Gavel and the other bit

[MJ]

I have been asked to make a gavel and the thing you hit with a gavel. I think its called theotherbityouhit.

I want to polish the whole thing on the lathe (using U-Beaut products of course) but I'm not quite sure how I'll do the ends of the gavel head (that is-the ends that are used to strike the other bit. I can't see how I can polish until I part the piece, and I can't mount each end in a scroll chuck without marking the piece.

Anyone have any ideas?

[RETIRED]

Gooday,

Use Shellawax Cream and buff the ends after parting off.

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Ian () Robertson
"We do good turns every day"

[Jim Carroll]

You can make your own wooden collet chuck. You have a peice of wood held by your scroll chuck which is hollowed out just enough in the diameter to hold the head of the gavel and deep enough to support as much as you can , then cut slots down part of the length so you can compress this to hold the gavel head securely and clean up the end and polish with uncle neils stuff. To compress the collet use a hose clamp but be very carefull not to catch your knuckles or rags on the protruding bits.


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Jim
Turn it up

[ubeaut]

Another simple collett chuck for holding the agvel head and other similar odjects can be made using white PVC water pipe which is cut part way down its length into 8 sections with the band saw or a hand saw. Heavy elastic bands around the outside should provide enough pressure to hold the work.

Only drawback to this one is that you need the pipe to be the same diameter as the gavel head or a tad smaller.

Have you thought about leaving an extra 25mm on the end of the head that can be held in the jaws of a chuck. Turn the whole head whilst in the chuck, this will enable the outer end to be cut, sanded and polished whilst still in the jaws. Then carefully cut the other end of the hear with a sharp skew until it is almost parted through. Sand that end and polish then take the piece out of the chuck, cut the little nib off the end and sand and polish the rest by hand with Shellawax Cream.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - Neil

[Iain]

The bit you hit with a gavel has a proper technical name stemming from ancient legal tomes (or times), it is called a 'block'
Thus endeth the legal lesson.

[John Saxton]

Isn't the "block" where ones head is placed when compromised and therefore caressed with the sharp wit of an edge!!

[Iain]

Or the sharp edge of a wit!!!!!!!!!!

[Marshall Gorrow]

When I turn a gavel, I leave about 1/16" on each end turned a slightly smaller diameter than the bead adjacent to it.

I finish all that I can get at while it's still in the chuck. Then I part it off with the toe of the skew. (long point)

Next I chuck a piece of scrap and make a jam fit chuck. A wrap of packing tape will hold it all in place for a little finish sanding and polishing. If the jam is tight, you steady with your free hand and it is tight against the edge of the bead, it shouldn't run out.

Here's an example http://mgorrow.tripod.com/028.jpg Not too much detail but I think that you can see what I mean.

"Thethingthatyouhit" is an anvil unless you miss then "itsafinger" and "whateverotherwordsthatcometomind!"

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Marshall Gorrow
May your next turning be your best!

[MJ]

Gentlemen

Thanks you for your various advices. I ended up wrapping the finished end of the head in cloth and holding that in the chuck. Unfortunately it left some marks, barely discernable, but you can still see them. I won't be so lazy next time.

I also made the gavel head from Jarrah. It was the first tim,e I've used it and it polises up a treat with EEE followed by shellawax polish. (Any chance of a free sample uncle Neil????)

Jacko