A slightly different - non-timber - finial.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The last few weeks I've been staying on-site for a job... and I was beginning to suffer for turning withdrawals when the boss asked if I could "roughly turn" a finial for a pedestal he'd knocked together.

Of course I said yes, even though the closest thing to a lathe at hand was a corded hammer drill.

So, then he introduced me to the blank he wanted the piece turned down from... a 450mm sandstone brick cube!

Obviously the hammer drill wasn't going to cut the mustard, so I quickly improvised a pseudo-lathe from building materials left around the site. Of course, the first task - besides lifting the blank into place and applying hernia bandages - was to trim it into a more 'turnable' shape.


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Once I was satisfied I'd trimmed away the worst of the waste, it was time to fit the toolrest and get stuck into it with the trusty ol' 2400W 10" roughing gouge.

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An hour or two later, a li'l bit of a sanding with 1200W 4" grit and it's ready for reverse mounting!

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To facilitate reverse mounting I made what I called - at first - a 4-jaw chuck, but on flipping the piece over I quickly discovered it was actually a jam chuck. Two fingers, a shirt tail and a power cord can testify to that!

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[powderpost]

Now that is very different. I can admire your ingenuity..
Jim

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Nearly done...

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I didn't get any pix of the finished piece in the 'lathe,' 'cos the moment I put the tools down it was snatched away by this bloke who 'couldn't wait to see it in place.'

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All in all, I'm quite happy with the end result but I think I'll stick to wood-turning in the future. At least wood shavings in my tobacco will burn!

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[Skew's_Girl]

I tried to get photos of how dust covered he was, but the camera just didn't capture it.
It looked like someone had opened a sack of flour in his face.

[Uncle Al]

Interesting job Skew.
Bet the neighbours liked all the dust. Maybe you are a bush mechanic in real life, your adaptation of bits on hand was very clever.

Alan...

[Allan at Wallan]

I don't think that's Skew in the pics.

The one we knew never wore shoes/boots
or has he softened up since moving to the
Blue Mountains?

Allan

[Skew's_Girl]

I don't think that's Skew in the pics. The one we knew never wore shoes/boots Allan

Attachment 310117

No Socks, No Shoes.
And highly un-recommended!

[danny.s]

Awesome!

[Sawdust Maker]

great improvisation well done

looks like a new career to me!

[cava]

Fantastic and good work.

What type of blade did you use? Just a diamond blade, or something more exotic?

[DaveTTC]

Love it ... you're my kind of man Skew


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[dr4g0nfly]

Where there's a will (or need), there's always a way.

And what a solution.

[tea lady]

I bet the wood turning withdrawals haven't gone away though. Fantastic job.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Thanks for the praise, fellas. But I'm not tempted to change my career just yet.

What type of blade did you use? Just a diamond blade, or something more exotic?

Yeah, a std. diamond masonry blade on the 10" and a 'ruby' masonry cup wheel on the li'l 'un. All off the shelf stuff.

[Christos]

Skewie

You seem to come up with these amazing pieces. I think you are in the right place at the right time. I wonder what it would mean if I was your shadow? But I will be wearing shoes.