Spindle Turning Skill Building Workshop – Turning Your Own Shop Tools
This skill building session will help you enhance and expand your spindle turning techniques. The
workshop will review how to turn common spindle forms (e.g. beads, coves, fillets, V-grooves) with both
the spindle gouge and skew. The class will begin with a hands-on remedial review of the correct way to
turn the perfect beads and coves. Following the review and warm-up you will then have the option of
turning a variety of shop tools such as a one-piece mallet, a weighted carver’s mallet, various bird cage
and scratch awls and/or a spring-loaded center punch. Even if you are an experienced turner, consider
taking this workshop to learn the process of creating these common tools and going home with some
useful tools for your shop.
NOTE: The cost of the workshop, exclusive of the registration fee, will vary depending on what you wish to turn and create. You will pay for what you turn directly to the instructor, Ken Poirier, with either cash, PayPal or check. This is ala carte pricing such that you pay for what you choose to turn. You may choose to skip some projects or turn multiples of another. A running total will be kept and tallied at the end of the workshop. Depending on your choice of projects expect the cost to be between $30-50.
TOOLS REQUIRED AND SUGGESTED:
Your usual spindle turning tools including, but not limited to your favorite spindle roughing gouge, parting tool(s), spindle gouge(s) 3/8” and/or ½” or any other size you prefer, and skew(s) if you prefer. Please bring any other tools that you are comfortable using when spindle turning between centers (e.g. a bedan?). Note that you will be turning brass nuts to round for the awls. This can be accomplished with a spindle gouge, a skew, a bedan or a small scraper. Remember to bring sharpened tools to the start of the class and any jigs you use to set the platform and V-arm that you typically use. ONLY HSS tools are to be sharpened on the studio grinder. You may bring you own sharpening set up if you prefer (which can be clamped down to the end of the lathe bed and don’t forget your clamps). Note that bringing multiples of a sharpened tool can save you time during the workshop.
- Eye protection, including but not limited to the mandatory face shield
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- Drill bits: 5/32”, ¼”, 5/16”, ½” and 12mm (only if you have it)
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- Cone Center with MT2. Note that the live centers in the studio can be converted to a cone center.
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- Adjustable wrench to fit a 1/4" to ½” nut (can be a small one)
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- *Calipers – Outside, inside and either a digital or Vernier caliper
- *Divider (with sharpened points)
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- *Two Part Epoxy and some mixing applicators and cardboard pieces for mixing
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- *Thick CA Glue and accelerator (instead of epoxy for quicker set times)
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- *Center punch or awl (which you will be making a handle for, so could be an early distribution)
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- Sandpaper (only for touch up and light sanding. Your goal is to get the best finish with a sharp tool and good technique. Extensive sanding is not allowed in the studio).
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- *Small (6”) rule or longer if you do not have a 6” rule Pencil(s)
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- *Turning stock as described above. All projects will have material provided to you.
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- Smock (optional, but useful)
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Various domestic hardwoods will be provided as part of each kit listed below. You may choose to bring
your own wood to the workshop especially if you have been saving (hoarding?) that special billet in your
wood stash. Most linear handles can typically be turned from
1 1/2 x 1 1/2" or 2" square(ish) stock.square(ish) stock. Palm style
handles typically start with 2 ½ - 3” stock. I will have additional hardwood handle stock and ferrules
available for purchase for use in the session or for you to take home.
I will have a limited number of these items available to use, but if you have these items and can bring to the workshop it will help to keep the class moving along without waiting for another student to finish using.
Project Kit Cost (Estimated)
| Cost |
| Oak Mallet Billet 3- 4”x 3-4”x12 |
$15.00 |
| Hard Maple Weighted Mallet Billet 3”x3”x 12” |
$20.00 |
| Carver’s Mallet made with a 27mm Impact Socket |
$10.00 |
| " Awl (Bird Cage or Scratch Kit with 5/32” hardened round stock) |
$8.00 |
| Awl (Bird Cage Kit with 3/16” or 1/4” HSS square stock) |
$10.00 |
| Center Punch (Palm Handle) Kit |
$8.00 |
| Palm Style Awl with ¼” HSS M2 Steel |
$12.00 |
| Turning Tool Handle with Jacob’s Chuck (adjustable up to ½”) |
$25.00 |
*If you choose to turn a Brass Carver’s Mallet Turning Kit (pictured), you must purchase the hardware kit
ahead of time and install the threaded insert in your choice of material prior to the workshop. One local
supplier is Woodcraft. The stock numbers are: 185879 (290g, $16.99) or 185880 (520g, $29.99).
I hope to see you in this workshop. Happy Turning!