DIYbanter - dupilcator ?

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I have a stairway and railing around the upper opening which is going to
require about 92 oak (balusters) spindles. There was a post some time ago I
believe in this group about using wire or metal setup on the back side of
your lathe. I can't remember all the particulars and have looked in the
archives but maybe I'm not using the right search. So, if anyone remembers
the post would you please fill me in. Also, is making that many worth while
or should I just buy them. Thank you Terry

Terry Houchen wrote:
I have a stairway and railing around the upper opening which is going to
require about 92 oak (balusters) spindles. There was a post some time ago I
believe in this group about using wire or metal setup on the back side of
your lathe. I can't remember all the particulars and have looked in the
archives but maybe I'm not using the right search. So, if anyone remembers
the post would you please fill me in. Also, is making that many worth while
or should I just buy them. Thank you Terry

You may get a lot of opinions here, but this one is just mine.

Buy 'em.

By the time you find all the wood you need, and it is straight, clear,
and dried enough to keep from warping after you turn it, you will have
paid the cost of the spindles. Properly dried wood is so important in
this case it is as important as the turning. You cannot afford to have
your masterpiece staircase look ugly because of an errant baluster that
decided to do a fan dance under the rail. You can spot those guys a
mile away.

Then there's the time. And of course, how well you turn, and how
concerned you are that ALL of them look exactly the same. If it was 10
or fifteen, I would think it would be worth it to turn yourself. But
not that many.

A quick net search showed several vendors that had them for sale in all
types of hardwoods.

Robert

On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:27:17 -0700, "Terry Houchen"
wrote:

I have a stairway and railing around the upper opening which is going to
require about 92 oak (balusters) spindles. There was a post some time ago I
believe in this group about using wire or metal setup on the back side of
your lathe. I can't remember all the particulars and have looked in the
archives but maybe I'm not using the right search. So, if anyone remembers
the post would you please fill me in. Also, is making that many worth while
or should I just buy them. Thank you Terry

Depends on how ambitious and gung-ho you are about spindle turning,
but I'd buy them. I could easily see turning stair spindles getting
really old after ten or fifteen of them, and then letting them sit in
a corner of the shop to gather dust.

As far as duplicators go, I recently ran across a really interesting
design that I've been considering knocking together for myself.

http://www.stripersonline.com/surfta...d.php?t=448454

There are a couple of different versions of this floating around,
mostly for making fishing lures, but a guy could probably scale up
pretty easily by bolting a piece of 3/4" plywood to the ways for the
duplicator to ride on, and use a strip of plexiglass with the pattern
cut in it as a guide. Don't know how well it works, but the principle
seems simple and intuitive enough, and it's certainly less expensive
than buying one from a manufacturer, though the setup would take a
little longer.

If you go this route, and need cutters for it, check he

http://www.jlindustrial.com/

I think I'd probably go for drill rod, and grind a cutter profile into
it for ease of re-sharpening, but it seems a lot of guys like using
round inserts.

As a really interesting thought, a guy could almost use this style
duplicator for making sets of bowls... turn the outsides of every
piece as shown in the pictures, then clamp a different pattern for the
inside of the bowls on the bed and do those as well. I don't know if
any of the commerical ones do that, but I figure this one would.

Hi Terry, I agree with Robert 100%. Re part of your question, the
method for duplicating spindles is usually called "semaphores". Sears
used to sell a set. They are easy to make, but seldom used.
Basically a rod parallel to and behind the spindle with a series of
loose hanging sheet metal or wire arms. The spacing and length can be
adjusted to ride on the spindle and fall thru at different points along
the spindle and depths of cut.

For a few bannisters in a short bent I once deliberately turned each
spindle in a different form. Whimsical maybe, but I didn't fool my
woodturning friends re my duplicating inabilities. :)

Migosh! 92 oak balusters, home made or store bought will be expensive.
Have you considered a companionway or a ladder? Just kidding. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter

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