General Category > General Discussion

Centering?

(1/2) > >>

arcos:
"Can you make one of these for me?"

"Yeah for sure"  ???

So, I grab a piece of olive and look to see if it is viable for this project... Yep, it is certainly possible

BUT

It's a piece of branch about 7" long maybe inch and a half across and NOT straight!

So, I have square off the bottom but now need to try and center it to be able to hollow, end grain, the top!

Because it is not a straight piece is there any way of easily centering the top or am I just going to have to try and do it by eye?

Bryan Milham:
Arcos,

short of some fairly heavy calculus involving rotation around a centriod, I'd recommed the eyeball method.

arcos:
Thats what I thought too!

As it is only to hold a T light it didnt have to be too deep BUT tolerances were pretty tight on the diameter with no more than 2 mm edge to keep. Having got the piece fairly central I started turning and found it was WAY off (where did I leave my glasses?)....

Anyway I found that by turning in the center and then adjusting the piece in the chuck and turning again it got pretty close, or t least closer! It was just a case of turn, adjust, turn, adjust

It isn't perfect but it looks ok and works.

A little bit of hand finishing was required to try and even the side out and smooth everything of but as a 'natural' holder does it need to be perfect?

Certainly gives some ideas and good practice at minot end grain turning  ;)

BrianH:
Hi again Arc
Probably too late for this project but if you always start between centres you can take a light cut then move either, or both, ends of the blank, in order to remove the biggest area of remaining bark, before cutting again. This process can be repeated until all the bark has disappeared leaving  as large a round blank as possible. Then remount it in the chuck and away you go.
Hope that makes sense and helps a little
Bye bye from Bri

ru55ell1:
What a good idea Brian :-)

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page