Darryl Iott
12-23-2011, 4:50 PM
I am making some chess pieces and need some advice from the forum members. I am posting some photos of a rook I turned on a lathe. It is around 11" tall and 3" in diameter. It was turned from basswood...I wanted to practice on cheaper woods until I get my technique improved. After I get up enough nerve I want to turn some pieces in Indian Rosewood.
1) I need to cut the slots in the top so it looks like a castle. Do you think I should use a dado set or a router bit to cut the grooves? I need to make a cut and then turn it 30 degrees, cut another set and a 3rd set at the next 30 degrees. Altogether there will be 6 slots cut in the top.
2) I used a 2" Forstner bit to hollow out the top, but it leaves a point in the middle of the rook. Do you think that is objectionable? I can use a small gouge to round out the bottom, but that isn't as easy for me to do. I'm a newbie.
3) I have a 3" x 3" x 12" Indian rosewood peppermill blank that has 10% moisture. My plan is to turn it, sand it and get a coat of shellac on it before it starts to dry out. I don't want the piece to crack on me. The finish I normally use is Minwax Clear Gloss Polyurethane. On a forum I read that (for rosewood) you should use shellac as the first coat, wait until it's fully dry and THEN use the Polyurethane. Any comments on the moisture issue or the shellac?
I think that lathes are so fun! I've wanted to buy one for 40 years and finally did it. What took me so long? Thank you for your responses to other turner's questions. I've read quite a few posts and learned much. This is my first post.
Thank you,
Darryl Iott
newbie
1) I need to cut the slots in the top so it looks like a castle. Do you think I should use a dado set or a router bit to cut the grooves? I need to make a cut and then turn it 30 degrees, cut another set and a 3rd set at the next 30 degrees. Altogether there will be 6 slots cut in the top.
2) I used a 2" Forstner bit to hollow out the top, but it leaves a point in the middle of the rook. Do you think that is objectionable? I can use a small gouge to round out the bottom, but that isn't as easy for me to do. I'm a newbie.
3) I have a 3" x 3" x 12" Indian rosewood peppermill blank that has 10% moisture. My plan is to turn it, sand it and get a coat of shellac on it before it starts to dry out. I don't want the piece to crack on me. The finish I normally use is Minwax Clear Gloss Polyurethane. On a forum I read that (for rosewood) you should use shellac as the first coat, wait until it's fully dry and THEN use the Polyurethane. Any comments on the moisture issue or the shellac?
I think that lathes are so fun! I've wanted to buy one for 40 years and finally did it. What took me so long? Thank you for your responses to other turner's questions. I've read quite a few posts and learned much. This is my first post.
Thank you,
Darryl Iott
newbie