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Andy Dingley Andy Dingley is offline
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Default How to make a Spiral Groove in Column

On 14 June, 15:01, eganders wrote:
I need to make a spiral groove in a couple of columns. *


You want one of these:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...y,_ 1925).jpg

An alternative way is to put a grid pattern on the column and join
points along the grid to make a spiral groove manually using gouges
and chisels. *


That's the usual way.

I think you will be needing a lathe to do this though: firstly to
shape the blank, then just as a way of holding the work between
centres so it's easy to turn it as you work on it.

Finish it off by using a custom made wooden plane (more of a
spokeshave / scraper) with an iron that matches the profile you want.
The lathe toolrest is replaced by a length of steel angle or box the
length of the workpiece and supported at two ends (this is an easy
gadget to make for a lathe if you can buy a spare toolrest slide).
Then make the finishing scraper so that the body rides on the long
toolrest and the iron is at the right helix angle for the spiral.