Information on duplicating
 

"Keith Young" wrote:

How can I duplicate candle holders etc.

Thanks
Keith



Two ways:

1. Get a duplicator for your lathe - search 'lathe duplicator' - most
common manufacturer is Vega. Relatively fast.

2. Transfer the profile of the candlestick onto a piece of hardboard and
cut it out. Match the negative of the hardboard profile with the positive
of the candlestick as you turn it. To help transfer the profile, get a
profile gauge. Relatively slow.

LD

Lobby Dosser wrote:
"Keith Young" wrote:

How can I duplicate candle holders etc.

2. Transfer the profile of the candlestick onto a piece of hardboard
and cut it out. Match the negative of the hardboard profile with the
positive of the candlestick as you turn it. To help transfer the
profile, get a profile gauge. Relatively slow.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a profile gouge? And how exactly does
it help me to recreate an existing profile?

--
Alun

Alun Saunders wrote:

Lobby Dosser wrote:
"Keith Young" wrote:

How can I duplicate candle holders etc.

2. Transfer the profile of the candlestick onto a piece of hardboard
and cut it out. Match the negative of the hardboard profile with the
positive of the candlestick as you turn it. To help transfer the
profile, get a profile gauge. Relatively slow.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a profile gouge? And how exactly does
it help me to recreate an existing profile?


gAuge. Best way to describe it is to show it:

http://www.readersdigest.ca/homegard...repairs08.html

Depending on the length of your candlesticks, you might have to make
multipl impressions along their length.

Does that help?

LD

Lobby Dosser wrote:

Alun Saunders wrote:

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a profile gouge? And how exactly does
it help me to recreate an existing profile?

gAuge. Best way to describe it is to show it:

http://www.readersdigest.ca/homegard...repairs08.html

Depending on the length of your candlesticks, you might have to make
multipl impressions along their length.

Oops! Must learn to read more carefully next time :)

--
Alun

The one shown in the Readers Digest link is the kind I USED to use. I like
the ones that are now available which are made of plastic:
1,) They are available in greater length.
2.) The "fingers" do not get bent or dislocated.

They are available at Woodcraft, or4 for half the price, at Harbor Freight.

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:

The one shown in the Readers Digest link is the kind I USED to use. I
like the ones that are now available which are made of plastic:

Grabbed the first one I could find that showed one in use. At least now
he's not out looking for a profile gouge. :o)

1,) They are available in greater length.
2.) The "fingers" do not get bent or dislocated.

They are available at Woodcraft, or4 for half the price, at Harbor
Freight.

Lobby Dosser wrote:
"Leo Lichtman" wrote:


The one shown in the Readers Digest link is the kind I USED to use. I
like the ones that are now available which are made of plastic:


Grabbed the first one I could find that showed one in use. At least now
he's not out looking for a profile gouge. :o)

If I find one, you'll be the first to know :)

--
Alun

How can I duplicate candle holders etc.

Thanks
Keith

Keith:

Far easier and faster than expensive lathe duplicators and profile gauges
are the techniques used by turners for hundreds of years to turn out near
duplicates of chair and table legs, candlesticks and the like by the
thousands.

The key here is *near* duplicates, not *exact* duplicates, although you can
turn "exact" copies to any degree of precision you want. The legs of a
handmade chair, or two candlesticks or the pieces of a chess set, are never
exactly the same, but your eyes want them to be, so you see them as exact
duplicates. Go into an antique store some day and really measure the legs
of an old Windsor chair and marvel at the differences in those "identical"
legs. If you can, find a really old one whose legs are oval (they were
turned from green wood in 12 minutes or less each, and there is NO glue in
those still-tight joints) and not even round.

To duplicate your candlesticks easily, measure the locations of the elements
along the length, then mark them on a "story stick" that you can hold up to
a spinning blank and transfer the measurements quickly. If you are making
hundreds of the candle holders, instead of marking the story stick, actually
notch the edge to accommodate the point of a pencil, or place small brads at
the element transitions to make their places and simply press the stick into
the spinning blank. For the pieces to look identical, the location of the
elements along the length is FAR more important than diameters or the exact
shapes between the elements.

Measure the diameters of important points along the candle stick (widest
dimension, diameters above and below beads, deepest points of coves, etc)
and part the blank at those locations to those depths (or slightly shallower
as needed to allow for finishing cuts or sanding). Turn the bulk of the
candle holder between these points by eye, using the master candlestick only
as a reference pattern. Locating the elements and parting the important
points to diameter should take about as long as mounting the blank between
centers.

Using these techniques, I have many times turned sets of "identical" table
legs (some patterns in batches of 48 for a friend's business), chair legs, a
set of 150 balusters, Christmas ornaments, candlesticks, etc... certainly as
identical as anything to come out of an expensive lathe duplicator, and with
almost no set-up time.

For more ideas and photos, see Conover's Lathe Book and Raffin's Turning
Wood.

Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI