Turning the Rod
This section provides a general guide to turning the napkin holder
rod. It assumes that you have some basic wood turning knowledge.
Before you start, print the rod template and use it as a guide (Available on page 1).
Be sure to cut the turning blank a couple of inches longer than the
pattern and cut off the waste after the rod has been finished.Tip: You will notice in the picture that we
applied masking tape to our tool rest. We transferred the dimensions from the template to
the masking tape and used it to mark the rod. |
|
| Step 1 - Turn the
rod down to close to the target diameter (See template). |
Click to Enlarge Image. |
Step 2 - Speed up the lathe and bring
the rod down to its final size. In the pictures to the right we are using a sizing tool on
a parting knife to help us get the right size.
- In the first picture we are using the template to adjust our sizing tool.
- In the second picture we are using the tool to size the rod.
|
Click to Enlarge Image.
|
| Step 3 - Turn the lathe on and use a
pencil to transfer the dimensions to the rod. Then use a parting tool to cut out the
channels. |
Click to Enlarge Image. |
| Step 4 - Shape the
end of the napkin holder rod. This is your chance to be creative! Out
of all of the napkin holder's we made, no two are exactly alike (Visit our gallery on page 5). |
Click to Enlarge Image. |
Step 5 - Remove the tool rest and set
your lathe to its slowest speed. Next use progressively finer pieces of sandpaper to sand
the rod to a smooth finish.
Tip: For the final sanding pass you can hold shavings up against the
rod. The natural oils in the shavings will help finish the rod (Make sure the lathe is set
to its slowest speed and that the tool rest is removed.). |
Click to Enlarge Image. |
| Step 6 - Turn off the lathe and make
sure it's unplugged. Then use a small handsaw to cut the waste off of the ends. |
Click to Enlarge Image. |
Page 1 - Introduction - Information about this napkin holder and
downloadable templates.
Page 2 - Turning the Rod - Information,
pictures and tricks for turning the rod.
Page 3 - Cutting the Parts -
Information and pictures to help you cut out all of the napkin holder's parts.
Page 4 - Assembly
- How to put all
of the napkin holder's parts together.
Page 5 - Gallery -
Example of different napkin holders and design variations. |
NEXT
PAGE |
