Quick tutorial on turning a spindle/ fence post into a shaft?

[Sam Fleisher]

I've only ever turned small snowmen, mushrooms and the egg challenge egg in a spindle orientation.

I've got a project I'm working on that I need a 2.5 foot shaft with one end being six inches of 2.5 inch diameter and the rest can be whatever diameter I end up with to maximize wood.

I figured I would need a hard wood for this so I went and sourced a hedge apple post that my buddy says was cut 4-5 years ago.. I think he's not remembering correctly and closer to 10 but anyway I'm jumping into turning a spindle with both feet I guess.

Speed? Spindle gouge position? height on tool rest? all a mystery to me mostly. Especially with a 4-5 inch diameter chunk of wood.

Should I be using my carbide? On the center line? Above center line? Below?

Mainly I'd like to avoid a catch that would give me a heart attack.

NO SKEWS will be harmed or USED in the making! lol

Thanks

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I just made a white oak spindle, 4 1/2 diameter down to 1 1/2 diameter x 50" long. Had to make in two pieces due to being too long for lathe bed. I started about 700 rpm and gradually increased to about 1200 as it got smaller. White oak in spindle orientation seems stringy when you cut it, have to keep tools sharp. I started with a spindle roughing gouge, went to a continental gouge, then found I got the best cut with my 40/40 gouge. I set toolrest to center height for the gouge when on toolrest. I have never turned osage orange so I can't give any advice there. I did have to use a steady rest to keep harmonic vibration down and slow the speed down when it got smaller diameter. Also noticed if I rubbed the bevel too hard that made vibration. Hope this helps and I'm sure others will have more advice.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I just made a white oak spindle, 4 1/2 diameter down to 1 1/2 diameter x 50" long. Had to make in two pieces due to being too long for lathe bed. I started about 700 rpm and gradually increased to about 1200 as it got smaller. White oak in spindle orientation seems stringy when you cut it, have to keep tools sharp. I started with a spindle roughing gouge, went to a continental gouge, then found I got the best cut with my 40/40 gouge. I set toolrest to center height for the gouge when on toolrest. I have never turned osage orange so I can't give any advice there. I did have to use a steady rest to keep harmonic vibration down and slow the speed down when it got smaller diameter. Also noticed if I rubbed the bevel too hard that made vibration. Hope this helps and I'm sure others will have more advice.

There won't be a taper in this, I just need six inches to be 2.5 and that end I will make as smooth as possible. It's to rotate in a metal tube.

The rest of it really doesn't need to be completely round but I will just because. The hardest part might be drilling the 1.25 inch hole cross grain on the end opposite of the six inch part.

Imagine instead of an engine bolted to a engine stand to be worked on, this shaft will go into the round tube where the engine would rotate on the stand and on the opposite end I have a 1.25 inch threaded rod to run through the shaft perpendicular and to that I will screw my chucks holding bowls to finish/carve/embellish whatever needed. This way I'm not tying up my lathe waiting for a coat of poly or lacquer to dry and I could move it outside or wherever.

* edit, added pic** The hedge apple shaft will go in place of the black metal plate in picture and be able to spin.

My finish stand design. With some inspiration from a member on here.

 

[Brian Gustin]

Hmmm wow. This is not advice, but I don't think you should have much fear or hesitation , as long as you keep just a couple things in mind - Because it is (I assume) Between centers, you only need to be sure and check/re-tighten tailstock every so often, but spindles between centers are pretty rare to come off the lathe unexpectedly... And your stock , just as long as you stop and check every so often for cracking/checking, you should be fine. a 5 inch spindle, probably I might start at around 800-1200 RPM at most.....

Minor story: I never had tutorial or training other than the standard safety instruction the very first time I used a lathe (In high school wood shop, which would have been circa 1981-1982 or so) I was handed a 5 inch square by 36 inch long chuck of kiln dried cherry and shown how to drive the spur center into one end and chuck it up, and then handed the spindle roughing gouge and set to work, I believe it was a General lathe, and to my recollection, there was just one speed, Fire it up , turn it round, and get it to whatever shape I wanted it to be (I went with a Muskrat Bat , as I used to go Muskrat trapping back then for extra money in furs..)

Long story short, your project sounds simple enough that all you really need to worry about (I assume you already understand tool control and all that) is getting your 2.5 inch end to your precise specification (It's real easy to misjudge how much you're taking away, so I'd suggest sneak up on the fit on the first 1/2 inch of the length, just in case you go a little too far on the first bit, you can use it to see how far is too far on the next bit) So My advice would be relax, don't overthink it, chuck it between centers, sharpen your SRG (It'll be easier to get the bulk of it turned down with that than a skew, unless you have already lots of skew practice) and away you go...

Like any other turning, you'll typically want to adjust tool rest (for spindles, get as close to the wood as you can but not so close that your bevel is resting on the rest) so your cutting edge will be presented at approximately the center line (or a tad above) of the spindle , and as far as speed, with spindles between centers, usually faster is better, so I'd probably start around 700 RPM if not more... adjust speed up or down if there's vibration, until vibration stops... Of course if you're nervous about gouges, feel free to use a scraper (And again they're presented so the cutting edge is approximately at center line or slightly above) I can't think of much else I could advise...

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I think Brian gave you good advise. Just take it easy and after rounding use a light touch. Even between centers a heavy touch will cause deflection. As to Osage Orange it does like to splinter for watch for that also. Spindle steady would be nice but may get by at 2.5" without. By the way you can use a SRG to get a cut like a Skew , it just needs to be oriented like the Skew.

 

[hockenbery]

The rest of it really doesn't need to be completely round but I will just because. The hardest part might be drilling the 1.25 inch hole cross grain on the end opposite of the six inch part.

If I can, I drill holes before I turn. It is usually easy to mark the spindle centers to get the drilled holes lined up.
Gavel heads I drill after turning using a vee block on a drill press.

I’ve not used carbides on spindles. Gouges and skews.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Hmmm wow. This is not advice, but I don't think you should have much fear or hesitation , as long as you keep just a couple things in mind - Because it is (I assume) Between centers, you only need to be sure and check/re-tighten tailstock every so often, but spindles between centers are pretty rare to come off the lathe unexpectedly... And your stock , just as long as you stop and check every so often for cracking/checking, you should be fine. a 5 inch spindle, probably I might start at around 800-1200 RPM at most.....

Minor story: I never had tutorial or training other than the standard safety instruction the very first time I used a lathe (In high school wood shop, which would have been circa 1981-1982 or so) I was handed a 5 inch square by 36 inch long chuck of kiln dried cherry and shown how to drive the spur center into one end and chuck it up, and then handed the spindle roughing gouge and set to work, I believe it was a General lathe, and to my recollection, there was just one speed, Fire it up , turn it round, and get it to whatever shape I wanted it to be (I went with a Muskrat Bat , as I used to go Muskrat trapping back then for extra money in furs..)

Long story short, your project sounds simple enough that all you really need to worry about (I assume you already understand tool control and all that) is getting your 2.5 inch end to your precise specification (It's real easy to misjudge how much you're taking away, so I'd suggest sneak up on the fit on the first 1/2 inch of the length, just in case you go a little too far on the first bit, you can use it to see how far is too far on the next bit) So My advice would be relax, don't overthink it, chuck it between centers, sharpen your SRG (It'll be easier to get the bulk of it turned down with that than a skew, unless you have already lots of skew practice) and away you go...

Like any other turning, you'll typically want to adjust tool rest (for spindles, get as close to the wood as you can but not so close that your bevel is resting on the rest) so your cutting edge will be presented at approximately the center line (or a tad above) of the spindle , and as far as speed, with spindles between centers, usually faster is better, so I'd probably start around 700 RPM if not more... adjust speed up or down if there's vibration, until vibration stops... Of course if you're nervous about gouges, feel free to use a scraper (And again they're presented so the cutting edge is approximately at center line or slightly above) I can't think of much else I could advise...

AAAAhhhh the days of $9 muskrats.. They seem to have disappeared around here and previous years they had went for 50 cents. Sounds like we are the same age except I used a lot of conibears in the lake so didn't need a bat.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

If I can, I drill holes before I turn. It is usually easy to mark the spindle centers to get the drilled holes lined up.
Gavel heads I drill after turning using a vee block on a drill press.

I’ve not used carbides on spindles. Gouges and skews.

Im probably at a standstill with that anyway because I think the biggest bit I have is a 1 inch spade bit. Need to order one or borrow a 1 1/4 somewhere. Or I wonder, I have a 2 inch forstner If I used that and epoxied in my threaded rod would I be able to screw it out when the epoxy cured? The rod has a blue Teflon coating on it. hmm

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I think you spindle people might be on to something! I had to watch myself because I was having too much fun just making it round. Need to even out my dimensions on the one end and it's a done deal as far as turning it goes.
The old Benjamin best SRG but I'm finishing it up with my faithful 5/8 Thompson bowl gouge.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

VOILA!!!

Shaft done, time to find a big drill bit tomorrow and I'll be ready to rock! (or at least finish off the lathe)

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Ta Daaaa!

Finishing stand is closer to done. Need to fabricate a wheel to turn the threaded rod easier and down the road maybe attach a motor of some kind to make it spin by itself. But it is usable now.


I've got $40 in it not counting the mdf and a couple of bolts I had already. Gave a kid $20 for the stand then found a new one in the garage I had forgot about... Threaded rod w/nuts was $6 stop collars were $7 and the 1.5 inch tube going through the wood shaft was $7.