On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 8:45:00 -0500, Arch wrote
(in message ):


What are your favorite dodges for
making multiple turnings, assuming artistic heresy doesn't turn you off.


At my
age (89) I never use a slow drying glue or finish and have been known to
skip grits.



Mr. Fortiter, Consistent with your avoidance of slow-drying glues, and so on,
I suppose you do not buy green bananas, either. (grin)

My methods are strictly old-school, I guess. As others do, I make a prototype
in the material I intend for the entire project. I determine the largest
diameter for the entire piece, and then turn my blanks to that diameter.
Picking the landmarks - the high and low spots of the piece, I mark the
blanks accordingly, each in its turn on the lathe. (no pun intended) I use a
specially modified outside caliper with its ends flattened and rounded so as
not to snag on turning material. With the caliper adjusted to the proper
diameter for a given landmark, in my left hand - and a thin parting tool in
my right, I cut a groove for the caliper to ride in, and then keep cutting
until the caliper slips through the cut. You can feel how it is riding on the
wood, and when it is going to slip. With practice I am satisfied with my
measuring methods to give me a dimension very close to the original. When the
landmarks are cut to their various depths on the rough spindle I just cut
away anything that does not look like the original, attempting to use the
same rhythms and modes I used in making the original. Not a purist turner, I
use mainly scraping techniques for this kind of turning as it gives me the
best results with my skill set. This is not scientific or extremely precise,
but it works well for my wants. I have done a bit of measuring on baluster
spindles in my 100+ year old front hall stairway and know that they are not
any better than my own duplicating methods.

I did buy a duplicator attachment for my lathe, once upon a time, but I was
not particularly happy with the results of one effort. Its principles are
sound and its construction robust and precise. I suspect my own execution was
at fault. In any case the duplicator now quietly collects dust and spiders in
my basement. sigh.

Respectfully submitted,
tom koehler

--
I will find a way or make one.