THE WOODWORKER SERIES

WOO

2-CU-

Glass

Book

^_f

WOOD-TURNING
(THE WOODWORKER SERIES)

THE WOODWORKER SERIES

and most
Joints. Deals
the

Woodwork
practical

clearest

in

way with

all

Joints required in Cabinet

The volume is illusof which have

been specially drawn to show the methods of work
and the application of the joint. 12mo., with com-

Work, Carpentry, Joinery,

etc.

trated with over 420 diagrams,

many

plete Index of over 1,000 references.

Staining
guide

to

and

every

The

most

complete

connected

with

Staining,

Polishing.
process

etc., placing before the reader

information regarding practically every method
There is an Appendix of Recipes
of wood-finishing.

Polishing, Varnishing,
full

for stains, polishes, varnishes, etc.,

able Index of 1,300 references.

and a most valu-

12mo., illustrated.

Fretwork. Contents include Fret Cutting, Inand Over-laying, giving the reader details
regarding the preparation of the wood and the design.
The author has had a vast experience as a fretcutter.
He has also written more on the subject and
produced a larger number of published fret-work
designs than any other living man. He gives many
practical hints on cutting and sandpapering, joints
and fitting, gluing, fixing and fitting, backgrounds
and finish, etc. There is also included material on
12mo. 222
the art of over-laying and in-laying.
laying

pages.

129 illustrations in the text.

The Woodwork er Series

WOOD-TURNING

PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

.fa

J. B. LtPPIHCOTT COVPAWT
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUABS PBBftS

FEINTED BT

PHILADELPHIA,

V. 8. A.

\i

FOREWORD
'"TpURNING, one

most

and satisfying modes of ornament, has been employed from

the earliest times in constructive and decorative
woodwork, and this volume has been designed to
assist the professional craftsman and the amateur in
of the

effective

practical lathe work.

The

uses of tools and the methods of manipulation

for various classes of

work are

clearly given,

and

suggestions are offered as guidance for the setting

out and grouping of the recognised classical members

so as to secure correctly proportioned
designs.

The numerous

and graceful

illustrations include

examples of turnings in different

styles,

many

and

in

several cases full-sized working details are given.

The volume has been written and (for the most

illustrated by Mr. William Fairham, and is

part)

aimed to
practical

makers,

assist

not only the

wood
joiners,

turners,

home

cabinet

carpenters,

worker, but also

makers,

wheelwrights,

pattern
junior

draughtsmen, and teachers and students in Technical

or Day Continuation Schools.
J. C. S.

BROUGH.

CONTENTS
*AGE

THE LATHE

Lathe Parts Treadling

Roughing Down.

Gauging

and Chucking

TURNING SMALL OBJECTS

13

Using the Chisel Turning a Hollow Rounding off

Stepping or Sinking
Gauges
The Callipers
Examples Finishing with Glass-paper Tools.

TOOLS: GRINDING AND SHARPENING

Grinding Gauges and Chisels

Oilslips

Back

Stay

Circular

25

$1

Sharpening.

THE BACK STAYSAWING AND BORING

Back Rest

Sawing

Drilling

Attachment.

SPLIT TURNINGS
Jacobean

AND TURNED MOULDINGS

ing Mouldings

36

Preparing the Wood TurnThe use of the Arbor Bulbous Turn-

Split Turnings

ings.

TWISTED AND SPIRAL TURNINGS

Single

Twists

Twists

Double

Cabriole Legs.

Twists

Chucks

and Wooden

Face Plates

Chucks Split Chucks

Rounding Tools.

1/

Strand

....

CHUCKS AND FACE PLATES

Metal

Separate

55

Screw

HOLLOWING A VASESUPPORTING COLLARS,

ETC
Hollowing

67

Vase

Turning

Temporary Supporting
Barred Doors.

Collars

Discs Gap Lathes

Turning Moulds for

CONTENTS

....

TURNING A BALL
Tae Limit Gauge and
^Taming Balls

Testing

Tools

ther

Balls

PAGE
75

Operations in

Turning

Common

Bails.

TURNING WOODEN RIN^S, SQUARE TURNING,

ETC

81

Cornice Pole Rings Use of SaddleSquare Turning

Quasi-square TurningSetting-out LathsTurning
for Capitals.

FINISHING TURNINGSSTAINING AND POLISHING

91

MISCELLANEOUS HINTS

99

Tobacco Pipes Sideboard Pillars Noah's Ark Animals

Grouping of Members Table of Speeds The Story

of the Lathe.

.........

PATTERNS FOR TURNINGS

details)

many

(with

full-sized

jo*

Dining-Table, Billiard Table, and other Table Legs

etc.
Chair Legs Newel
Chessmen, Etc.

Columns, Posts, Spindles,

Posts Household Turnery

INDEX

jt

M9

THE LATHE
art of

Wood Turning consists, broadly speaking,

timber into such a shape that, if a

section be taken at right angles to the axis on
which the work is revolved, the section will be a
The machine or appliance in which the
circle.
timber is revolved whilst the cutting action is in

THE

of forming

progress

is

FIG.

I.

called a Lathe.

SKETCH

Fig. i is

OF STANDARD TREADLE LATHE, WITH

EXTENSION PIECE.

a sketch showing the front view of a standard

Fig. 2 illustrates the back view

foot or treadle lathe.

Wood Turning

The Lathe
d .2

O c

XI

rt

a
d
a

be

>
c
P
ffi

U:


IVood Turning
same lathe, a complete numbered list of parts
Various makes of lathes
being given on page 3.
differ
in design and construction, but the general
principle is the same.
The length of the bed of the lathe shown in the illusration is 3 ft. 6 ins.
and the height of the centres from
of the

FIG. 3.

SKETCH

OF EXTENSION PIECE

(NO.

1 4).

is 5 ins.
The extension piece (No. 14) was in
this particular case made after the lathe was bought,

the bed

so as to enable the worker to turn table legs, etc., up to

2 ft. 8 ins. long.
sketch, Fig. 3, is shown of this
extension, which can be bolted on and taken off the lathe

proper as occasion demands.

FIG. 3a.

PARTS 4 AND J OF LATHE.

Buying a Lathe. The points to be remembered

when buying a lathe are these
Do not err by buying one that is too small and too
lightly built.
The height from the bed of the lathe to
:

the centre of the spindle, and the distance between the

centres (4 and 7) regulate, respectively, the diameter and
the length of the work which is to be operated upon.
If your pocket will afford it, do not buy a lathe the

The Lathe
bed of which is less than 3 ft. 6 ins. long, and the height
to the centres of less than 4 ins.
The whole of the moving parts should be accurately
fitted.
The driving wheel should be weighted, so as
to bring up the treadle to such a position that it is always
ready to be started by a direct downward pressure of the
foot, and the cast-iron legs should be of a fairly heavy
design.
Lightly built lathes are useless for good work,
as their construction is such that they do not absorb
vibration.

The Operation

of

Shaping Wood by means

of a

as follows
The timber to be turned is placed
in the lathe between the live centre (7) and the dead
centre (4).
The treadle is started this transmits, by

lathe

is

the action of the chain (23), the requisite power to the

crankshaft and driving wheel.
This, again, by aid of
a leather belt or strap, turns the live spindle and so sets
the wood revolving. A turning tool, generally a gouge,
is firmly held by the worker with the blade supported
by the tee rest, and the waste wood is cut away so as to
leave the desired shape.
Make yourself familiar with the adjustments of your
lathe.
Slacken the nut at the centre of the tailstock,
and note how readily the tailstock can be moved along
the lathe bed so as to take the desired length of timber.
Slacken the clamp (13) and you will find that the tee rest
support can be adjusted so as to take varying diameters,
or that it can be moved along the bed similarly to the
tailstock, enabling you to bring it to any desired position
lengthways on the bed. Slacken the screw (25), which
allows the tee rest to be raised or lowered, and at the same
time turned at right angles to the bed of the lathe.
Remember, before commencing work, that a lathe
is in some ways like a bicycle, and that the moving parts
require oiling so as to avoid undue friction.

Treadling.

Having

made

yourself

familiar

with

IVood Turning
the various parts of the lathe, your first difficulty
be learning to treadle. To the beginner it appears
impossible to work the feet independently of the hands.
all

will

FIG. 4.

SHOWING POSITION OV BODY WHILST TREADLING.

It is, therefore, advisable to spend an hour or so in

practising with the treadle before attempting the actual
turning.
Both feet should be used in turn, and this will

The Lathe
be found
of the

difficult at first.

body

Much depends upon

whilst changing the foot,

for perseverance until easy

the poise

and there

is

need

and continuous running

is

obtained.
The great fault with the beginner is that he puts
pressure on to the treadle before the crank passes the
dead centre, thus working much harder than is necessary,
or preventing the treadle from giving the crankshaft
and flywheel a continuous revolution. Stand in front
of the lathe (Fig. 4), the whole weight of the body on
one leg work the treadle with the other leg, but moving
no other part of the body in unison with the leg. When
this can be done with either the right or the left leg
without undue fatigue, the beginner may consider
himself ready for his first attempt at wood turning.
;

Take a piece of wood

Gauging and Chucking.
preferably of a soft nature, such as yellow pine or red

A convenient

size for a first attempt will be about

long by 1 \ ins. square. See that the ends of the
wood are approximately square and, taking up the
ordinary joiner's marking gauge, strike the centre as
shown at Fig. 5, these marks being, of course, gauged at
each end of the wood. Next take up a bradawl and bore
a hole about \ in. deep, so that the spur and the dead
centre of the lathe will be forced into the timber without

deal.

12

ins.

splitting

it.

Considering that the lathe is foot driven, it is advisable

to roughly plane away the corners of the wood as shown
at Fig. 6
then, by making suitable adjustments to the
tool rest and tailstock, proceed to place the timber
between the lathe centres. This operation is called
" chucking " the wood.
Fig. 7 shows the wood held
in the left hand while placing the centre point of the spur,
or prong, in the centre of the hole already made for it.
Now give the end of the wood a couple of smart
taps with a hammer or a spanner, and this will effectively
drive the end of the wood on to the spur.
;

Wood

Turning

Take up a tallow or composite candle and grease the

hole that has been formed to take the dead centre.
It is important that this be lubricated, owing to the fact
that the wood revolves on the dead centre, thus inducing

FIG

5.

GAUGING

TO

FIND CENTRE.

PIECE OF WOOD WITH CORNERS

ROUGHLY PLANED AWAY READY FOR
MOUNTING BETWEEN THE LATHE CENTRES.

FIG. 6.

On the other hand, no lubrication is necessary

end of the wood which engages with the spur or

friction.

at the

prong, because the

by

this spur.

woog

is

Candle grease

FIG. 7.

carried round, or revolved

is

considered

CHUCKING THE

much

better

WOOD

dead centre than the ordinary machine

which, owing to its liquid state, runs all over the
wood, thus messing up the turning and throwing oil into
the worker's face.
Turn up the hand-wheel as shown at Fig. 8 until the
conical point pushes fairly tightly into the wood, then
for lubricating the
oil,

The Lathe
give the handle a quarter turn backwards to avoid
excessive friction, and lock the tail spindle in the desired
position by screwing up the locking handle shown at
Fig. 2, No. 2.
If the tail spindle be not locked, there is
always a danger of the spindle working backwards, and

FIG. 8.

FASTENING WOOD BETWEEN CENTRES.

a risk of the wood flying out of the machine and injuring

the worker.
The tee rest and the tee rest holder should now be
adjusted to the work. This is done by raising the tee

FIG. 9.

POSITION OF REST

AND WOOD.

top edge of it is slightly above the centre

wood, and then adjusting the tee rest holder so
as to allow the front of the rest to be as close to the wood
as is possible, without actually touching it when the
work is revolved. For positions of rest and wood, see
rest so that the

of the

Fig. 9.

Wood Turning

Roughing Down. Now take the J-in. gouge as

shown at Fig. 4, allowing it to lie with its back on the tee
rest.
Hold the right hand (which grasps the handle of
the tool) close to the body, so as to overcome leverage,
and let the fleshy part of the left hand come in contact
with the tee rest so as to act as a guide and prevent the
tool being pushed into the work unevenly.
Treadle the lathe so that the wood revolves towards
you as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, and gently
advance the gouge so that it takes light cuts off the rough

-POSITION OF

WORK

GOUGE WHEN ROUGHING DOWN THE

RIGHT AND LEFT-HAND CUTS.

Give it at the same time a sideway

parts of the wood.
motion, and gradually cut deeper into the wood opposite
the tee rest until it becomes cylindrical. The clamping
handle, No. 13, Fig. 2, is now loosened so as to enable
the tee rest to be placed opposite that portion of the
wood which has not been worked upon fasten the clamp
which holds the tee rest, and repeat the cutting operation
until the whole of the wood is approximately a rough
cylinder.
This tool operation is called " roughing down."
;

When roughing down, the tool should occasionally

be reversed so as to bring the other cutting edge into
use this method is shown in Fig. 10. The sketch shows a
;

The Lathe
top view and an end view. When the gouge is being
worked to the left, as indicated by A, it is slightly tilted
similarly, when working
as shown by the curved arrow
to the right, B, it is again slightly tilted as shown by the
With constant practice this reversal of the tool
arrow.
becomes almost automatic.
The beginner will probably experience some little
;

He may

difficulty in using the gouge.

fix his tee rest

too high, or he may hold his gouge at an incorrect

angle to his work. Should his tool rub upon the work
without cutting, he should slightly lift the right hand.
little

FIG.

little

II.

SMOOTHING WITH THE CHISEL.

him to judge his

any necessity for theoretical

experience will soon enable

correct cutting angle without

knowledge, such as cutting edges at a tangent to the cut

circle.

After roughing down the work with the gouge, the

worker should endeavour to make his work as smooth as
possible by removing the irregularities which have been
left by the roughing process.
This can be done by
taking a very light cut with the gouge, and allowing the

hand to slide along the front of the tee rest in fact,

left hand will act as a kind of slide rest.
With
practice an almost finished surface can be left from the

left

the

gouge alone.
ii

Wood Turning

^JWJU-J

12

TURNING SMALL OBJECTS

'

the previous chapter we described the wood- turning

lathe and its various parts, and dealt with the work
" roughing out " for the initial stages.
of the gouge in
The next tool to be used is the turning chisel, and as
an introduction to this tool the worker is advised to
use it on the cylindrical block that he has already

experimented upon (Fig. 6).

will be an attempt to finish

His

The Chisel. Most amateurs

scraping tool.

use of this tool

work.

first

off his

as a
used as a

use the chisel

Perhaps they have not seen

it

End View.

FIG 12.

FINISHING WORK WITH THE CHISEL.

(RIGHT AND LEFT-HAND CUTS.)

and many who attempt to use it as a cutting

owing to the liability of
the sharp corners to continually catch and dig into the
cutting tool,

tool experience great difficulty,

work.
is

The secret of using this tool for smoothing purposes

to remember that only the centre portion of the blade

indicated
should be actually touching the wood. Fig.
the method of using it when making a finishing cut, and
Fig. 12 shows the actual position and the approximate
angle of the tool for cutting to right or left.
Before the finishing cut has been going on many

13

IVood Turning
minutes, the worker will probably find that the long
corner of the chisel will catch into the wood, thus splintering it to a greater or lesser extent, according to how
This is one of the traps
firmly the handle is being held.
for the beginner, and the best safeguard is to use a chisel

FIG.

13.

AN ELEMENTARY TURNED SHAPE.

not less than i-in. in width. Nervousness is a cause of

a great deal of spoiled turnery work.
As a second attempt, take the gouge and rough down
Practise
the work similar to the shape shown at Fig. 13.
taking a finishing cut with the chisel, working from the
centre of the block to the ends and using the chisel both
Remember, as a
to the right and left from the centre.

jTTiF
FIG. 14.

STAGES IN TURNING A HOLLOW, ETC.

general rule, to keep the tee-rest as near to the work as

possible, say J-in. clearance, and bear in mind that, as
the block is reduced in diameter, you must adjust the
rest so as to follow up the continually diminishing
diameter.
The worker should continue practising with the gouge
and the chisel until the wood is reduced to such a size
that it has to be discarded.

Turning Small Objects

Next try to turn a hollow with

Fig. 14, A, shows the completed
or J-in. gouge.
concave curve. B shows the method of using the gouge
to give the first or opening cut, and this cut is gradually
widened out until it is ready for the finishing cut. C
illustrates the commencement of the finishing cut
the
gouge is held so that the cutting edge is vertical, and at
the same time (as the gouge is worked forward into the
hollow) the right hand twists it, as indicated by the
arrow at D. This twisting of the gouge is continued
until reaching the deepest point of the concavity, at
which point the gouge will be on its back, as indicated

Turning a Hollow.

f-in.

atE.

The left-hand

the hollow is worked out by

and reversing the cutting
operations, thus finishing the cut at its smallest diameter.
The general rule to be remembered is to work "downhill " as it were.
When starting the cut at C it is important that the tool
be held at a correct cutting angle, and with the edge of
the tool that is in contact with the work vertical.
If
the tool be advanced at an incorrect angle with the edge
not vertical, the worker will find that it has a tendency
to run along the face of the work, thus scarring the
finished surface with an unsightly spiral cut which will
spoil the work.
For instance, if, when starting the cut C,
the gouge is held as shown in position D, the power
exerted by the revolving wood will twist the gouge flat
upon its back and tear the wood away.
A considerable amount of practice will be necessary
at this stage of the work, and it is important to firmly
grasp the handle of the gouge with the right hand.
half of

starting at the left of the cut

Rounding Off. Next attempt rounding off the end

shown at F. Start the cut with the gouge almost flat
upon its back, twisting the handle of the gouge to the
right at the same time as the point goes towards the
as

*5

Wood Turning
This will bring the gouge into the
centre of the wood.
that is, with the cutting edge in
position shown at F
contact with the work, vertical.

Squaring Down the end of the wood with a gouge is

shown at G, and from start to finish of this cut the edge
of the

gouge

is

The reader
tool

held in a vertical position.

understand that

operations,

working from
right to left

all the above

most instances
can be manipulated from

will clearly

although

shown

to right,
reversing the position of the tool.

left

by

in

Stepping or Sinking Down the work may next be

attempted, such as recessing the handle of a dumb-

FIG.

15.

STAGES IN STEPPING DOWN OR SINKING

ROUNDING OFF A BEAD, ETC.

The gouge is first used to rough out

similar to I.
the work in 1, 2, 3, or more cuts, as shown in the upper
After roughing in to the approximate
half of sketch H.
shape, the shoulder is cut down by taking a light cut with
the chisel as H, 4. The chisel commences the cut at the
highest point of the turning and is advanced in the
direction of the arrow until the required distance is set

bell,

now turned upon its side and used as at H, 5.

After finishing out the corner, the chisels are used in an
exactly opposite manner, to work away and finish the
right-hand corner.

in, it is

16


Turning Small Objects
Where a very narrow
will

recess has to be turned out,

be necessary to use a parting tool, as at J.

it

Rounding Off a Bead with the chisel is shown at

L and M. The tool is held at K, and by gradually
twisting the handle to the left, as shown at I (see arrow),
the tool will assume the position shown at M, which is
the completion of the cut.
The ordinary vee cut is
made with the chisel (N, Fig. 16). For the first cut or
K,

incision,

Fig. 16.

hold the cutting edge perfectly vertical, then

A Vee Cut.

Fig. 17.

Showing

Direction of Tool.

take a cut at each side of this centre line in a similar

position to that shown at L.

For Finishing Tool Handles or

similar articles of

spherical or semi-spherical shape the chisel

is

used.

Start

with the tool flat upon its side as at K (Fig. 15), and
gradually twist the handle, as at L, until at the finishing
Fig. 17,
point the edge of the chisel is vertical as at M.
O, shows the rounding of a handle, the position of the
tool being about two-thirds of the distance down the
cut.
The whole of this handle would have the
finishing cut given to it by the turning chisel, working
from the highest points downwards as indicated by the
arrows.

The worker will have to give considerable attention

and practice of the use of the chisel for finishing, as it is
W.T.

J7

JVood Turning
probably the most

turning tools to successa certain amount of freedom

of cut has been attained by constant practice, he should
attempt to turn one or two objects to certain dimensioned
sizes, and for this purpose he will find the necessity of
difficult of all

When

fully manipulate.

using the callipers.

Callipers.

Figs. 19,

At C the

A and

C, illustrate the

same

pair

simply crossed over so as

to form a pair of inside callipers.
At Fig. 18 a pair of
of callipers.

fig.

18

EGG CALLIPERS.

legs are

Fig. 19A.

FIG.

I9B.

IN-AND-OUT

CALLIPERS.

CALLIPERS.

FIG.

igc.

CALLIPERS
(I9A REVERSED)

egg callipers is shown, whilst Fig. 19 B illustrates

In-and-out
a pair of combined " in-and-out " callipers.
callipers, if correctly made, always show the same distance at each end thus, if the egg portion of the callipers
be set to one inch, the inside callipers at the reverse end
This is of great advantage to
will also show one inch.
the worker, because he can use the egg portion of the
callipers to gauge the diameter of a turned pin, and, by
simply using the opposite end of the callipers, he can
gauge a hole to fit the pin without any further adjustment of the thumb-screw.

6-in.

18

Turning Small Objects

FIG. 20.

HANDLED

TIG. 21.

WOOD turner's GAUGE.

19

HOME-MADE

WOODEN GAUGE.

Wood Turning
shows the handled wood turner's gauge, which
a most useful tool where there is a great amount of
repetition work to be done.
For the callipering of general
.

Fig. 20

is

FIG. 22.

USING THE

WOOD GAUGE.

work up to i -in. in diameter, the home-made contrivance

shown at Fig. 21 is very useful. A series of holes ranging
from f in. to 1 in. is bored in a piece of hardwood, which

FIG.

23.

TESTING

DIAMETER WITH
OUTSIDE CALLIPERS.

FIG.

24.

TESTING

INTERIOR RECESS

WITH INSIDE CALLIPERS.

may

be about f in. or f in. in thickness. The centres of

the holes are kept in a straight line, and the wood is then
sawn down the centre with a very fine saw; the worker
has thus a series of gauges, of graduated sizes, which
20

Turning Small Objects

can be used in conjunction with his centre or twist boring
The end of this wooden gauge may be hinged as
bits.
shown so as to prevent one of the pieces from being
j45*

EXERCISE IN TURNED WORK.

25.
(ALL DIMENSIONS ARE GIVEN.)

pK

FIG 26. ANOTHER TURNING EXERCISE.

PARTS, WITH DIAGONAL LINES, ARE SQUARE.)
,

(THE

END

FIG. 27.

TURNING A CHISEL OR FILE HANDLE.

of using this gauge is to

around the work as shown at Fig. 22.
The egg callipers are used by passing them around the
work as at Fig. 23. (The lathe, of course, is stopped

mislaid or

open

it

lost.

and place

The method

it

21

Wood Turning

fTG. 28.

FIG. 29.

FIG. 30.

FIG. 3 1.

PARTING

TURNING

SCRAPING

TURNING

TOOL.

GOUGE.

TOOL.

CHISEL.

22

Turning Small Objects

during the testing operation.) The inside callipers are
used for obtaining the diameter of an internal recess, as,
for instance, that

shown

at Fig. 24.

Examples. The turner is now advised to try one or

two examples, such as those given at Figs. 25 and 26,
Note that, where diagonal
to the dimensioned sizes.
lines are drawn on turning patterns, it means that these
portions are to be

left

square.

The turner

at this stage

probably desire to try his hand on such objects as

If this is the case he should
chisel and file handles.
first slip his brass or steel ferrule over the end of the dead
This will facilitate the turncentre as shown at Fig. 27.
ing of the pin to fit the ferrule without the trouble of
he can simply try the pin from time
callipering the pin
to time by sliding it on to the handle as indicated by the
arrow.
F denotes the ferrule in this drawing. Leave a
piece at the left hand of the handle, about one inch long,
so as to avoid damaging the edge of the tools on the live
When the handle is finished, and just
or running spur.
before removing the turning from the lathe, this small
piece may be cut away by using the turning chisel edgewill

ways up.
Finishing with Glass-paper.Turnings are finished

A piece of folded glass-paper is

the hand and generally applied at the
back of the work. Undulating work is followed by the
fingers, and small squares, fillets, etc., are papered by
The
folding the glass-paper and using the folded edge.
work may be first glass-papered with fine 2-grade glasspaper, and finished with No. ij.
After completing the glass- papering, it is usual to grasp
a handful of fine shavings which will have collected on
the lathe, and by holding these shavings in the hand
and grasping the work in a similar manner to that shown
at Fig. 8 in the previous chapter the work is brought
to a finish by friction (see also pp. 91 and 92).

by

glass-papering.

held

in

33

Wood Turning
Rolling pins, potato mashers and, in fact, any turnery
that is going to come in contact with water, should be
treated as follows.
After finishing, as described above,
take a sponge or rag, which has been dipped in hot water
and wet the whole of the surface of the turned article.
Allow this to thoroughly dry, and then repeat the glasspapering and friction polishing process. After this
treatment the grain of the wood will have no tendency
to rise when it comes in contact with moisture.

Tools. Fig. 28 shows a parting tool, Fig. 29 a |-in.

turning gouge, Fig. 30 a scraping tool for concave work,
and Fig. 31 the wood turner's chisel. The methods of
sharpening and grinding these tools are dealt with in
the next chapter.
Many workers make scraping tools out of old files,
and, as these can be easily made and re-ground to the
required sections, they will be found most economical.
Home-made tools should, of course, be mounted on
handles of similar shape to the bought ones.

24

TOOLS
GRINDING AND SHARPENING
F

is to be accomplished, it is necessary
the tools which are used should carry a keen,
sharp cutting edge. In fact, many common turnery
articles, such as file handles and chair spindles, are
frequently left as finished direct from the tool, and for
A work of the above class a sharp finishing cut is

good turning

that

all

absolutely necessary.

FIG.

(METHOD ADOPTED BY
GRINDING A GOUGE.
32.
TRADE OR PROFESSIONAL TURNERS. BY THIS METHOD
RIDGES ARE WOVEN ON THE GRINDSTONE.)

For Grinding and Sharpening, the following

A grindstone, an oilappliances will be necessary
The slips
stone in a case, and a few assorted oilslips.
and oilstone may be the well-known " Washita/' or
" India medium " variety.
:

or professional wood turner usually grinds

shown at Fig. 32, and he very soon wears
suitable ridges in the face of his grindstone so as to fit
This method
the various sizes of his turning gouges.
but it
is an excellent one for the professional turner
is less adv.** tageous to the amateur, who, after grinding

The trade

his gouges as

25

Wood Turning
may possibly desire to grind
the iron of a smoothing plane the following day, when
he would experience considerable difficulty in obtaining
a true cutting edge on his iron.
his turning gouges to-day,

FIG. 33.

FIG. 34.

GRINDING A GOUGB.

GRINDING

THE TURNING CHISEL.

The difficulty of grinding a true wide blade on the

face of a grindstone scored with ridges is apparent even
to the beginner, and he is advised to grind his gouges
as at Fig. 33.

The

direction of rotation of the grindstone

26

Tools

Grinding and Sharpening

shown, and the worker twists his right hand backwards

and forwards, as indicated by the arrows. If the gouges
are ground by this method, and the worker occasionally
moves his gouges across the width of the grindstone,
he will find little difficulty in keeping the face of the stone
is

fairly even.

At

34 is illustrated the grinding of the turning

This chisel is ground on both sides, and the
approximate angle of inclination is shown at Fig. 35.
Fig.

chisel.

FIG.

35.

CHISEL EDGE.

During the whole of the grinding process a plentiful

supply of water should be fed on to the grindstone so
as to keep the steel blade cool, and to wash away the
particles of ground steel from the pores of the stone.

Sharpening. After grinding, the sharpening, or

The turning chisels are rubbed
wetting, is attempted.
on the oilstone as shown at Fig. 36.
The tool is
sharpened from both sides, and the wire edge may be
removed by pressing the cutting edge into a waste piece
Some workers, after sharpening the
of hard wood.
tools, finish them off by stropping the edge on a piece
of leather, but this is quite unnecessary unless the work
27

Wood Turning
for exhibition purposes, and has to be finished " left
from the tool."
For sharpening up the gouges the tapered India oil

is

OILSTONE.

FIG. 36.

FIG. 37.

OILSLIP.

FIG. 38.

WORN

OILSLIP.

TAPERED

FIG. 39-

CYLIN-

DRICAL OILSLIP.

FIG. 40.

OILSLIP

WITH

FEATHEREDGE.

FIG. 41.

TAPERED
OILSLIP.

OILSTONES AND OILSLIPS.

slip illustrated at Fig.

41

is

the handiest.

This

slip is

convex on one side and concave on the other,

and tapering uniformly to the point. It is used as shown

ins. long,

28

INDIA

Tools : Grinding

and Sharpening

that is, with a to-and-fro motion, and at the

twisting movement as indicated by the
a
time
same
arrows. After rubbing the outside of the gouge the
at Fig. 42

FIG# 42.

USING

A CONCAVE AND CONVEX OILSLIP

FOR GOUGE.

-REMOVING THE WIRE EDGE

FROM GOUGE.

wire edge is removed by taking an oilslip similar to Fig.

37 and using it inside the gouge, as at Fig. 43. Fig. 38
shows an oilstone similar to Fig. 37, with the exception
that the former is worn by constant use to fit the outsides
29

Wood Turning
Fig. 39 shows a tapered
of the f-in. and -in. gouges.
cylindrical oilslip, and Fig. 40 illustrates an oilslip with

a feather edge, used to sharpen vee-shaped turning

The beginner, however, will find that he can
tools.
get along fairly well in the early stages of his work with
the oilslips shown at Figs. 37 and 41.
Neat's-foot oil is considered to be one of the best
lubricators for use with oilslips.

THE BACK STAY

SAWING AND BORING
an illustration of an adjustable back rest,
a very useful device for supporting long
material, and thus ensuring a better result.
It has
a vertical adjustment of ij ins. in the rest socket
and a horizontal adjustment of ij ins., and it will
44

and

FIG.

is

this is

support work up to 6 ins. in diameter.

contact wheels are adjustable from zero to 2 ins.

FIG. 44.

SHOWING THE ADJUSTABLE

The
The

Wood Turning

Of

not every amateur who

this be the case he will
have to use the home-made wooden back stay shown
This is generally made out of a piece of birch
at Fig. 45.

Back Stay.

course,

it

is

can afford such an outlay, and

FIG. 46.

wood, about
circular

if

ILLUSTRATING

USE OF BACK STAY FOR

LONG SLENDER SPINDLES.

f in. in thickness, the

being cut in it to

recess

vee notch or semi-

accommodate the

particular piece of stock on which the worker is engaged.

The method of fixing this home-made back stay to the
bed of the lathe so as to support the work is shown at
Fig. 46.

back stay

FIG. 47.

is

used to support slender work

CIRCULAR

SAW SPINDLE.

so that it will offer a certain amount of resistance to

If no back stay be used
the cutting edge of the tool.
the work will bounce away from the tool, and consequently the work will be rough and full of ridges ; in
fact, probably a fracture will occur.

32

The Back Stay

The following hints will be useful when the back stay
has to be used. First centre up the work and fix the
tee rest in such a position that it is in the centre of the
proposed turning. Set the work revolving and bring
the gouge carefully up to the work, taking very light
The work will probably begin to spring away
cuts.
from the tool, and, if this is the case, hold the left hand
behind the work so as to form a temporary back stay.

FIG. 48.

SAW

SPINDLE AND SAW IN LATHE.

This will enable you to give the necessary resistance

to turn the work cylindrical for a distance of about
i|

ins.

Now

stop the lathe and

fix

your back stay, as shown

rub a little composite candle on the work

at Fig. 46
so as to reduce friction where the turning runs in the
back stay, and proceed with the turning in the ordinary
manner. When the turning at each side of the back
;

stay has been completed, remove your back stay from

A to B (Fig. 46), and finish up the remaining member
of the turning.
Without resorting to some such temporary appliance
as a back stay, the worker will find it is quite impossible
to turn long and slender work.

Circular Saw. Much has been written upon the

use of small circular saws in conjunction with the turning
w.i.

33

Wood Turning

34

The Back Stay

and, whilst admitting that the saw speed is not
that can be desired, the fact still remains that the
amateur may obtain a great amount of useful work by such
a combination. For a saw spindle the writer obtained
a hub out of a bicycle wheel and turned down one end to
a taper, so as to fit his lathe (Fig. 47). The saw spindle
is fitted into the lathe as Fig. 48.
The temporary saw
bench is made of timber, so as to accommodate a circular
saw of 4 ins. in diameter, having eight teeth to the inch.
A sketch of the temporary bench is illustrated at
Fig. 50, and a side view of the bench fitted to the lathe
bed is also given. The bench top is hinged at the
right-hand end (Fig. 50) with a 3-in. brass butt hinge.
This arrangement allows the left-hand end of the bench
to be unscrewed, lifted up, and, by the use of a suitable
strip of temporary packing, the top of the saw table
may be adjusted to the desired height for rebating.
The writer has found the above appliance to answer
splendidly for rebating the edge of door frames for light
cabinet work, and he uses the strips which are cut away
lathe

all

from the rebates to bead in door panels,

etc.

The saw table is held in position with the same

and washer as is used to hold down the tool rest.

bolt

Sizes for this small sawing table cannot be given,

much will depend upon the size of the lathe

because
centres

and the width

The approximate

of the lathe

bed and saw

spindle.

and
are
Length, 11 ins.
width, 5 ins. An adjustable fence may be made out
of wood, I in. in thickness, and this is secured by ordinary
flat-headed screws, which fit in slots, as shown in Fig. 50.
sizes

Drilling Machine By removing the dead centre

A, Fig. 48, and substituting a three- jawed self-centreing
chuck and boring bit, as at Fig. 49 (page 34), a really
serviceable horizontal drilling machine for either wood
or iron may be improvised. The necessary pressure to
feed the wood or iron towards the drill is obtained by
screwing up the hand- wheel at the end of the tail stock.

35

SPLIT TURNINGS,

TURNED

MOULDINGS, ETC.
of Jacobean furniture are at
REPRODUCTIONS
the present time so popular with the public that

we may

devote a chapter to the making

These are principally used for
the ornamentation of pilasters and panels.
Fig. 51
is a sketch of the pilaster of a fireplace jamb, and
the enlarged drawing (Fig. 52, A) shows the detail of the
well

of split turnings.

split turning.

The simplest and most

effective method of arriving

Take two pieces of timber,
as follows
as shown at Fig. 53, and carefully plane them up so that,
when placed together as at Fig. 54, they form a square
when viewed at the end. Glue the two pieces together,
with a piece of newspaper between them, and apply the
necessary pressure so as to make a good joint by using
one or more handscrews or cramps, as at Fig. 54. When
the glue is set, mark out diagonal lines at each end, and
carefully centre the work between the headstock and
tailstock of the lathe, using, if possible, the type of live
driving spur illustrated at Fig. 55.
This spur, or driving
centre, allows the work to be carefully centred up, and
avoids any tendency to open up the glued joint.
The work is now turned to the desired shape, and,
when finished, the two pieces of wood may be separated
by sliding the thin blade of an ordinary table knife down
the glued joint. The result will be that two split turnings
moreover, the back of
are formed at one operation

at this result

is

each will be true and level, and will thus bed on to the
face of the pilaster without the worker having to plane
up the back of the turning.

36

Split Turnings,

Turned Mouldings,

etc.

To plane up the back

of a split turning, especially if

has been sawn out of a solid piece of turnery, is an
irritating and tedious job, even if the worker makes a

it

FIG. 51.

PILASTER

WITH

SPLIT TURNING.

FIG. 52.

DETAIL OF
TURNING.

saddle or jig to hold the turning during the planing

and the difficulty is increased if the split turning
be of slender and delicate proportions.
Whether the split turnings be of large or small design
the turner who has not access to a " dimension " saw
process,

37

Wood Turning
be well advised to glue up his work in the manner
Split turnings, such as pearl or fancy
headings, may be turned in this manner, no matter
whether the section be a half or a quarter of a circle.
will

described.

FIG. 53.

Mouldings

PREPARING

THE WOOD.

under sideboard tops and Continental

up in the lathe, and

amateur who cannot work mouldings with a set
of hollow and round planes much effective work may be
added by using split mouldings.
clocks, etc., are frequently turned
for the

FIG. 54.

GLUEING

THE WOOD.

At Fig. 56 is shown a turned beaded moulding under

the top of a dressing-table. The beads (or mouldings)
of these (see sections at Figs. 57 and 58) are turned in
The pieces
the lathe. The procedure is as follows
which are to form the moulding are glued around a
:

38

Turned Mouldings,

Split Turnings,

etc.

square core of pine, as shown at Fig. 59

and it is
essential that the core piece be planed up true and square,
and that the outside pieces be thicknessed up before they
are glued in their position with the pieces of paper
separating the joints. The piece, Fig. 59, which should
;

FIG. 55.

DRIVING

SPUR.

be made as long as the bed of the lathe will permit, is

now truly centred up, and, after being turned cylindrically, the beads or mouldings are turned upon it as
indicated at Fig. 60. S shows where the turning will

top

<-BElADir4G
FIG. 56.

MITRED

CORNER OF BEAD MOULDING.

with a knife blade

and, when the pieces are
it will give the worker four pieces similar to
Fig. 62, which will be turned along their entire length
with beads. These pieces are now permanently glued
upon a pine backing, and their edges are planed away as
shown at Fig. 61. The beaded moulding, if not of
sufficient length to span from one end of the work to the

be

split

separated,

39

Wood Turning
other, is butt-jointed, care being taken that the joint

at the juncture of

Some

two beads so as to hide the

is

division.

often occurs with the mitreing of

when the length of the
not a multiple of the number of the

little difficulty

this type of moulding, especially

mitred moulding

is

fig. 58.

fig. 57.

SECTIONS OF BEAD MOULDINGS.

To avoid this many Continental workers leave

but some
the mitred ends plain, as shown at Fig. 56
members make a more effective finish to this otherwise
plain mitre by finishing it with acanthus leaf carving.
beads.

FIG. 59.

GLUEING UP THE PIECES ON A CENTRAL PIECE OF

STOCK.

The Use of the Arbor. An arbor may be described

as a temporary piece of tapered steel or wood on which
hollow articles are turned. Bobbin makers and others,
who are constantly engaged upon hollow work, have
specially long live spurs, which form a combined driving
centre and arbor. The amateur, and frequently the
40

Split

Turnings,

FIG. 60.

PREPARING

Turned Mouldings,

etc.

WOOD FOR TURNED MOULDING.

FIG. 62.

SPLIT

MOULDING.

FIG. 6l.

MOULDING

F IG

64.

FIG. 63.

TEMPORARY

WOODEN

ARBOR.

BACKED.

METHOD

OF TURNING TOY CANNON.

JVood Turning
trade turner, whose type of work is of an ever-varying
nature, uses a temporary wooden arbor, which he makes
specially for the particular job he may be engaged upon.
Fig. 63 illustrates a

consists of a piece of

FIG.

temporary wooden arbor, which

hardwood which has a slight taper

BORING WOOD TO MAKE AN ARBOR.

lengthways.
Fig. 64 shows the method of turning up
the barrel of a small wooden toy cannon, or other similar
object, in which it is necessary that the inside and outside
portions be concentric.
The block of wood is first
prepared by boring it lengthways with a twist bit, as

ELECTRICAL
BOBBIN.

FIG. 66.

FIG. 67.

END

VICE HANDLE.

OF

TURNING
WHEELS.

FIG. 68.

at Fig. 65, after which it is pushed fairly tightly

on to the arbor and placed between the lathe centres
and turned up in the usual manner. If the object has
any tendency to slip upon the arbor whilst the turning
and shaping is in progress, slightly damp the arbor, and
Chalking
this will have the effect of raising the grain.

shown

has a similar

effect.

42

Split Turnings,

Turned Mouldings,

etc.

FIG> 7 1 '
TO- 7AND JACOBEAN
ELIZABETHAN
ACORN-SHAPED)
BULBOUS (OR
TURNINGS.

FIG. 69.

bobbin for electrical

Small objects, such as the core
for a wooden vice
piece
end
the
and
work Fig. 66,
of the class ot
examples
handle, Fig. 67, are ordinary

work turned on an
Fig. 68

arbor.

illustrates four pieces of

43

wood which

are glued

Wood Turning
together with paper between the joints, ready to be placed
on an arbor and turned to the required diameter for the
wheels of a toy locomotive or similar article. The

FIGS. 72, 73.

*1G. 74.

REDUCED SQUARES.

PLANING UP THE SQUARES OF REDUCED TURNINGS.

WOOD IS HELD IN THE MITRE TRAP.)

(THE

wheels are then split asunder, the separations being at

the positions where the paper was glued.
If wheels
are not required to have the grain of the wood running

44

Split Turnings,

Turned Mouldings,

etc.

shown, it is, of course, only necessary to

turn up a cylindrical piece and separate it into the
required number of pieces with the parting tool.
in the direction

fig. 75.

fig. 76.

fig. 77.

FIG. 78.

EXAMPLES OF TURNED PILLARS FOR GATES, RAILINGS,

BALUSTERS, ETC.

Elizabethan

and Jacobean

Turnings. The type

and Jacobean periods

of leg used during the Elizabethan

was similar to the illustrations at Figs. 69, 70, and 71

the turning is swollen at the centre, and frequently
referred to as " bulbous " or " acorn " tuning.
It will be noticed that the turned portion at the centre
;

45

Wood Turning
of a much greater measurement than the squares
which form the top and bottom of the leg. When
reproducing this kind of turning, which is generally
known as " turnings with reduced squares," it is usual
to work away the material at the top and bottom of the
The
leg prior to the timber being put into the lathe.
squares may be reduced by planing them on a powerdriven " hand feed " surfacing machine, which gives the
result shown at Fig. 72
or they may be sawn down with
a hand saw, which leaves them as shown at Fig. 73.
If the sawing be accomplished by hand the work will
have to be fixed in the mitre shooting trap, and the
squares will have to be brought to a finish by planing
them with a small plane, such as a chariot plane, shown
is

at Fig. 74.
Figs. 75, 76, yy, and 78 illustrate good examples of
turned pillars suitable for garden gates, garden railings,
balusters,

and general work.

When work

has to be produced at a low price, four

are glued around the timber so as to
This plan should only be resorted
build up the work.
to when the joint lines can be hidden, say, by carving;
even then the built-up work cannot be compared with a
pieces of

wood

solid leg.

46

TWISTED AND SPIRAL

TURNINGS
WISTED

turnings

are

of

three

distinct

types,

and these are again sub-divided into decorated

spirals.
There is the single twist, the double
twist, and the triple twist, and work of this class
is looked upon by most amateurs as something
in the

nature of a mystery.

In up-to-date factories

worked on a special type of lathe,

designed similarly to an engineer's screw-cutting lathe
n this chapter, however, we shall confine our remarks
iwisted turnings are

FIG.

79.

SINGLE

TWIST TURNING, SHOWING

PITCH.

methods used b}' the old craftsmen who made

twisted turnings long before the introduction of modern
to the

wood-working machinery.
Single Twists.

First

of

all

we

shall

consider the

marking out and the cutting of a single twist as illustrated

The distance travelled by a screw in one
at Fig. 79.
revolution through the nut is called the " pitch " (see
Fig. 79), so that, after having turned the work cylindrical,
the worker will have to decide what pitch he will use for
his twisted turning.
Fig. 79 is 1 in. in diameter, and it
has a pitch of 1 in. Generally speaking, the pitch is
equal to the diameter when working an example similar
to the one shown.

To Mark Out
of

the Work, divide the circumference

the cylindrical portion into four equal parts, and

47

Wood Turning
draw
These

lines

lengthways down the cylinder, as at Fig. 80.

may be drawn by using a pencil and ruler.

lines

FIG. 80.

&

MARKING OUT.

t,

SECOND STAGE IN MARKING OUT.

FIG. 8l.

FIG. 82.

FIG. 83.

FIRST STAGE IN

THIRD STAGE IN MARKING OUT.

SINGLE TWIST

MARKED

OUT.

SHADED PORTION

WILL BECOME THE HOLLOW.

Put the work into the lathe and set it revolving. Whilst
revolving mark lines with a pencil which are spaced

it is

I in. apart as illustrated at Fig. 81.

48

The worker

is

Twisted and Spiral Turnings

advised to use a blue pencil for this purpose, so as to
avoid confusion later on. When these lines have been
drawn around the work, take it out of the lathe and draw
a spiral line (Fig. 82) from 1 through d ; through e ;
through /; and on to g. This line may be drawn
freehand or, better still, make a strip of thin cardboard
and fold it around the cylinder so that its edge runs
through the above-mentioned points 1, d, e, f, g. Then,
holding the cardboard in position, run your pencil along
the top edge, and it will neatly mark a spiral line which
will run through the desired points of intersection.
This spiral line, which is shown at Fig. 82, is the line
A A shown on the finished sketch, Fig. 79 in other
words, it is the spiral line at the top of the round portion
of the twist.
The next step is to divide the distances 1 to d d to
e ; etof; and /to g (Fig. 82) into three equal portions,
The shaded portion shown in this sketch
as at Fig. 83.
will eventually be cut away to form the hollow portion
of the spiral.
After the marking out is completed, the work is again
placed between the lathe centres, and the driving strap
is thrown off the pulley.
Hold the pulley or the work
with the left hand, and with a tenon saw cut a vee notch
down the work, as at Fig. 84. First use the tenon saw,
cutting to the right
then use it cutting towards the left
the work meanwhile being rotated slowly with the left
hand. This will remove the superfluous timber and leave
a roughly-cut vee notch which will, later on, form the
hollow of the twist.
Take a |-in. chisel, as at Fig. 85, and by paring away
the wood it will round the timber as shown.
After this
the hollow portion is eased out with a suitable gouge
(f-in. or -in.), and the hollow portion is filed up with
a J-in. rat-tailed file. The work is slowly revolved with
the left hand during this filing process, and eventually
is
it
completed by glass-papering the whole of the
;

W.T.

49

Wood Turning
The beginner should make his first experiment
with a single twist
and, after becoming conversant
with the method of working, he should then set out and
cut a double twist.
piece.

Double Twist. Fig. 86 shows a double

marked out and in the lathe ready for cutting.

FIG.

twist,

Fig.

84

84.CUTTING THE NOTCH.

FIG. 85.

AND ROUNDING OVER

THE TWIST.

-PARING

method of sawing away the waste material.

Sy shows one hollow spiral of the double twist
roughly sawn away
and after this step it is, of course,
necessary to saw away the waste material from the other
hollow spiral, which is shown shaded in this illustration,
so as not to confuse the worker.
Fig. 88 shows the
double twist when finished.
illustrates the

Fig.

50

Twisted and Spiral Turnings

FIG. 86.

FIG. 87.

DOUBLE

ONE

TWIST,

MARKED

OUT.

PORTION OF A DOUBLE TWIST

ROUGHLY SAWN.

FIG. 88.

DOUBLE
51

TWIST FINISHED.

Wood Turning
Occasionally the worker is required to produce a
double-twisted turning in which the strands are
separated, as at Fig. 89.
When this is the case, the

FIG. 89.

DOUBLE

TWIST.

FIG.

SEPARATE STRANDS.

90.

TRIPLE

TWIST,

WITH

SEPARATE STRANDS.

double twist is finished similar

after which a series of holes is
portions with a twist-bit, as
work is then pared up so as to

52

to that shown at Fig. 88

bored through the hollow

shown

at Fig.

91.

The

separate the strands, and

Twisted and Spiral Turnings

and glass-papered to a finish. Fig. 89 shows a
double twist with the strands separated.
filed

Fig.
Triple-twisted
Turning.
90 illustrates a
tapered twisted turning having three strands, which
are separated.
This, of course, is the most difficult and
the most effective type of twisted work. To mark out

y
FIG. 91.

DOUBLE TWIST, BORED AND READY FOR

SEPARATING.

a three-strand twist the cylinder

instead of dividing

shown

it

is

trisected lengthways

into four equal portions, as

was

at Fig. 81.

the beginner finds any difficulty in setting out a

he may make use of the following method. Cut
a strip of paper about 1 in. wide and, say, 2 ft. long.
If

spiral,

FIG. 92.

EXAMPLE

OF CHAIR LEG, WITH CLUB FOOT.

Glue or paste one side of the paper and wind it around

the cylinder similar to a barber's pole, the paper, of
course, being laid on the wood evenly, and without
puckers or blisters. The portions of the work not
covered by the strip of paper should be cut away and
finished as previously described.

Turning Clubbed Foot Legs. Chair legs having

club feet, as shown at Fig. 92, are turned up on two
centres
that is, they are first turned up in the ordinary
way by using the true centres. After this operation, the
;

53

Wood Turning
centre at the toe is moved about a J or f in. as occasion
demands, and the foot is then turned up again, thus
The
giving it the appearance shown in the sketch.

FIG.

93.

CABRIOLE LEG

MARKED

FIG.

OUT.

94.

CABRIOLE LEG
SAWN.
centre at the top of the leg
turning process.

is

not altered during the

The toes of
cabriole legs are generally turned in
the lathe, as this method gives a guide to the work

Queen Anne and Cabriole Legs.

Queen Anne and

FIG. 95.

CABRIOLE LEG FINISHED.

Fig. 93 shows a block of wood on which the

toe portion has been turned and the square portion
marked out for sawing. Note that the toe portion
can only be turned until it reaches the highest point
The
of the diameter of the toe, as shown in the sketch.
leg portion is now sawn away square, as shown at Fig.
and after this the work is brought to a finish by
94
nsing the chisel, the spokeshave, the file, and glass-paper,
as at Fig. 95.

generally.

54

CHUCKS, FACE PLATES, ETC.

are appliances which are used to hold
securely and firmly on to the lathe
mandrel. At Fig. 96 the headstock of the lathe
is shown, with the metal chuck (A) unscrewed.
Immediately to the right-hand of A is illustrated
the tapered steel prong or fork which holds the

CHUCKS
the timber

work.

FIG. 96.
B,

HEADSTOCK

WOODEN

SPLIT

OF LATHE A, METAL CHUCK

CHUCK C, END VIEW OF B.
\

,*

The chuck

(A) is generally supplied with the lathe

be used for many other purposes besides
For instance,
holding the tapered prong which is shown.
at Fig. 97, we show a small ornament which is turned
down by supporting the timber at one end only, the
tailstock of the lathe being dispensed with for this
particular purpose. The piece of wood is pared, or turned
down, so that one end of it may be driven tightly into
the chuck (A, Fig. 96).
The timber is thus held by
friction, whilst the ornament is turned up and finished.

and

it

may

Split Chuck. Another type of home-made wooden

chuck, called a split chuck, is shown at Fig. 96, B.
It
is necessary to use suitable wood for chucks of this type,
or they will not wear well. Sycamore and plane tree

55

JVood Turning

Chucks, Face Plates,

etc.

are fairly tough and hard, whilst not liable to spring

and twist. Failing these, a good tough piece of bass
will make a good substitute.
Beech is often
recommended, but is really unsuitable, being too
hard for the metal thread to cut into it. Boxwood is
also a suitable material, but the above objection also
applies here.
A very good method, especially with the
harder woods, is to bore a suitable hole and work the

wood

ordinary metal tap into it, so as to cut the thread in

exactly the same manner as is used when tapping a
metal thread. The thread should be cut into the blocks,

FIG. 98.

end way

HOME-MADE

SCREW CHUCK.

wood should be

of the grain, and, as a rule, the

way of the grain.

Home-made wooden chucks

used that

are, of course, not to be

but for the beginner they
purposes, and, if used with care, they

compared with metal ones

will
will

answer all
wear for many years.

The Split Chuck at Fig. 96, B (of which the end

view is shown at C), is made as follows
Take a piece
of wood, about 3 ins. long by 2 J ins. square
bore a
hole in one end of the wood and work a thread in it, so
that it will screw tightly on to the nose of the mandrel.
Before it is screwed quite home the end of the wood
must be turned true, and it may with advantage be
:

57

IVood Turning
turned slightly concave, so that it beds truly on its
outside edge against the shoulder of the mandrel.
The
block is now screwed tightly on the mandrel, and is
turned up truly to the shape shown at Fig. 96, B. The
recess C (Fig. 96) is then turned out to a suitable diameter,
say, 1 in., or in accordance with the diameter of the
work which it is intended to hold. The chuck must
now be removed from the lathe, and the front end is
slotted down with a tenon saw, the cuts being made at
right angles.
Four f-in. holes may be bored at the

;ssra
FIG. 99.

bottom

of the

METAL CHUCK A, HOLE B, TOMMY BAR.

END VIEW ALSO SHOWN.
\

saw

kerfs, so as to allow the

chuck to open

when the wood is forced in position. Thus they

cause the wood which is to be turned to be gripped
slightly

equally
ring

is

all

now

four jaws,

round and held very tightly. A brass or iron

driven on to the chuck so as to compress the

and thus hold the work securely.

Fig. 98 shows a wooden chuck

The Screw Chuck.

made similarly to the

previous one

but, instead of

making saw cuts, two rows of round-headed screws are

inserted.
The points of these screws must be filed off,
otherwise they will damage the work. This chuck is
a most useful one, allowing the work to be mounted
58

Chucks, Face Plates,

etc.

Chucks of this type

either centrally or eccentrically.
are made in different sizes as occasion demands.
Fig. 99 illustrates a similar type of metal chuck which

A shows the
tommy-bar, which is supplied
the screwing and unscrewing of the

may be bought from the maker of the lathe.

hole,

and

illustrates the

so as to facilitate
chuck on the lathe mandrel.
Fig. ioo is a section of a screw chuck which is most
useful when a metal face plate is not supplied with the

SECTION OF SCREW CHUCK, SUITABLE

FOR USING WHEN LATHE HAS NO FACE PLATE.

FIG. IOO.

The piece of hardwood (A) is first turned up,

and the centre hole is turned out to fit the diameter of
the thread that is on the mandrel. The face of the
block (A) is then turned up truly. The block is now
removed from the lathe, and piece B is turned up and
glued and screwed upon the face of A. The work is
next placed upon the mandrel, and the whole of the block
A temporary
is turned up truly on its outside edges.
small face plate or simple screw chuck is thus evolved.
E is the recess at the back of piece B and C is a good
stout gauge screw which holds the wood to the surface

lathe.

of the chuck.

59

Wood Turning

Face Plates. Fig. 101 illustrates the type of castiron face plate, generally about 9 ins. in diameter, which
A is the front view, B the
is supplied by the maker
back view, and C shows the front view after the worker
has bolted on a i-in. piece of wood and fitted a suitable
The
centre screw, as described in the case of Fig. 100.
object of fixing a piece of wood on the face of this plate
is to prevent the worker from allowing his turning tool
;

to come in contact with the metal, and thus necessitate

frequent grinding and sharpening.

FACE PLATE A, FRONT

FIG. IOI.
VIEW B, BACK VIEW C, FRONT
VIEW WITH WOOD FACE.
\

CHUCK
FOR TURNING

FIG. I02.

DISCS.

a chuck for turning discs which have a

The discs are first bored to slip
over the screwed portion of the chuck. The conical
shaped piece of boxwood which has a hole bored through
its centre is forced into the hole of the disc by the nut
Fig.

102

is

central hole in them.

shown in the illustration, thus giving sufficient pressure,

and at the same time ensuring that the disc be mounted
centrally upon the lathe.
Fig. 103 gives a sketch and section of the face plate
shown at Fig. 101, which has been fitted with a wooden
which a square hole has been cut.
object of this appliance is to accommodate square
legs to engage with the chuck, so as to avoid waste of
cover, in the centre of

The

60

Chucks, Face Plates,

etc,

time in centreing up a quantity of square stock which

has to be turned into table legs or spindles. The square

FIG. IO3.

FACE

PLATE TO TAKE SQUARE TIMBER.

of the leg is simply placed in the recess, and the

stock is screwed up in the usual manner.

FIG. IO4.

tail

WORK MOUNTED ON FACE PLATE WITH

THE REST IN POSITION.

At

is shown a piece of wood mounted on the

and the rest is shown set at right-angles to
the work ready for the turning up process.

Fig.

104

face plate,

61

Wood Turning

62

Chucks, Face Plates,

etc.

The use of the turning chisel for cutting down and

finishing the edge of the disc is suggested at Fig. 105,
whilst at Fig 108 the same tool is shown sinking a
central recess.

FIG.

SKETCH OF JIG REQUIRED FOR TURNING UPPER

PART OF BACK LEG OF CHAIR (SEE FIG. Io6).

IO7.

Turning Shaped Chair Leg. A specimen of work

which is often somewhat of a mystery to the amateur
turner is given at Fig. 106. A shaped back leg of a

FIG.

I08.

SINKING RECESS IN TURNED PATERA.

chair is shown, and it is desired to turn the upper portion

This leg
into a spindle having a finial at the end of it.
is carried in a jig or saddle, so that the axis is central.
J shows the jig, or saddle, and S is the metal strap that
is

temporarily used to hold the work together.

63

Fig. 107

Wood

Ttirning

a sketch of the jig. At P two screws, I \ ins. long, have

been screwed into the jig, with their heads filed off to
is

resemble nail points. The chair leg receives these

points at the foot, and the strap (S) holds all securely

FIG.

FIG.

together.

IO.

inside

ANOTHER

Some workers

portion of the
fits

log.

it.

ROUNDING TOOL.

TYPE OF ROUNDING TOOL.

prefer

to

make

the

lower

box form, so that the leg snugly

Care must be taken in this class of work
jig

into

that the jig be made so as to give a true running balance,

and the same weight of timber must be left above the

64

Chucks, Face Plates,

etc.

below
otherwise vibration
be the result.
Suggestions such as the above will enable any ingenious
worker to carry out much that at first sight appears
almost impossible to manipulate in the wood-turning

axis (Fig. 106) as there

is

and consequent bad work

will

lathe.

Figs. 109 and no two disrounding tools are shown, such as are
used for the rounding of broomstick handles, blind
This type of tool may be used with or
rollers, etc.
without a lathe, and this is probably the line of demarcation between rounding with hand tools and rounding in
the lathe. The square sticks may be roughed down with
the gouge whilst the lathe is revolving, after which the
tailstock is slackened and the rounding tool is slipped
over the dead centre. The tailstock is then screwed up
and the work is revolved in the lathe, whilst the rounding
tool is pushed by hand towards the lathe headstock.
When using this class of rounding tool without the
lathe, the work has the corners chamfered away so as
the work is then secured in the
to form an octagon
vice, and the rounding tool is rotated by hand.

Rounding Tools --At

tinct types of

w..

65

JVooa

Turning

66

HOLLOWING A VASE SUPPORT.

ING COLLARSTURNED
MOULDS
OLLOWING.Possibly one of the most difficult
kinds of work for the beginner to tackle is hollowing on the face plate.
At Fig. in is given a
sketch and dimensioned drawing of a hollow
wooden vase, which may be used as a receptacle
for holding safety pins, studs, buttons and similar
objects.
The vase shown was made up in olive wood,
but any hard wood, such as ash, oak, or beech will answer.

III.
TURNED VASB
WITH SKETCH SHOWING

FIG.

DIMENSIONS.

-*v
The wood
mounting

it

is first

turned in the form of a cylinder, by

between the

live centre

67

and the dead centre

TZ

Wood Turning

HOLLOWING A VASE. SHOWING INCLINATION

OF TOOL REST TO LATHE BED.

FIG. 112.

FIG. II2A.

FIG. II3.

HOLLOWING A VASE, SECOND OPERATIOM.

SHOWING POSITION OF TOOL (HELD SL GHTLY

DOWNWARDS)

WHE->I

68

HOLLOWiNG.

Hollowing a Vase
of the lathe, after which it may be mounted on the face
plate or large chuck similar to Fig. ioo or Fig. ioi, c.

The work

appear as a cylinder mounted on the face

The writer, speaking generally,
112.)
prefers to hollow his work before turning up the outside
of the vase, but no hard and fast rule can be given.
A hole, about ij ins., is first bored in the centre of the
vase, so as to remove that portion of the wood around
the axis.
Fix the tool rest so that its inclination is
about 45 degrees to the lathe bed (Fig. 112), and hold
the gouge so that the work has a tendency to force the
plate

(A,

will

Fig.

POSITION OF TOOL
AT LATER STAGES OF
THE WORK.

FIG. II4.

SHOWING
FIG. II5.
METHOD OF TURNING
DISCS, ETC.

Figs. 112, 112 a and 113

When the work has been
positions of the tool.
roughed out to a depth of about 1 \ ins. it will be found
that the leverage is too great to obtain successful results
by this method, and that the rest and tool will have to

tool towards the operator.

show the

The interior of the vase may be

by using the scraping tool (Fig. 30.) The
exterior of the vase may now be carefully turned up, and
the whole of the work finished by using two grades of

be used as at Fig. 114.

finished

glass-paper.

Turning Discs. Fig. 115 is a plan showing the manner in which discs, such as bread platters, etc., may be
69

Wood

1 urning

turned on the face and trimmed down at the edge.

Other examples of face plate work which may be suggested to the amateur are the top ring of a palm stand
having a moulded edge, and sunk pie top crust table
tops or shelves.

Frequently we find that the amateur has not obtained

a gap bed lathe as illustrated at Fig. 116, and it is therefore necessary when he desires to turn work of a large
diameter, such as 18-in. or 20-in. circular table tops, he

FIG.

is

by

know how
many occasions

at a loss to

writer on

Il6.

fixing the

work

GAP BED LATHE

The
to manipulate his work.
has turned up 20-in. table tops

to the face plate,

and reversing

his

headstock so that the work overhangs the end of the

Although not possessed of
lathe as shown at Fig. 117.
the portable tool rest shown in this illustration he
manages perfectly well with a temporary home-made
contrivance on which he has made arrangements to
mount his existing tee rest. Another method of turning
large work, such as legs of a large diameter, is to pack
up the head and tail stock of the lathe with a piece of
70

Hollowing a

FIG.

II7.

LATHE WITH

Vase

HEADSTOCK REVERSED, SIDE

ALSO END VIEW, SHOWING THE REST.

FIG. Il8.

VIEW

DEEP BORING A ROLLER WITH SPOON AUGER.

71

JVood Turning
3-in.

by

timber and lengthen the driving belt as indicated

Fig. 119.

FIG.

119.

" PACKING"

A HEADSTOCK.

Temporary Supporting Collars are generally homemade affairs, and constructed as from time to time may
be required. They are used to hold up work at the

I20.
HOW TO TURN
ASTRAGAL BEADING FOR
BOOKCASE DOORS.

FIG.

FIG. 121.
TURNING
QUARTER CIRCLES FOR
DOOR FRAMES.

opposite end to the headstock.

Fig. 118 is an illustration
of the method of boring a dividing roller as used in a
cotton mill. The roller is first roughed down between
the ordinary centres, and a small shoulder (D) is turned

Hollowing a Vase
The roller is
the supporting collar.
the face plate (or a self-centreing jaw
chuck may be used) and the opposite end is lubricated
with tallow and runs in the collar (B). The work is
revolved in the lathe, and, by the aid of a long spoonnosed auger bit, a central hole may be bored down the
after which the work is
entire length of the roller
mounted on its steel spindle and the outside is turned
up to the desired pattern. A and F in Fig. 118 are the
whilst B is the collar portion to
supports of the auger
support the work. In the example given the support
and the collar portion are both tenoned and screwed into
a base board which is common to both. E is the baseboard.
The object of illustrating this example is to give the
idea of manipulating work such as rollers, fishing rods,
etc. when it is desired to bore the work whilst still in the
lathe, and it will no doubt open up possibilities of other
classes of work to the novice.
on

it

so as to

fit

now mounted on

Turning Moulds for Barred Doors. Good work

can also be obtained from a judicious use of the face
plate in such cases as that shown at Fig. 120.
A tracery
or barred door consisting of circles (and parts of circles)
is shown, and the astragal or bead moulding may be
turned up on the face plate.
Fig. 121 is another instance where lathe work may be
utilised for inlaying quarter circle corners, the ring of

satinwood being turned up to the required width and

afterwards sawn into four pieces. Cabinet door frames,
having quarter circle bolection mouldings, may be
turned up in a similar manner.

73

IVood Turning

WwK^mMi

74

TURNING A BALL
following method is one of the best for the
turning up wooden balls where great accuracy is
desired, and work may be guaranteed to within
i-64th of an inch if care be taken during the turning
The balls are first roughly turned, so
process.
as to leave a plug or stub at one end (Fig. 122).
The plug portion (P) is then tightly driven into the
hollow portion of the mandril spindle, as at Fig. 123,
and the ball is turned up without the use of the tailstock

^HE

FIRST OPERATION
TURNING A BALL.

122.

as

shown

at Fig. 124.

result obtained

FIG.

I23.

PLUG

DRIVEN

INTO MANDRIL SPINDLE.

This view shows the approximate

by the average worker

and

it

would

be quite correct enough for balls such as are used in the

fair ground for cocoanut or Aunt-Sally shies.

Limit Gauge

metal, this being

is

now made

out of a suitable piece of

somewhat

ball tool is next

made

similar in shape to Fig. 132.

as at Fig. 128, the cutting end

ground exactly to the radius of the

cup chuck is now turned up out of a
piece of box or beech wood, similar to the form shown
at Fig. 129.
A cup chuck of this type can be used for
turning balls of varying sizes from 1 J ins. up to 3 J ins. in

of the tool (A) being

finished ball.

75

Wood Turning
diameter, and an advantage it possesses
certain degree self-centreing.

is

that

it is

to a

Nose Piece is next made out of boxwood, and a

sketch of this is shown at Fig. 127, reverse and obverse
it fits snugly yet loosely over the tail centre, as at Fig. 126.
Grease the inside of the nose piece so that it can revolve
freely upon the tailstock (C) with the ball.
No other
tools or appliances will be needed save those usually
found around the wood turner's lathe, with the exception
grade lead pencil.
of a
It is advisable to first rough out the balls as near as
possible to the correct diameter, paying less attention to
the end portions, except to note that they are large
enough to finish to the required diameter. If possible,
finish a strip around the middle of the ball as wide as
the end of the cup chuck, e, Fig. 126.
;

HH

The Ball Tool Cutter, Fig. 128, is made wide enough

For instance, if the
to cut a bearing for the cup chuck.
width across the cup chuck is 1 in., the width of the
it will then only be
be about 1 in.
necessary to push the cutter against the ball when it is
yet on the end of its plug as at Fig. 124, d. After this
bearing, or path, for the cup chuck has been made, hold
the point of the lead pencil against the ball whilst the
lathe spindle is revolving, and a mark will be produced
This mark is the measure mark to
as at Fig. d, 124.
which all future efforts in finishing the ball are to be
Next, turn away the plug piece and place the
directed.
ball in the cup chuck as at Fig. 125, with the pencil line
passing under the chuck so that the chuck bears entirely
upon the strip of work which was finished by the concave
When this can be done (and it is
ball tool, Fig. 128.
simply a matter of having a suitable cup chuck, or of
reducing an old chuck to the correct size by turning it
down) it simplifies the work and enables the operator to

ball tool should

76

Turning a Ball

FIG.

I24.

Wood Turning
finish the ball

with but one or possibly two settings in the

cup chuck.

The

ball is

now

self-centred

and the revolving nose piece

Finishing the Ball.
finishing process,

The

between the cup chuck

(b),

ball

is

then ready for the

and with a gouge and the

hand cut the shallow path

e,

(a)

Fig. 126.

callipers at

Fig. 126, until the callipers

Once the channel e has

been made, again put on the pencil mark, and use the
indicate the required diameter.
ball tool

shown

at Fig. 128.

This will finish a

or path around the ball, which

with the cup chuck.

is

new

belt

wide enough to engage

The mark d, Fig. 124, was made while the blank was
chucked on its plug and it will be noted that when the
ball has been sized down at e it had previously been sized
at d, and the mark d and the channel e just touch each
If the ball be worked with the tool, Fig. 128, this
other.
will have to be applied very carefully, the lathe being
stopped occasionally if necessary to see the line d, Fig. 126,
along the entire length cut by the tool, which perhaps
will be from F to G.
If the work be done by the chisel or the gouge, it must
be done in the same manner, viz., cut down just to the
Thus
line d, not a bit further, or the ball will be spoiled.
having once callipered the ball at d (or, more properly,
at e) and made a finished bearing place for the cup chuck,
no further callipering will be necessary. The line d (or
the one made at e) is what the geometrical expert would
call a " great circle," and no matter at which angle that
circle be turned, if we work the material down from ail
sides exactly to that line, we will have a perfect ball
remaining inside the circle in question.
It appears as though there would be danger of getting
the ball chucked out of the centre one way or the other,
and then there would be a possibility of cutting too
deeply at the points half way between the segments of
;

78

Turning a Ball
There can, however, be no possibility of thus
damaging the ball, owing to the fact that, no matter how
circle d.

much

may

be chucked, the portion of the line d

be reached by the tool
before material can be cut away down to the finish line
the ball

on the high side

of the ball will

or any other portion.

The only possible exception to this is when a hole is
deliberately dug into the ball at, say, G, Fig. 126, thus
cutting a small circle which does not pass through any
This would, however,
portion of the great circle d or e.
be avoided by using the callipers until the great circle
has been established, then turning the blank in the chuck
until a portion of the great circle is underneath the chuck
rests upon a finished surface.
The pencil mark
a sure guide which may be relied on implicitly by the
turner, without the least fear of cutting too deeply.
Of
course, there is a danger that he will cut below the pencil
mark at any given point, and this can only be guarded
against by closely watching the mark in question.

which
is

Testing the
follows

Take

Accuracy of a ball may be done as

a piece of thin sheet brass about 15

Wood Turning
Billiard balls, and similar articles,
tested in a similar manner.

positions.

may be

Common

Balls. For turning up a wooden

type where great accuracy is not
Rough down
required, the following is a good method
a cylindrical piece large enough to make three balls as

Turning

ball of the

common

at Fig. 131.

Use the

callipers to test the balls first at a,

then at c, and lastly at d. This will give an

approximate ball near enough for ordinary purposes.
Some workers prefer to use a small template of J-in. wood
then at

b,

FIG. I34.

TESTING WITH CALLIPERS AND TEMPLATE.

The inside edge of the template is

as at E, Fig. 131.
made to the desired radius and rubbed with black lead,
so that when the ball is tested with the template the high
portions touch it and automatically become marked with
This testing is carried on from time to time, and
lead.
the protruding portions of the ball removed.
Other workers prefer to start the work as at Figs. 122
after which they place the ball in a homechuck, a section of which is given at Fig. 133. The
ball is taken out and re-chucked from time to time and
A sketch is given at
tested with the template as shown.
Fig. 134 showing the combined use of the callipers and
template before cutting the ball off its plug.

and 123

made

80

TURNING WOODEN RINGS,

SQUARE TURNING, Etc.
OODEN
etc.,

rings for palm stands, cornice poles,

are required from time to time for existing

work, and some difficulty may be experienced in

obtaining or matching this class of turning.
The ability to turn such rings will enable one
to be made to any size or pattern in any kind

wood.

FIG.

I35.

FIG.

I36.

FIG.

137.

SHOWING METHOD OF TURNING CORNICE POLE AND OTHER WOOD

RINGS UPON A SCREW CHUCK. FIG. I37 INDICATES THE USE OF A
SADDLE.

Cornice Pole Rings are best turned upon a screw

it is advisable to start the work by using a
disc of wood a trifle thicker than the finished ring is
required to be made. First turn the outside of the rim
to the desired section, and at the same time turn down
chuck, and

the disc to the required thickness as at Fig. 135. The

disc is now turned on the front, thus forming one side
of the ring, and cutting the disc to within one-sixteenth
of an inch, or thereabouts, as indicated at Fig. 136.
81

Wood Turning
The partly formed
from the back

is cut off the disc by taking a cut

work as suggested by the arrow at

ring

of the

Fig. 136.

Use

of

Saddle.

at that portion

The

ring has

now to be finished
To do this make

which was the back.

a temporary wooden block or saddle to hold the work

the shape of the saddle with the ring mounted on it is
shown at Fig. 137. The ring fits tightly on to this
;

FIG.

138.

FIG.

I39.

FIG.

I40.

METHODS OF TURNING WOODEN RINGS OR RIMS.

block (or saddle as it is called) and the friction will be
hold it in position whilst the turning is
The half circle wooden handles for box
completed.
or heater irons as used in nearly every household are
made by turning rings and then cutting them in half.
By similar methods of working and by a judicious use
of saddles many articles may be turned on the lathe,
which at first sight appear to the inexperienced worker
to be almost impossible of manipulation.
sufficient to

82

Turning Wooden Rings, Etc,

At Fig. 138 is shown a grooved circular astragal
moulding, such as is used when building up a barred or
tracery door as shown at Fig. 120. Segments may be
cut from this turned ring so that they will intersect with
the straight portions of the moulds which form the
and, by using portions of turned rings
tracery door
instead of hand-made free curves, the cost of production
is considerably lessened.
A piece of suitably straight
grained wood may be secured to the wood face plate,
by the central screw, as at Fig. 135, or it may be held on
the face plate by using nails or screws as at Fig. 138.
The circle is turned to the required diameter, after
which the groove is turned into it as shown at Fig. 138.
The central portion of the block is then turned away,
as shown by the arrow mark, and the worker is left
with a ring of the required width and thickness and
having the necessary groove in it.
The wood face plate is now turned down to provide
a seating for the ring the ring is placed on this seating
and held there by friction whilst the work is turned up
to the required shape as shown at Fig. 139.
The top
rim or ring for palm stands, Fig. 140, and a hundred
and one articles of a similar nature may be turned up
by adaptations of the methods shown above.
;

Square Turning. Square turnings are made on a

somewhat costly machine which consists of a sliding
metal table actuated by a screw feed. The blocks of
wood are fixed on to the table, one behind the other, and
securely clamped down. The table top with its load of
twelve to twenty legs, according to size, is then passed
under a

set of revolving cutters which give the required

pattern on one face of the leg. The legs are loosened,
and given a quarter turn so as to bring a new face of the
work in contact with the cutters this is repeated four
times in all to complete the work.
In the modern machines the work is fed under the
;

83

JVood Turning

a<

84

Turning Wooden Rings, Etc.

cutters, with the cut, instead of against the cut, as is the
case with a planing machine.
This does away with
temporary packing to prevent the last edge which is
being cut, from crumbling, or showing a faulty edge.

Quasi-Square Turning was

before the introduction of

fig.

142.

fig.

in

great

favour long

wood working machinery,

143.

FIG.

144.

EXAMPLES OF SQUARE TURNING PATTERNS.

and a short paragraph showing how the old craftsmen

tackled this problem will be interesting to those who wish
to try their hand at this class of work.
A built-up
barrel or cylinder similar to that shown in Fig 141 was
made and turned up between the lathe centres. The
centre of the barrel has an iron rod running through it,
and it is on this rod or axle that the centres of the lathe
The blocks of wood are planed up true and
engage.
square and cut off to exactly fit in the cylinder as shown.
85

Wood Turning
The cylinder is filled full with the prepared blocks, and
these are held in position by steel straps which have
bolts and wing nuts attached to them so as to pull up
tightly in exactly the same manner as a chair maker's
The old workers used a leather strap, or in
cramp.
many cases simply nailed each block down on to the
cylinder. A strap is fixed at each end of the cylinder so
as to hold the work tightly down and this accounts for

JLL

NAILS

VEE NOTCHES

FOR PENCIL
FIG.

I45.

SETTING-OUT LATHS FOR REPETITION WORK.

the square portion, A, at each end of the turning, which

cannot be used.
The work when mounted so as to fill the cylinder, is
revolved between the lathe centres in the usual manner,
and the work is turned up by the aid of the gouge and
chisel to the desired pattern.
The straps are now taken
off and each leg or spindle is given a quarter turn on the
cylinder so as to bring a new face of the work in contact
with the tools. The straps are replaced and tightened
up
the work is revolved, and a second face is thus
;

86

Turning JVooden Rings, Etc.

turned up to coincide with the one already worked. The
operation is repeated four times; that is, of course,
until all the faces of the work have been turned.
Difficulties will be experienced when turning the last
face of the work, as the remaining edge will have a
tendency to chip or crumble owing to there not being
sufficient wood to resist the pressure of the turning tools.
There is no royal road to success with regard to this last
edge, and there is no way of overcoming the difficulty,
except the old-fashioned method of making shaped
packing pieces to fit and fill the interstices. Owing to the
cost and trouble in turning this class of work on the
lathe it is not in general use, although when neatly
executed with details of good proportion it is exceedingly
effective.

This turning was called by the old craftsmen " Thermof course, the larger the diameter of the
cylinder on which the work was done the more effective
was the so-called square turning.
Three good examples of square turned spindles are
given at Figs. 142, 143, 144. The members are choice
ing," and,

and

in

good proportion.

Setting-Out Laths are used by wood turners whose

spindles or other turned pieces have to be
repeated, such as turning a quantity of chair legs or
balusters to a given pattern.
For common work it
is usual to take a piece of wood about \ in. thick and
drive into the edge of this lathe a number of small
wire nails or panel pins, the pins being filed up to a
point.
This lath is used to mark out the work to its
extreme length, and it also marks out the distances
between each member of the turning.
The rough wood is turned up cylindrically and the
several

is held against it whilst the work is

This causes the turning to be slightly scored
or scratched by the protruding nail points ; and thus

setting-out lath

revolving.

87

Wood Turning
the work is set out lengthways to exactly the same size
Other workers prefer to disas the previous turning.
pense with the nails, and they draw with a pencil the
The lath is
required lines on their setting out lath.
then held against the rough turning, and whilst it is
slowly revolving the worker marks the turning with his

Fig. 146.

FIG. I47.

carved capital.

BURNING A CAPITAL PREPARATORY TO CARVING.

lead pencil exactly opposite his setting-out lath. Others,

again, cut small notches into the edge of the setting-out
lath, and hold the pencil point in each vee notch consecutively until the whole length of the turning is
marked. All the above methods are good and the worker
should use that which answers his own requirements the
best.
These laths apply to setting out the length only,
as, of course, the diameters are callipered in the usual

88

Turning Wooden Rings, Etc.

way. Fig. 145 shows a turning pattern and the three
types of setting-out laths.
Other types of setting-out or gauging laths are used
to judge the correct shapes of long or deep curves.
These templates, as they should correctly be described,

FIG.

I48.

SHOWING USB OF SHAPED TEMPLATES FOR SHAPED

TURNINGS.

are

made

of thin

wood such as three-ply or sawn veneer,

of them can be clearly shown in the

and the application

two examples given

at Figs. 148.

Turning for Capitals. At Fig. 146 is shown a

turned carved capital supporting a shelf or cornice
moulding
much can be done by the wood turner so
;

89

Wood Turning
as to ease the laborious work of the wood carver by
turning the capital as indicated at Fig. 147. The greater
circle which touches the highest points of the volute
is turned, and this gives a guide to the carver when
cutting out his work.

90

FINISHING TURNINGS
STAINING AND POLISHING

FTER

completion of the tool operations, the work

generally finished by using successive grades of
glass-paper.
The glass-papering is commenced by
using fine 2 grade and finished by No. ij.
The
glass-paper is generally folded and applied to the
'sketch as shown at Fig. 149.
The glass-paper
is moved longitudinally so as not to leave ridges on the
work. In such cases, as where vee cuts and small fillets
are to be operated upon, the glass-paper is folded so as
to bring the sharp edge into contact with the internal
portions of the turnings.
is

After the glass-papering is completed, it is usual to

give a frictional polish to the work by using a handful
of fine shavings

which have been turned

work

150).

off the actual

advisable to use turnings
which have been turned off the work, thus ensuring the
same hardness of wood as, if oak turnings were used
to give a frictional polish to a soft wood like pine, the
result would be a series of ridges and scratches on the
surface of the work.

(see

Fig.

It

is

To Change the Colour of turned work, staining is

resorted to
and, if mahogany is being treated to
match the cabinet work, it will be necessary to slightly
weaken the stain before it is applied to the turnings.
After staining, the work should be allowed sufficient
time to dry thoroughly. It may then be again put in
the lathe (provided the turning centres have not been
cut off) and the raised grain carefully papered down
with No. 1 or No. i\ glass-paper.
The stain may be
applied to the work with a brush, as at Fig. 151, whilst
slowly revolving the lathe.
After the stain has been papered down, the work
;

91

IVood Turning

Finishing Turnings

Wood Turning

Finishing Turnings

Wood Turning
should be examined, and if of a very wild or open grain,
such as many species of African baywood or American
oak, it may be advisable to fill in the work with a suitably
coloured wood filler.
The turning will in any case be
wiped over with raw linseed oil, which may be applied
with an oily rag whilst the work is slowly revolving.

French Polish is suitable for applying to hardwoods such as walnut and close grained mahoganies,
or such woods as satin walnut. After the work is oiled
(and this should not be done too freely) the polish is
used on a soft pad of cotton wadding covered with an
open woven piece of rag, to which a spot of Unseed oil
is

applied, so as to prevent

it

sticking to the work.

shows the method of holding the rubber. This

rubber must be soft, fairly large, and charged with
fairly thin polish.
The work must be rotated slowly
at first, until the polish begins to shine, and after a fair
body of polish has been applied the speed may be
Fig. 152

slightly increased.

advisable to give the polish time to harden

let it
good surface has been obtained
Examine the work before
stand overnight if possible.
bodying up the second time to see if any dust specks
are present.
If such are observed, carefully glass-paper
the work with No. o grade, and proceed to again body
up the work. To finish, give a light quick rub with a
this takes out
rubber charged with methylated spirit
all the oil and gives a clear and brilliant surface.
Many workers finish by using a pad made of nice
It

is

after a fairly

on which a little methylated spirit has been

and this is probably the safest way for an
amateur who has had little experience of this class of

soft rag,

sprinkled

work.

Oak
of

is

by applying a solution
The wax compound is

generally polished dull

beeswax and turpentine.

96

Finishing Turnings
well

rubbed into the work, and as much

friction as
applied with a linen or cotton rag or, better
still, a stiff brush, revolving the lathe first one way and
then the other, and brushing the wax out of all the
quirks and sunk fillets, etc. Much labour can be saved
by bodying in all the turned work before framing the
carcase portion of the work together, especially where

possible

is

a number of turned spindles, or chair or table legs have

to be operated upon.

97

Wood Turning

ORNAMENTAL FIRE SCREEN WITH TURNED

PILLARS

AND

98

RAILS,

MISCELLANEOUS HINTS
TOBACCO

PIPES BUILDING

SIDEBOARD

AND

OTHER

ANIMALS FOR NOAH'S ARKSGROUPING OF

MEMBERS TABLE OF SPEEDS THE STORY OF THE
PILLARS

LATHE.

^HE

turning of tobacco pipes is a very simple

matter for those who have had some little experience on the lathe. A beech chuck is made and
tapped at one end, so as to screw on to the mandril
end (Fig 153), and the opposite end of the chuck
is slotted so as to take the pipe blank (A).
The

FIG. I33.

blank

is

HOW

TO TURN TOBACCO PIPES.

gripped by compressing the jaws of the chuck by

up the screw S, the bowl of the pipes is bored

tightening

99

Wood Turning
out with a spoon-nosed augur, and the outside of the

bowl turned up.

The pipe is then released from the chuck and recentred so as to allow of the turning up of the pipe stem.
When the turning operations are completed the pipe will
present the appearance shown at B, and is now ready for
finishing by sawing away the superfluous wood and filing
and glass-papering the lower part of the bowl to the
necessary curvature.
Building Sideboard Pillars.

FIG. 154.

The majority of

side-

SIDEBOARD PILLARS.

swell,

pillars used in present-day furniture have a large

and owing to economical conditions are frequently

built

up

board

as illustrated at

Fig. 154,

that

is,

instead of

wasting timber by reducing, the squares at the top and

bottom of the turning, the swell, or bulb portion, is
100

Miscellaneous Hints
The upper and lower portions of
the turning have pins formed upon them and a double
pointed dowel screw is inserted as shown.
The bulbous portion is first bored so as to accommodate the turned pins, and it is then put on an arbor and
turned up in the usual way. The parts of the pillar are
then glued and screwed together, the swell concealing
the joint.
It is usual to carve up the bulb portion with
reeds, as shown in the sketch.
inserted as shown.

FIG. 155-

NOAHS

Animals for Noah's Arks.

makers

ARK ANIMALS.

Many of

of toys, especially those

engaged

the continental
in the

manufac-

ture of Noah's arks and similar work, make good use of

the lathe. An instance is given at Fig. 155 of the
method of roughing out the formation of an animal on
the face plate of the lathe. The blocks are cut to a
suitable size and glued up so as to form a ring
this is
mounted on the lathe and turned up to the approximate
contour of the animal desired. The timber is then taken
off the face plate and again fixed so that the other side
;

may

be worked upon.
Sections are now cut radially, and in this manner the
general contour of the animal is obtained. They are
101

PVood Turning
afterwards brought up to a finish by hand labour. Many
animals are thus obtained out of one ring of wood, and a
close inspection will show that nearly all toy animals are
narrower in width at the fore legs than at the hindquarters.

Grouping of Members for Turning Patterns.

The Romans and Etruscans are often shown sitting or

on chairs or couches made of willow, viz.,

basket work, and a piece of sculpture in Treves Museum
shows a soundly constructed wicker chair, the front legs
of which are bound round with osiers.
reclining

fig.

fig. 157.

156.

EVOLUTION OF CHAIR TURNINGS.

It is probable that this binding of the legs, so as to
strengthen them suggested the contour of the turned
beads which are so familiar on chair legs, as at Figs. 156

and

157.

Turning patterns are made up of concave, convex, or

serpentine lines, combined with fillets and vee cuts.
These members are classified, and every wood turner
should be familiar with their names. Fig. 158 illustrates
102

Miscellaneous Hints
the

members

by the turner. Take, for

Commence at the top and analyse it.

generally used

example, Fig. 159.

we have the square next the ogee, and the fillet

then we come to the serpentine swell and we find upon
examination that even this shape is a combination of the
First

FIG. I58.

MEMBERS

hoUow and round

GENERALLY USED BY WOOD TURNERS.

(or,

to give

the scotia and bead).

them

their correct

names

Small bead, fillet and scotia again

follow after which we have a swell, which with its
fillets might be classed as a large ovolo moulding.
The
ogee, fillet and major portion of the shaft follow on, and
we arrive at the small astragal mould which breaks the
upper and lower portion of the shaft. The shaft is
;

103

Wood Turning

by a fillet and then we

have the crushed ball form which
is ornamented by a sunk bead.
In

finished

turning

patterns

the general effect

good grouping of the

various members and a correct proportion of the lines which are used.
consists of a

Table

of

In

Speeds

for

Power

cases where pow r

lathes are being installed for special
purposes the following table of speeds

Lathes.

all

should be consulted
DIAMETER

FIG.

159.

EXAMPLE OP
TURNED SHAFT.

Miscellaneous Hints
workmen

use a very primitive form of lathe as

two fixed centres, upon which the
work revolves, and a cord running two or three times
around the actual work, so as to obtain a backward and
f 01 ward rotation.
One workman uses the tools, whilst
another actuates the cord similar to a jeweller's bow
or fiddle drill. The operator brings his tool up to the
work during the forward rotation and removes it
during the backward rotation.
The upright supports
are generally driven to earth and the turner works in
native

shown.

It consists of

a sitting position.

FIG.

l6o.

NATIVE

INDIAN LATHE.

In this country the earliest form was undoubtedly the

pole lathe, and as recently as the year 1910 pole lathes
were occasionally to be seen in every-day use amongst the
chair makers of Buckinghamshire.
Rapid strides have
been made in lathe production during the last fifty years,

and we can now obtain automatic and semi-automatic

and back knife lathes, which will produce the same

lathes

pattern of turned articles (clothes pegs, brush handles

and chair legs) by the gross. Oval turning lathes for
hammer shafts, bradawls, screw-drivers are in daily use
throughout the country, and many forms of copying
lathes are on sale which will turn golf stick heads, cricket
bats, and even the legs for a rocking horse.
Such

105

Wood Turning
machines as these are necessarily costly, and are only
used in wholesale factories. The amateur, however, can
obtain an attachment to fix on the foot lathe for turning
oval handles, etc., called an oval chuck. This was invented by William Murdock, who was an assistant of the
celebrated engineer, James Watt.

K>6

PATTERNS FOR TURNINGS

DINING-TABLE LEGS OTHER TABLE LEGS (SEVERAL WITH

SPINDLES
COLUMNS
FULL-SIZED DETAILS)
CHAIR LEGS NEWEL POSTS HOUSEHOLD TURNERY

CHESSMEN

PATTERNS OF TABLE LEGS.

ff^HE

dining-table from the

This includes the
castor and the lining-up moulding which is generally
placed under the top to strengthen and clamp it.
The wood turner generally prepares his legs about
2 ft. 4 ins. in height, so as to allow for squaring up
the top of the leg. Where castors and castor rims are
used the legs are turned to fit the rim, because different

height of a standard

floor to the

makers

top

of castors

The turner should

is

ft.

and rims

ins.

slightly

vary their

sizes.

work so

as to leave
sufficient material at the top of the turning to allow the
cabinetmaker to mortise in his table framing. No hardalso prepare his

Some
and-fast rule can be given for table framing.
workers use a wide rail and cut or shape the centre
portion away to allow clearance for the knees of a person
when seated at the table. Other workers use a rail
4 ins. in width as a standard.
Following are given approximate scale drawings of
twenty examples of table legs. With the aid of a scale,
a full-sized setting out can easily be made. A brief
description of these table legs is added
No. 1. Standard turned dining-table leg, 4 ins.
square.
No. 2. The shaft is reeded and upper portion carved.
No. 3. Plain turned dining-table oak, mahogany or

Turned and reeded

walnut leg.
No. 4.

107

shaft.

Wood Turning
No.

Turned with reduced squares, Elizabethan

Turned 6 square.
Leg with reduced squares. Elizabethan type.
Ditto. Legs 7 and 8 are shown purely

5.

type.

No.
No.
No.

6.
7.

ins.

8.

for

wood turner. Decoration on the bulb or acorn portions

come under the heading of carving.
No. 9. Modern billiard table leg, 6 ins. square, and

table framing.
No.
Leg made in two portions to accommodate
under framing. Queen Anne type.
No.
Turned as shown, or may be decorated by
the
No.
sized
Modern
dining-table leg (with
No.
square
Washstand without
2
(with
No.
Washstand with castor desired (with
No.
Washstand
desired.
with castor
Twisted turning (with
No.
Washstand (with
The usual height
washstand to table top 2
6
No.
Occasional table or other small table
squares.
No.
Occasional table or other small table
squares.
No.
Occasional table or other small table
squares.
No.
Occasional table or other small table
left for

9-in.

10.

11.

fluting

shaft.

12.

4-in.

full-

details).

leg

13.

castor,

ins.

full-sized details).

leg

14.

if

full-sized details).

leg

15.

if

full-sized details).

16.

leg

full-sized details).

of

is

17.

ft.

ins.

legs,

2-in.

18.

legs,

19.

legs,

20.

legs,

2-in.

2-in.

2-in. squares.

Occasional tables vary in height from 2 ft. 2 ins. to

6 ins., according to style.
All portions of the legs lettered x on the drawings are
left square.
2

ft.

108

Patterns for Turnings

en

i.

MOS.

I,

*,

3.FATTMI OF TURHBD DIWWG-TABLB

109

LBOt.

Wood Turning

NOS.

4,

5,

6.

PATTERNS

OF TURNED DINING-TABLE LEGS.

(No. 5 has a turned shaft with reduced squares.)

zxo

Patterns for Turnings

u
X

NOS.

7, 8.

ELIZABETHAN

PATTERN &ABLB LEGS,

III

IVood Turning

WJMMM

JIO. 9.

PATTERN

OF BILLIARD TABLE LEG, WITH SCALE.

Legs of large diameter generally have a f-in. hole bored lengthways through them to facilitate drying and prevent chocking
of the timber. The holes are afterwards plugged up.

112

Patterns for Turnings

[under FRAME. 1
1

NOS. IO, II.

PATTERNS OF TABLE LEGS, DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE UNDERFRAMING.

Note.

Dotted

line of

turned pin to

"3

make

the joint.

Wood Turning

Patterns for Turnings

NO. 13.

WASHSTAND LEG, WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS.

US

IVood Turning

SQUARE

MO.

14.WASHSTAND LEG, WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS.

Il6

Patterns for Turnings

SQUARE

V0 15. WASHSTAND
.

LEG, WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS.

117

Wood

Turning

16

NO. l6.WASHSTAND LEG, WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS.

118

Patterns for Turnings

NOS. 17, l8, 19, 20.

TURNED LEGS FOR OCCASIONAL TABLES.

119

IVood Turning
Miscellaneous Patterns for Turning.
ing

The

follow-

columns, spindle^,
ornaments, sideboard and overmantel columns, chair
legs, chessmen and examples of household turnery.
plates

illustrate

hall

No. 22 Turned post

(with
8
No.
Turned post
(with
8
No.
Spindle design
No.
Spindle design

stand,

No. 21. Column for shop shelves, ij

square (with full-sized details).
for

ft.

ins.

ft.

ins.

to 2

ins.

stand, height about

hall

full-sized details).

23.

ins.

for hall stand,

height about

full-sized details).

24.

for light trap, etc.

up

to 10 ins.

long.

25.

for

garden gate up to 8

ins.

long.

Nos. 26, 27, 28. Chair or couch spindles ; also suitable

for galleries around overmantels or sideboards.

Furniture

Nos. 29, 33, 34.

Ornaments for general work, such as
tops of chairs, cabinets, fire screens.
Nos. 30, 31, 32.
buttons for hiding the
heads of screws used for constructional purposes.

No. 35.

Method of applying same to the work.

Ornamental turning.
After
Nos. 36 37, 38, 39.
turning ropes of the desired pattern they are cut in half
lengthways so as to be glued on to the work. Occasionally they are sawn lengthways into four pieces, so as
No. 38 is
to enable them to be glued into a rebate.
pearl beading.
No. 40.

Two

finialsfor a barge

the roof of a house.

board at the apex

Also suitable for a

of

flagstaff.

Other exrmples of turnings are given on pp. 127 and

128 (sideboard columns), 129 (chair legs), 130 (ti ble
leg, lull sized details), 131 (newel posts), 132 (household turnery), and 134 (chessmen)

120


Patterns for Turnings

NO. 21.

VJOP

COLUMN FOR SHOP SHELVES, \\ INS. TO

WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS.

121

2 INS. SQUARE,

Wood Turning

HEIGHT ABOUT 2

o. .a.-* W^?Wm.

122

FT. 8 iNSi

Patterns for Turnings

TURNED POST OP HALL STAND. HEIGHT ABOUT 2 FT. 8 INS.

WITH FULL-SIZED DETAILS. (DETAILS OF FOOT NOT SHOWN.)

MO. 23.

123

JVood Turning

124

Patterns for Turnings

FURNITURE
BUTTONS.

TERMINAL
ORNAMENTS.

FIXING A

tURMED BUTTON.

36
37
58

59
EXAMPLES OF ORNAMENTAL TURNING.
These are used round, half-round, and quarter-round.

t*5

tVood Turning

FINIALS FOR BARGEBOARD, A TERMINAL FOR FLAGSTAFF.

126

Patterns for Turnings

EXAMPLES OF SIDEBOARD COLUMNS.

Heights to suit sideboard backs.
2

ft.

2 ins. to 2

127

ft.

General height,

3 ins.

Wood Turning

BXAMPLES OF SIDEBOARD OR OVERMANTEL COLUMNS.

Heights to suit requirements.
2

ft.

2 ins.

128

General height,

Patterns for Turnings

EXAMPLES OF TURNED CHAIR LEGS.

General height to top of frame for upholstered seats, 17

129

ins.

Wood Turning

dBftt

5C uare:
i

)
FOO

WASHSTAND OR OCCASIONAL
TABLE LEG.
long. Lower square portion, 2 ins.

FULL-SIZE DETAILS OF A

Length of taming, 14

ins.

I30

high.

Patterns for Turnings

EXAMPLES OF TURNED NEWEL POSTS.

General Dimensions, 4

ins.

131

to 6 ins. diameter.

JVood Turning

6t'x &"<-'

CMJ
B

12

IT

*1*

*&

EXAMPLES OF HOUSEHOLD TURNERY.

*3

Patterns for Turnings

Household Turnery. A few examples of useful

household turnery are given opposite. The general sizes
are marked, and modifications to suit existing requirements may be made by the worker.
Vegetable presser, or butter worker. A suitable
A.
wood is sycamore, maple, holly, box, beech, or birch.
the ends bored and
Dumbells, made of birch
B.
weighted with lead according to requirements.
Rolling pin, alternative sizes being given on sketch.
C.
A suitable wood is sycamore, maple, birch, or box.
size to own requireD.
Reel for builder's chalk line
ments. Use boxwood, sycamore, or other hard and closegrained wood.
E.
Potato masher
two sizes given on sketch. Made
of maple, sycamore, or birch.
Length of
F.
Chairman's or auctioneer's mallet.
handle, 7 ins. Suitable wood is ebony or English walnut.
Halter block for stable use, 3 ins. to 4 ins. diaG.
oak or beech.
meter, and about 4 ins. to 5 ins. long
H. Soda water bottle opener boxwood.
birch wood.
Indian club (adult's size)
I.
Pork pie block, for assisting to raise the pastry
J.
birch, beech, or sycamore.
boxwood.
Plain serviette ring
K.
L.
Bread platter, sunk pattern sycamore or maple.
box or other fancy hard
M. Moulded serviette ring
wood, such as olive wood.

<33

Wood Turning

FAWN.

^^V7

QUEEN.

KING.

BISHOP.

SET OF CHESSMEN, FULL SIZE.

boxwood and ebony. The bottom

turned slightly concave, so that it will
stand secure. The lower portion of the knight is turned
with a small pin on it so as to engage with a hole which
is bored into the horse's head. The upper portion forming
the head is hand-carved.
Suitable woods are

of each piece

is

\>A

BBD OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI, WITH TURNED POSTS

AND

(From

*'

FEET.

Tk* Woodwork*," 19 19 Volumt.)

135

GATE-LEG TABLE

CROMWELLIAN TYPE.
FLAP DOWN.

(From " The Woodworker," 1919 Volume.)

137

VIEW WITH

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY CHAIR WITH TURNED LEGS AND BACK

UPRIGHTS. DETAILS OF TURNING SHOWN.

(From " The Woodworher," 1919 Volume.)

140

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY OAK CHEST

WITH TURNED LEGS.

(From "The Woodworker," 1919 Volume.)

141

144

INDEX
Acorn
than,

Boring adjustment, 34
Boring (deep) a roller
spoon auger, 71, 72

turnings (see Elizabe-

Jacobean and Queen

Anne

turnings,) 45
Animals, Noah's ark, turning,

Bottle (soda water) opener, 132

Bread platter, 132
Bulbous turnings (see also
Elizabethan, Jacobean and

101

Anne

(Queen),
turning, 54

cabriole

legs,

Anne (Queen) pattern legs,

scale drawings of, 113
Arbor, making a wood, 42
Arbor, use of the, 40
Astragal beading for bookcase
doors, turning, 72, 73
Astragal member, the, 103
Auger, deep-boring a roller
with spoon, 71, 72

Back

stay, the, 31, 32

Ball, finishing a, after turning,

78
Ball, testing

accuracy

of,

after

turning, 79
Ball tool cutter, the, 76
Balls, how to turn, 75
Balls, turning

with

common, 80

Balusters, examples

of, 45
Bar, the treadle, 3
Barred doors, turning moulds
for, 73, 83
Bead member, the, 103

Bead, rounding off a, 17

Bead, the sunk, 103
Beaded moulding, turning a, 38
Beading (astragal for bookcase
)

doors, turning, 72, 73

Beading, pearl, 125
Bed, gap, 70
Bed posts, turned, 135
Bed, the lathe, 3
Beeswax and turpentine for
polishing oak, 96
Bench for circular sawing, 34
Bobbin, turned electrical, 42, 43
Bolection mouldings, turning,
73

Queen Anne

turnings), 45

Butter worker, 132

Buttons, patterns for
ture, 125

Cabriole

legs, turning,

Callipers, egg,

furni-

54

and in-and-out,

18
Callipers, testing with, 20
Cannon, method of turning
toy, 41
Capitals, turning for, 88, 89
Casting (or leg) the lathe, 3

Catherine de Medici, bed of,

135
Centre pin for crankshaft, 3
Centre, the dead, 3
Centre, the live, 3
Centres, fastening wood between, 9
Chain, the driving, 3
Chain wheel, the, 3
Chair, Cromwellian, 143
Chair, French (Francis I.), 142
Chair, French (Henry II.), 142
Chair (John Knox's), 143
Chair leg, how to turn upper
part of back, 62, 63
Chair legs, patterns for, 129
Chair legs, turning clubbed foot
and cabriole, 53, 54
Chair (seventeenth century),
140
Chair, Stuart, 144
Chair turnings, evolution of,
102
Chessmen, patterns for, 134

J45

In Jex
century

seventeenth
Chest,
oak, 141

Discs,
Discs,

for turning discs, 60, 62

Chuck, home-made, for turning
7,

Egg

callipers, 18
Electrical bobbin, a turned, 42,

43

Elizabethan dresser, 139

Elizabethan pattern legs, scale
drawings of, in
Elizabethan table legs, examples, 12, 66, in
Elizabethan turnings, 12, 43,
45, 66, 74, in, 139
Elizabethan turnings, examples

to tee rest holder, 3

Club foot and cabriole legs,

turning, 53, 54
Collars, temporary supporting,
72
sideboard,

building

100

Columns, patterns

of miscellaneous, 12, 43, 7^

Exercises, examples of, 21, 23
Extension piece to lathe bed,

for turned,

121, 127, 128

Concave and convex

Cone pulley, the, 3

oilslip,

29

Cornice pole rings, turning, 81

Crankshaft, the, 3
Cromwellian chair, 143
Cup chuck for turning balls,
(or

dead

centre), 3

Cutter, the ball tool, 76

centre, the, 3

Deep-boring a

roller

with spoon

auger, 71, 72
Designs (see Patterns).
Details (full-sized) of turning
1 2? 1
1 14
118,
patterns,

French polishing, 36

p bed lathe, 70
Gate-leg table, 136, 137

Gt.

patterns
113, 114

legs,

no, in,

plates, 60
Featheredge, oilslip with, 28
Fillet, the, 103
Finials, patterns for, 126
(staining
Finishing turnings
and polishing), 91
Finishing with glass-paper, 23
Fire screen with turned parts,
98
Flemish table, 144
Flutes, 103

123, 130, 134

Dining-table

Face

75

109,

for

Chucks, screw, 58
Chucks, split, 55
Circles, turning quarter, 72, 73
Circular saw spindle, 32, 33
Circular saws, 33

Dead

6>.

80

Chucking the wood,

Cup, the

moulds

Driving wheel, the, 3

Dumb-bells, 132
Dutch dining-table, 139

75

Columns,

of turning,

Dresser, Tudor, 139

Drilling adjustment, 34, 35
Driving chain, the, 3
Driving spur, 39
Driving wheel (slow speed) for
metal turning, 3

Chuck

Clamp

for turning, 60, 62

method

turning
Doors,
barred, 73, 83

Chisel, grinding a, 26, 27

Chisel, illustration of, 22
Chisel, preliminary work with
the, 11
Chisel, the, how to use, for
finishing work, 11, 13
Chisels, sharpening, 27
Chuck, cup, for turning balls,

balls, 79,

chuck

for,

Gate

X46

pillars,

examples

of,

45

Index
Gauge, grinding a, 25
Gauge, handled wood turner's,

Jig, a saddle, for

legs, 63

shaped chair

19

Gauge,

home-made

wooden,

19

Lathe

bed, the, 3
Lathe, buying a, 4
Lathe, description of standard,

Gauge, illustration of, 22

Gauge, preliminary work with
the, 10

Gauge, the limit, 75, 79

Gauge, using the wood, 20
Gauging, 7

Lathe, gap bed, 70

Lathe/ names of parts

of, 3
Lathe, native Indian, 105
Lathe, the story of the, 104
Lathes, automatic, etc., 105
Lathes, table of speeds for
power, 104
Laths, setting out (or gauging),
87
Leg casting of lathe, the, 3
Leg, how to turn upper part of
back chair, 62, 63
Legs, examples of Tudor table,

Gauging (or setting-out) laths

for shaped turnings, 87
Glass-papering, 23, 91

Gouges, sharpening, 28
Grinding, or sharpening
25
Grindstone, the, 25

Hall

tools,

stand posts, patterns

for,

122, 123

12, 66,

in

Halter block, 132

Hammer, chairman's or auctioneer's, 132
Hand wheel for tailstock, 3
Handle, turned vice, 42, 43
Handle, turning a, 21
Handles, finishing tool, 17
Headstock, packing a, 72

Legs, pattern for chair, 129

Legs, patterns for dining-table,
109, no, in, 113, 114
Legs, patterns for occasional
table, 119, 130
Legs, patterns for washstand
or dressing-table, 115
118,

Headstock reversed

Legs, turning clubbed foot

for

work, lathe with, 71

Headstock, the, 3
Hollow, stages on turning

large

a, 14,

15

Hollowing a vase, 67
Household turnery, patterns
for,

130

and

cabriole, 53, 54
Limit gauge, the, 75, 79
Live centre, or prong, the, 3
Live spindle, the, 3

Lock nuts,

132

Mallet,
In-and-out

callipers, 18

India medium cilslip, 25, 28

Indian club, 132

Jacobean

chair, 144

Jacobean split turnings, 36

Jacobean turnings, 45, 115
118, 144

chairman's

or

auc-

tioneer's, 132
Mandril spindle, 75

Medici (Catherine de), bed of,

135
Members for turning patterns,
grouping of, 102
Metal turning, slow speed driving wheel for, 3
Mitre trap for reduced squares,
44

*47

Index
Mouldings, patterns for turned,
125
Mouldings, turned, 36, 38, 125
Moulds for barred doors, turning, 73, 83

Neat's foot oil, 30

Newel posts, patterns for, 131
Noah's ark animals, turning,

Polishing, frictional, with fine

shavings, 93
Polishing in the lathe with

rubber, 95
Polishing, wax, 96
Pork pie block, 132
Posts for hall stands, patterns

Potato masher, 132

Power

101

Nose piece

123

for, 122,

Posts, patterns for newel, 131

for turning balls,

for,

lathes, table of speeds

104

Presser, vegetable, 132

Prong, or live centre, the, 3
Pulley, the cone, 3

75
Nuts, lock, 3

Oak, polishing, 96
Ogee member, the, 103

QuASi-square turning, 85

Oil, neat's foot,

Queen

Oilslips, 25,

30

cabriole

Queen Anne pattern

Oilstone, the, 25, 28

drawings

Overmantel columns, patterns

for,

Anne

legs,

turning, 54

28

of,

legs, scale

113

128

Ovolo member,

the, 103

Railing

Packing a headstock

for large

work, 72
Parting tool, illustration of, 22
Patera, turning, 62, 63
Patterns for turnings (many
with full - sized details),

107-134
Pearl beading, 125
Pilaster decorated with split
turning, 37
Pillars, building sideboard, 100
Pillars, examples of turned, 45
Pillars (or columns), patterns
for, 121, 127, 128
Pin, centre, for crankshaft, 3
Pin, rolling, 132
Pin, thrust, 3
Pipes, turning tobacco, 99
Pitch, the, in spiral turning, 47
Planing reduced squares, 44
Plates, face, 60
Platter, bread, 132
Polishing, french, 96

pillars,

examples

45
Reeding, 103
Reel for builder's chalk
132
Rest, adjusting the tee, 9
Rest, the back, 31
Rest, the tee, 3

of,

line,

Rims and

rings, turning, 81, 82

Rings, serviette, 132
Rings, turning cornice pole and
other, 81
Roller, deep-boring a, with
spoon auger, 71, 72
Rolling pin, 132
Roughing down, 10
Round (or torus), the, 103
Rounding off, 15
Rounding off a bead, 17

Rounding

Saddle

65

for turning rings, 82

jig, for shaped chair

Saddle, or
legs, 63

I48

tools,

Index
Saw

Stepping, or sinking, 16
Stuart chair, 144
Supporting collars, temporary,
72

spindle, circular, 32, 33

for circular saw,

Sawing bench

34
Saws, circular, 33
Scotia moulding, the, 103
Scraping tool, illustration of, 22
Screen, fire, with turned parts,
98
Screw chucks, 58
Serviette rings, 132
Setting-out (or gauging) laths,
87
Shaped chair legs, turning, 63

Table, dressing, or washstand

Table

patterns

pillars, building, 100

Sinking, or stepping, 16

Spindle, circular saw, 32, 33

Spindle lubricator, the, 3
Spindle, mandril, 75
Spindle, tailstock, 3
Spindle, the live, 3
Spindles, patterns for, 124
Spindles, use of back stay for
supporting slender, 32
Spiral turning, 47
Spiral turnings, examples of,

teenth century), 138

Tailstock, etc., 3

Tapered oilslips, 28
Tee rest, adjusting tne,
Tee rest, the, 3
Template for turning balls, 80
Templates (or setting-out laths)
87,89
Terminal ornaments, patterns
for, 125,

126

Therming, 84, 87
Thrust pin, 3
Thumb mould, the, 103
Tobacco pipes, turning, 99

Tommy

52, 117

Split chucks, 55
Split turnings, 36
Spoon auger, deep boring a
roller with, 71, 72
Spur, driving, 39
Spur, the, 3
Square timber, face plate to
take, 61
Square turning, 83

Squares, reduced, 44
Squaring down, 16
Staining turnings, 91
Stay, the back, 31, 32

no, in,

legs,

Table with turned legs (seven-

28

104

of Tudor,

patterns for dining-,

113, 114
patterns for occasional, 119, 130
Table of speeds for power
lathes, 104
109,

Sideboard

of,

examples

in

Table

Soda water bottle opener, 132

Speeds for power lathes, table

legs,

12, 66,
Table legs,

127, 128

Slips, oil, 25,

118,

dining-, 139
Table, Flemish, 144
Table, gate-leg, 136, 137

Sharpening tools, 25, 27

Shelf, the tool and calliper, 3
columns,

115

Ta^c, Dutch

turnings, setting-out
laths or templates for, 87

for,

for,

130

Shaped

Sideboard

patterns

lees,

bar, the, 58
Tool cutter, the ball, 76
Tool handles, finishing off, 17
Tool shelf on lathe, 3
Tools, grinding and sharpening, 25
Tools, various turning, 22, 24
Toy cannon, method of turn-

ing a, 41
wheels, how to turn, 42, 44
Trap,
mitre,
for
reduced
squares, 44
Treadle bar, the, 3
Treadle, the lathe, 3

Toy

149

Index
Treadling:, hints on, 5, 6
Tudor dresser, 139

Tudor table
12, 66,

legs,

examples

of,

in

Tudor turnings, examples of,

12, 43, 66, 74, in, 139
Tudor turnings (see also Eliza-

Turning patterns,
sized details, 114
123, 130, 134
Turning, square, 83

Vase, hollowing

a, 67
cut, the, 103
Vegetable presser, 132
Vice handle, turned, 42, 43

Vee

bethan turnings).

Turned mouldings, 36, 38

Turning large work, 70
Turning, patterns
mental, 125

Twisted turning, triple, 53

Twists, double, 50, 52
Twists, single, 47
Twists, triple, 52, 53

for

with

orna-

118,

full-

Washita

oilslip, 25, 28
legs, patterns for,

Washstand

121

115 118,

Wax

Turning, twisted and spiral, 47

Turnings, examples of Tudor,
12, 43, 66, 74, in, 139
Turnings, finishing (staining

and polishing), 91
Turnings, split, 36
Twist, double and triple, with
separate strands, 52
Twisted and spiral turning, 47

130

polishing, 96
Wheel (hand) for tailstock, 3
Wheel, slow speed driving, for
metal turning, 3
Wheel, the chain, 3
Wheel, the driving, 3
Wheels, how to turn toy, 42, 44
Wood, chucking the, 7, 8
Wood, how to fasten between
centres, 9

tjo