Hi Bill,
I always read you posts in the rec.crafts.metalworking group.

Now you have me confused. All of your ideas are great! Don't know which
one to choose. BTW, many years ago I did do a glue-up knob and it lasted
only a few hours before splitting. At the time, I blamed on on the threaded
hole, thinking maybe I stressed the part. Obviously, glue-up is not the
strongest way to go.

Thanks again,

Ivan Vegvary


"Bill Noble" wrote in message
...
1. I have a pile of squares of diamondwood that are predrilled to make
shift knobs - these are probably not right for you (think near spherical
shift knobs like on my 38 Plymouth or 36 Cadillac) but if anyone else
would like one or more, drop me a note - not free, but not too dear (get
my email from my web page at www.wbnoble.com)

2. I think to make a truly spiral pattern I would not do it via glue up -
for several reasons, one is that it won't look right, but an even better
reason is that a car is a really really tough environment on wood and it
is very likely to come apart. So, here are some other ideas

1. you can turn aluminum like wood, so make the shape out of aluminum
(turn a little slower than wood), polish it, and then use "standard
techniques" to cut a spiral groove into the AL and press a strip of wood
into the groove - glue it in with epoxy

2. you can still buy bakelite if you wanted an original handle - it turns
like a really hard brittle wood - dust, not shavings, but it can be turned
on a wood lathe (as can FRP and Phenolic and nylon)

3. do as in #1, but make the handle out of one piece of hard maple, then
do the grooving.

4. cut a maple dowel so it is 3/8 at one end, 1" at the other end. Steam
1/4 inch square strips (e.g. 1/4 X 1/4 X 24 inches) of your selected woods
for a while, until they are soft and wrap them around the shaped dowel and
glue in place - use clamps to hold the whole thing tight while the glue
hardens - you can make a shallow spiral or a really twisty one like
threads, your choice - the shallow spiral will be easier and use shorter
strips of wood-

5. use veneer laid onto the shaped dowel

6. for something completely different, make up a shaped dowel exactly as
you want the outside and use that to make a mold using silicone mold
compound - then fill the mold with interesting stuff like bugs, or
flowers, or chips of wood and broken screws and then pour in casting
resin - after it hardens, polish on the lathe and drill/tap as required.



"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind
of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from
about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark
woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the
finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it
on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank
prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary