John Hart
05-30-2011, 12:57 PM
Now that I'm getting up in years, I find it harder and harder to do close-up work. I think that's why I struggle with finials. I can't see them!!
I needed a magnifier, but I didn't feel like spending the money. Sooooo, since I have more junk laying around than one human should have, I went huntin' for stuff.
I found an old articulating lamp that wasn't doing anything, and a big ol' magnifying glass that I got at the dollar store years ago.
196381
I tore the lamp part apart and had to figure out a way to install the magnifier and still allow it to rotate. The rotating mechanism needed to be drilled out of there. (that's not a screw....some kind of snap mechanism)
196383
196378
Next, I had to turn a wood insert that would fit inside the magnifier handle and be able to rotate in the swivel collar thingie.
I chose rosewood because it's dense and strong.....and, umm....I still had a piece already on the lathe from making a finial earlier :)
196377
So I turned it to match the multi-step inner diameter of the collar, and the inner diameter of the magnifier.
196376
Then I drilled and tapped the smaller section, and glued the piece to the magnifier
196379
Then I fit the collar to it, and screwed it in place. It had a very nice friction fit, but the screw really snugged it up nicely.
196382
Continued........
I needed a magnifier, but I didn't feel like spending the money. Sooooo, since I have more junk laying around than one human should have, I went huntin' for stuff.
I found an old articulating lamp that wasn't doing anything, and a big ol' magnifying glass that I got at the dollar store years ago.
196381
I tore the lamp part apart and had to figure out a way to install the magnifier and still allow it to rotate. The rotating mechanism needed to be drilled out of there. (that's not a screw....some kind of snap mechanism)
196383
196378
Next, I had to turn a wood insert that would fit inside the magnifier handle and be able to rotate in the swivel collar thingie.
I chose rosewood because it's dense and strong.....and, umm....I still had a piece already on the lathe from making a finial earlier :)
196377
So I turned it to match the multi-step inner diameter of the collar, and the inner diameter of the magnifier.
196376
Then I drilled and tapped the smaller section, and glued the piece to the magnifier
196379
Then I fit the collar to it, and screwed it in place. It had a very nice friction fit, but the screw really snugged it up nicely.
196382
Continued........