Question for you learned gentilemen

[Ken Garlock]

My son has asked me to make a rolling pin for his lady; she saw one she liked at Vermont rolling pins .com. It sounded like a good job as I had some 3x6x40 sugar maple left over from building my work bench.

Sooo, I split the maple board on the band saw and cut it to 24" on the miter saw. I ended up with a blank 3x3x24. OK, no problem for me and Nova. Chuck it up and start in with a 1 1/2 " roughing gouge. It was a slow thing to round off the blank, and when I got some semblance of round starting to form, I switch to the 1 1/4 " skew.

I now have a work-in-progress the looks like an 18"x2.75" rolling pin with a 3" handle at each end. After consulting with the kitchen engineering staff, I am going to reduce the size of the pin down to 16" plus 3" handles.

Now the problem. I am having a devil of a time trying to get a flat surface on the rolling pin. Contributing to the problem is that the entire blank is 24" long and my tool rests are at best 12". This means that I must move the rest at least once while trying to turn a true cylinder of equal diameter throughout its length.

Never ask a question when you can first baffle them with BS.

Now good people how do get a constant diameter across the length of the work piece? (It would be a good job for a duplicator, but I am not going out and get one.)

Inquiring minds want to know.;)

[Andrew Kertesz]

You can always make a "French" rolling pin which is slighty larger in the middle and narrows towards the handle.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken,

I would use a parting tool to set the diameter plus say 1/32" at 4 different evenly spaced areas along the length of the rolling pin....say at each end and then at 6" in from each end.

Then I would "connect the dots" so to speak with my skew using a planing cut.

If necessary sand to final diameter but with a skew, I can often get a surface that doesn't require sanding.

Good luck Ken!

[Bill Bulloch]

I normally get mine down to simi round then bring it home with the Skew. Move your tool rest about three time; do one end, move the tool rest do the middle, move the tool rest do the other end.

[David Christopher]

Ken, you can epoxy a piece of round stock that is longer on your tool rest

[Roger Chandler]

Situations like this is why I ordered a second banjo and toolrest for my lathe.

Mine are 14" and I can put 2 side by side for a long rest. The other big reason is because I do have duplicator, and it mounts onto 2 banjos, so I can use it as well when I choose to do so.


In your situation, I would do what Bill recommended, and move the rest and use a planing cut with my fingers firmly against the rest to keep the cut steady.

[charlie knighton]

i like Ken's idea, one of my projects for this year was to not master but improve my skew work, i still use the wing on a roughing gouge better than a skew :D

[Curt Fuller]

I've made a few and I've had exactly the same problem. I've done it like Ken F suggested but I still seem to have a couple slight high spots (or low spots). And the more I try to get it perfect the smaller the diameter gets and I still have some high spots. So I've found if I get as close as I can with the skew and then use an 8" flat wood sanding block and some 80 grit paper, moving back and forth the length of the pin for a few minutes at about 1500 rpms made them close enough to perfect for kitchen duty.

[Reed Gray]

I cheat. First, rough it out. Second, I use a Bedan tool that has a size thing on it,kind of C shaped that you slip the bedan into, and then tighten up with a thumb screw to which I apply additional pressure with some pliers because if I don't, it slips. I got it through Craft supplies. Anyway, make sizing cuts about 2 inches apart, then get it as close as you can by hand. You can also make the sizing cuts with a parting tool, and some calipers, but I prefer the bedan in the sizing jig. I will park the tool rest so it is the same distance away from the wood (about 1/8 inch) on each end, and make very delicate cuts. Final step is to sand with 80 grit on a flat board. That is my main secret. With practice, even a bowl turner like me can get it pretty close to dead flat, and I don't think most cooks would notice, but I do want it perfect.

There are several types of 'French' rolling pins. Some are a slight arc across the entire length. Some are a straight taper from the center to each end. Some are mostly flat in the middle to the last 3 or so inches, where it tapers gently to the ends of the rolling pin.

robo hippy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curt....I forgot about the 80 grit wide faced scraper! That works too.....

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I just put the stock between driver and tailstock live center, and set the bit, than put the carriage on automatic feed and then do some sanding and I'm all done, just because I use a engine lathe I can and have made a few rolling pins that way.
It is a bit more difficult to do it by handheld tool, but a good sheet of sandpaper wrapped around a straight block should make the piece quite even all over after you get close turning it ;-)))

[Jim Underwood]

Use a belt sander.

:D

[Ken Garlock]

Good morning gentlemen. I am pleasantly surprised with all the responses. Thanks.:)

I think I will leave the belt sander to flat-land projects.;) On the other hand, I had not thought of marking the piece with a parting tool, nor had I thought of using course sand paper. I like both ideas. The double banjo is a good idea, but a little pricey I would think. Regarding the Bedan tool, I would have to do a little research on it.

Currently, I have the pin down to small high and low points. When I roll it across the cabinet saw top I get some clicks from the high spots, and when I eyeball the saw top I can see little slivers of light popping through from time to time as the pin rolls. I think I am in the neighborhood but I don't want to keep "tuning" the cylinder until I am down to a tooth pick.

I do thank you for your ideas. I will get back to you as the project proceeds.

[Terry Beadle]

Some times a block plane can true a long flat surface better than you can do with a skew or gouge.

Works best with wet wood but will work with dry.

[Damon Stathatos]

I'm sure there are better and more technical ways to do it. I was in a similar situation and since the roughing gouge is the only tool I can make work, that's the one I used.

I used a caliper to test for thicknesses at five spots (two ends, middle and two in between) along the spindle as I went and it seemed to work out fine. One of the tapered pins looks a bit uneven, however, in my opinion, marks it as 'handmade' (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Usually these are used for rolling dough (the edible kind) and so perfect symmetry is not all that critical.

After the roughing gouge, I used half-sheets of 60 or 80 grit sandpaper, somewhat cradled along the piece, to even out the surface and to get all of the high spots out.

I ended up making about a dozen of them but took pictures after the first few (for the archives). The one on top was the first one, also the most imperfect.

Lastly, thanks for the info about Vermont Rolling Pins, looks like some better designs there and some definite ideas.

[David Weaver]

Some times a block plane can true a long flat surface better than you can do with a skew or gouge.

Works best with wet wood but will work with dry.

Ditto that, turn down the speed of the lathe and use a plane.

[Ken Garlock]

What I would call success. :D:D

This afternoon I got out the calipers and found the high a low points that needed attention. Then, with a chunk of nasty sandpaper from the scrap pile wrapped around a piece of 2x4 I started hitting the points causing problems. It is amazing how much wood you can cut with the lathe at 2200 rpm. I would sand a little and then try the calipers, repeat as needed. When I thought I was near my goal I used my 24" Starrett combination square as a straight edge. I went through the exercise with the square a couple times. The next step was to take the rolling pin over to the cast iron top of the cabinet saw. I checked if for light as I rolled it along the top. I had to repeat all of the above once before the light did not show trough as a low spot in the rolling pin.

I was reluctant to use the "sand paper tool," but it did work and, above all, it doesn't have any catches.;)

I do like the idea of using a block plane, and may experiment with some scrap to test it. Lie Nelsen to the rescue?:cool:

Once again thanks for the suggestions and ideas. :):):)

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I cheat. First, rough it out. Second, I use a Bedan tool that has a size thing on it,kind of C shaped that you slip the bedan into, and then tighten up with a thumb screw to which I apply additional pressure with some pliers because if I don't, it slips. I got it through Craft supplies.

this thing
http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/graphics/robert_sorby_sizing_tool.jpg
works great

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The 80 grit gouge to the rescue!

[Gerold Griffin]

Personally I would get a 80 grit sanding belt, cut it, use some spray can glue (3M) to attach it to a flat board and sand the whole thing at once. I wouldn't consider it cheating since I never read the rule book!!!