Seeking advice

Re: Seeking advice

john lucas

the main elements were turned on center so the sort of off center element would have to be carved. I would do it using my router and router table platform that is attached to my lathe banjo. Make a patter for the router to follow for the Egg shape. The draw your off center element. The use the route to route up as close to the line as possible. that will get rid of most of the waste and leave just a little carving and sanding.

Swash turning

John K Jordan

I might be confused - I thought the one on the right is the type of turning done in "ancient" times on a type of ornamental lathe similar to an oval lathe but with a swash plate that moved the work back and forth along the spindle axis instead of back and forth along the radius.

I have a book somewhere with -- ah, in the middle of this sentence I remembered one reference with a picture and I just happened to have the book beside me: in Mike Darlow's book Woodturning Design on page 20 is a photo of "Directional ornament on swash-turned balusters" in the Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Berlin. He states "Swash turning is first described in Joseph Moxon's Mechanic Exercises published in 1658" and to look on pages 57-58 in Darlow's Woodturning Methods book.

Another picture and a diagram part way down this page:

https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/tag/pole-lathe/page/4/

I suspect this could be done on a suitably equipped rose engine. I found a video by searching for swash turning that showed evidence of this when I thumbed through it.

Perhaps contact the Ornamental Turners International - perhaps they can point you towards someone who could do it for you.

JKJ

Re: Seeking advice

SF Murphy

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

Re: Swash turning

john lucas

John I have a book on how to build one of those lathes. OK I don't have the book it's on Kindle. I've been slowly reading it. Hard to read. I don't think it's done with that technique but it could be. I'm guessing it was done with a mechanical carving machine. Those were much more common. I have a friend who built one and it would probably duplicate that.

Re: Swash turning

rch

What is the author and title?

Re: Seeking advice

SF Murphy

Anybody know someone in the Houston/Galveston area who could make these?

Re: Seeking advice

Dennis in Southern Oregon

Will any of the originals be used along with the six? If not, you might be able to make minor changes that will simplify the process while retaining the basic concept.

Re: Swash turning

John K Jordan

I got out the Darlow book Woodturning Methods and checked - it does have a good section, 2.8 Swash Turning and Pumping. It hs descriptions of lathes and the swash plate that provide the axial motion. It does talk about ornamental lathes and rose engines.

If you don't get a local response you might still try the ornamental turners group. Perhaps they have a forum where you could show the photo and ask if anyone would be able to help.

Maybe waving dollar bills will get someone attention.

JKJ

Woodturning another dimension--Rod Tallack *LINK*

john lucas

I wish I had ordered the paper back version because I will almost certainly need to have it sitting by my side if I try to build one of these.


https://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-Another-Dimension-Rod-Tallack-ebook/dp/B01MUQI5JF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521548234&sr=8-1&keywords=woodturning+another+dimension

Re: Seeking advice

lyle Jamieson

I wonder if a 3-d printer can make it look like a wood part??

Re: Woodturning another dimension--Rod Tallack

rch

Thanks for the link. I've downloaded the sample to read through.

Re: Woodturning another dimension--Rod Tallack

John K Jordan

John, I looked at Woodturning: Another Dimension and ordered a paper copy too. I need another project.

JKJ

Re: Seeking advice

Barry Irby

I know this is heresy on a Turning site, but why not turn a larger piece with the stem finished and have a skilled carver hand carve away everything that does not look like the original? You only need 6? By the time they get to number 6 they should be pretty good.

Re: Seeking advice

SF Murphy

I had considered that too; not much luck finding a wood carver. I used to know a guy, but can't seem to track him down.

Re: Seeking advice

SF Murphy

Thanks, John, I think I'm going to give this a try (not much to lose!) I was going to ask you for a photo of your router set-up, but found your on-line video of using a router on the lathe. Excellent information! I figure even if it doesn't work for this project, I have a hundred ideas about what I can make with the set-up you suggested. Thanks again!

Re: Seeking advice

SF Murphy

Good idea, but, yes, there the originals will indeed be used. In fact, my goal is to match the ones that are already in place.

Re: Seeking advice

Barry Irby

The local WoodCraft store has a carving club that meets there. As small as those pieces are, you could mail them out and back for very little even if the carver is at some distance.

Re: Seeking advice

jorge

Have you considered using a pole lathe? Those things are a lot more versatile than our power lathes

Re: Seeking advice *LINK*

john lucas

A pole lathe wouldn't give you any advantage for turning that piece. You can rig a pole lathe to not make a complete revolution. I did that with the idea of turning a coffee cup with a handle. Kinda, sorta worked, but not worth the trouble. I took my spring pole lathe apart when I moved. probably never build another one but it was fun while it lasted.

Here is a video some Student's at Tech did of me demonstrating my spring pole lathe.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOrctojBT2Y&t=8s

Re: Seeking advice

John K Jordan

Great video! That would be excellent skew practice.

But how do you get it up to 3000 rpm?

JKJ