Thread: HELP!!!! lattice type turning!

Originally Posted by Hermit

My problem now is that for the amount of offset that I want, I can't fit a disc on the lathe to turn a recess for the workpiece to sit into. I'll have to route that, offset into a 240mm faceplate disc to just fit my 250mm swing lathe. (Should have bought a bigger one.)

Depending on how large you want the disc to be, the solution I used for mine as it was only 2" diameter was to cut the recess with a forstner Bit.

Originally Posted by Dalboy

Depending on how large you want the disc to be, the solution I used for mine as it was only 2" diameter was to cut the recess with a forstner Bit.

I'm planning to go a little bigger and don't have any large Forstner bits. Shouldn't be a worry with the Dremel/plunge router attachment though.

So, I had a play. Started with some practice cuts with no offset in a bit of Mulberry endgrain using a GPW thin parting tool ($17.50) Cut slots 5mm deep down to 20mm dia no problems. Then built a jig as shown in the utube clip. Faceplate 135mm dia and some 70mm Liquid Amber blanks.
The first attempt I tried to go too small in the centre and it chipped out ( the pale one in the photo ) The second one worked fine with little cleanup and no special tools.S6300410.jpgS6300405.jpgS6300407.jpg the dowel offset is 20mm

Originally Posted by pommyphil

So, I had a play. Started with some practice cuts with no offset in a bit of Mulberry endgrain using a GPW thin parting tool ($17.50) Cut slots 5mm deep down to 20mm dia no problems. Then built a jig as shown in the utube clip. Faceplate 135mm dia and some 70mm Liquid Amber blanks.
The first attempt I tried to go too small in the centre and it chipped out ( the pale one in the photo ) The second one worked fine with little cleanup and no special tools.S6300410.jpgS6300405.jpgS6300407.jpg the dowel offset is 20mm

Looking good Phil.
The Mulberry was end-grain cutting. Were the others end-grain also, or side-grain? I can't see the pics well enough to tell. (My eyes, not your pics.)

I've made a 180mm faceplate with a routed 55mm x 3.2mm circular recess for the workpiece, 52mm offset, but haven't cut any blanks yet. Hopefully later this arvo. Had to mow the lawns first.

Edit: That's a 1/16" parting tool, I assume? I'll use a 1/8". Don't have a 1/16". Looks like Gary Pye will be seeing another order from me. His 3/8" spindle gouge is fine, holds an edge well. Good value for about $20.

Yes, all the other is side grain. The parting tool is 2mm so a bit better than sixteenth. Phil

Originally Posted by pommyphil

Yes, all the other is side grain. The parting tool is 2mm so a bit better than sixteenth. Phil

Thanks Phil. You made it look easy, but I'll bet I have more trouble.

2mm . I was planning to do 2mm slots/ridges after some practice, but didn't know you could buy a ready-made 2mm parting tool, so I ordered a 200mm x 2mm x 5mm piece of HSS steel to make a tool. If I'd known.....

Still, I can use it to make a pair of tools for some tests - a 2mm flat cutter and a 2mm bead cutter. I was thinking, cut a row of beads centred 4mm apart, then run through with the slot cutter to cut the grooves in between.

Dunno what I was so nervous about.

For a first try, I used a piece of very dry, splintery Tassie Oak. (I already had a piece of 1/4" sitting here and was too impatient to cut up the White Beech yet.)

My mini lathe was jumping out the door initially, so I had to drill a couple of extra 8mm 'push-out' holes under the blank for balance. OK now as long as I spin the lathe at 1500 or faster. The faster the better anyway.
I ran out of time and only got the first of 4 sets of cuts done, but so far so good.

First cuts.jpg Balance holes.JPG

For a depth guide, I inset the blank exactly half it's thickness into the faceplate, then cut until I just brushed the faceplate surface.

To make things easier and more accurate, after mounting the blank I used a compass to draw 3 lines per slot onto both the faceplate and the blank, one accurate line at each side of where the slot would be, then a rough line in the centre. When the rough line just started to disappear I knew I was in half-way. (To do this, though, you have to be careful to avoid a parallax error by looking on from directly in front of the cut. If your eyes are to the side, the cut will be too.)

To clamp the blank, I have thin DS tape underneath then the visible 1.5mm strip of Blackbutt screwed across the top as an extra safety measure.

The original reason I didn't use the dowel method of registering the blank was that it limited the amount of offset too much. The depth thing was a bonus that I thought of later.

This is fun.

This is what I'm aiming for:
Pattern.JPG

I thought I'd better show the result of my attempt, warts 'n all. Lots of room for improvement, especially in aligning the ends of the front beads with the ends of the back ones, to give the 'folded' look.
It's not cleaned up much, just a quick sand with 120G.
I need to put more effort into aligning the tool precisely between my pencil marks, (uneven bead widths), but overall it worked out fairly well.

Top.JPG Silhouette.JPG

I'll give it a squirt of satin aerosol Estapol later, but I'm still not sure what I'll do with it.


Michael, we're all looking forward to seeing your results, when you get time to have another go. I'm sure it was only something minor causing your problem, possibly just the timber.
Some of us have too much time on our hands.

I've been following this again in the shadows.
But if that's your first attempt hermit.
It's a bloody good one

Originally Posted by Simplicity

I've been following this again in the shadows.
But if that's your first attempt hermit.
It's a bloody good one

Thanks for that mate. Just lucky, I guess.
Still, as mentioned, there's plenty of room for improvement.

I've been thinking about applications for these lattice discs. They could be used as insets/inlays in a wide range of things. Really small, fine ones could even be used in a feature ring of a segmented turning, if enough care was taken. Might have to give it a shot sometime.
It could look good on the bottom of a bowl, too, if encased in resin.

I've also been playing around in my PCB CAD software, drawing sets of concentric circles on different layers and moving them around to create patterns. It's surprising how many good-looking patterns can be created that should work in timber.
A 3D version could be laminated up, too - turn the top and bottom, glue on another layer, then turn a slightly offset copy of the pattern, etc.

Meantime, I can't wait for my 2mm x 5mm HSS bar to arrive so I can make 2mm bead and slot cutters and try the bead-then-groove method. I want to go a bit bigger than 55mm, too, so I can fit more lines in.

Hey tisn, t fair you blokes are way too good with these thingy, s
I found just a couple of hours today to have a play, but ended up
rushing to get at least something finished, this attempt no.6
Found a scrap piece of burl, not sure what type?
So here is my pretty poor attempt , warts and all, but i still learnt
somethings not to do, my approach is different to yours but i ain, t
given up yet, no.7 already on the bench ready to go
I have to say it has been good fun trying and to see how others
are going about it !

Originally Posted by smiife

Hey tisn, t fair you blokes are way too good with these thingy, s
I found just a couple of hours today to have a play, but ended up
rushing to get at least something finished, this attempt no.6
Found a scrap piece of burl, not sure what type?
So here is my pretty poor attempt , warts and all, but i still learnt
somethings not to do, my approach is different to yours but i ain, t
given up yet, no.7 already on the bench ready to go
I have to say it has been good fun trying and to see how others
are going about it !

Looking pretty good to me.

You've taken on a fairly tricky pattern, and pulled it off. Mine was comparatively simple in that respect, with no really small holes or sharp angles. Your spacing looks more accurate, too.

It is fun, isn't it?
(I'm still in shock that I pulled one off without a catch.)

Edit: I should have added - there's a big downside to my method. If I want to use the faceplate again, I need to fill the slots left from this first one.
Out with the body-filler. A quick wipe and a sand flush and it will be good to go again.
My measurements weren't spot-on, and I had to go deeper on the second side to meet the first, leaving about 1/2mm slots.

Ye I've been thinking about applications to
I was Also thinking I wish I had seen this before I just finished the jewellery box for my wife.
I think that could I've looked great in the top with the ebony final.

Another idea I had today ,was and this is not an attempt to hijack this thread.
You could use a router on tremel bar to if you wanted.
A large sheet of mdf with your work position centre .
Then a series of holes placed along horizontal and vertical lines matching your desired spacing with the router set on a tremel bar.
Even using a small coving bit would be interesting.
Or even a V bit .
And swing the router over it.
I hope that all makes sense.
But this something I think I will have to explore a bit more.