Skew ChiDAMN!!
12th June 2006, 07:39 PM
So, I started sizing stock to make a display box today... and totally screwed up. (Been one o' them days I'll be glad when it's over) Throwing hands in the air, I decided to take a break and headed for the lathe to recover my 'couth.' That's when it hit me... a totally different box than originally envisioned, but turned. I'm not sure on the fine details, but the idea's firmly embedded itself in the ol' grey matter and will probably brew to perfection over a few more sleeps.
Basically, it'll be a 150mm x 320mm cylinder standing upright and opening like a book. Think of it as two pirates' treasure chest lids hinged together and standing on end. Sized to hold a goblet, although that's not what it's for. (That's my secret until/if finished. ;) ) It will also be tapered by about 2cm towards one end, but that's just a minor detail.
So... the construction. I was thinking along the lines of cutting simple staves for gluing into a pipe shape and turning the inside and out to final dimension. Cut a couple of disks to plug the top'n'bottom (and for a couple of internal shelves to be added later) then splitting in two on the BS.
It all seems perfectly feasible except... what's the best method for mounting the blank onto a lathe? The outside'll be straight forward spindle turning, but mounting it for hollowing? I'm thinking hotmelt glue onto a faceplate but I'm not sure I'll manage consistent thickness once I get more than halfway down, given the depth & width of the form. Perhaps turn the inside end closest to the tailstock, then glue another faceplate onto the tailstock end, seperate from the orig. faceplate and flip it over?
Accuracy in thickness (and, of course, rechucking) is gonna be fairly important here...
Anybody got a more reliable or alternative method? And no, I don't have any powergrip jaws to handle these sizes. ;)
Basically, it'll be a 150mm x 320mm cylinder standing upright and opening like a book. Think of it as two pirates' treasure chest lids hinged together and standing on end. Sized to hold a goblet, although that's not what it's for. (That's my secret until/if finished. ;) ) It will also be tapered by about 2cm towards one end, but that's just a minor detail.
So... the construction. I was thinking along the lines of cutting simple staves for gluing into a pipe shape and turning the inside and out to final dimension. Cut a couple of disks to plug the top'n'bottom (and for a couple of internal shelves to be added later) then splitting in two on the BS.
It all seems perfectly feasible except... what's the best method for mounting the blank onto a lathe? The outside'll be straight forward spindle turning, but mounting it for hollowing? I'm thinking hotmelt glue onto a faceplate but I'm not sure I'll manage consistent thickness once I get more than halfway down, given the depth & width of the form. Perhaps turn the inside end closest to the tailstock, then glue another faceplate onto the tailstock end, seperate from the orig. faceplate and flip it over?
Accuracy in thickness (and, of course, rechucking) is gonna be fairly important here...
Anybody got a more reliable or alternative method? And no, I don't have any powergrip jaws to handle these sizes. ;)