dados in a strip of wood
depth= the width of the slot needed and
Width= twice the depth of the slot + a bandsaw kerf
Space the dados switch twice the length tenon length younwant on the pin and a little bead etc.
Glue a strip of wood on the dado face.
You now have 5 slots in your blank.
You can now turn this piec between centers to the diameter you want. Turn the tenon areas to diameter.
Make a little bead where the tenon joins the slot area.
On the bandsaw using a fine tooth blade (14 tpi ) I would use a small sled I use to cut pen blanks to cut the pins to length. Coping saw will do too. I would share the slot edges on a sanding disc.
Glue the fan blades into the slots.
I would drill the holes In the hub on the drill press using a vee block to center the hole on the hub.
Use a miter guage to set the angle of the blades as the tenon of each is glued into the hub
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
It can be done with a router on the lathe with indexing. If you posted a picture or drawing of exactly what you need I can better describe how it would work.
Why not slot the vanes into short pegs which can be inserted into holes drilled in the hub? That's how I have done the assembly in the German pyramids I've made.
Cut them on the tablesaw while the parts is still square. Then turn.
A friend has a minnie compound miter saw that can be set to a 40 degree angle it even has a stop for depth of cut. I will make a wooden vise to cradle the round hub and mark it. Seems like an easy way to go.
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