Piggy Bank on the lathe ?

[Clarence Martin]

Has anyone turned a Piggy Bank on the Lathe ? Thought a Wood piggy bank turned on the Lathe might look nicer than those cheap plastic or cardboard things.


Thanks,

[Dale Gillaspy]

I've never done it, but if you think of it as a hollow form, hollowed from the bottom, then just cut a slit in the top, it could be really cool.

[Clarence Martin]

I wonder if it would be easier to hollow out the wood blank with a large forstner bit on the Lathe using a couple of 10 inch Forstner bit extensions ?

[Glenda Marais]

I am currently turning one. I started last weekend and will probably finnish it on Saturday. I just kollowed out a cylinder and will be cutting a slot in the top. I have cut a groove on the inside and the lid will have a ridge. I will then chisel 2 key slots on the inside and it will slide in and turn to close. Not sure my explanation make sense but I will post some pics after the weekend to show what I have done.

I have also saw some beutifull work, here on the Creek, of a bowl with couloured waves on the side. I thought that might be a cool way to decorate the bank.

[Brian Finney]

Glenda,

Please post pics.
I am in the process of turning a pig for a woodturning comp. and then giving the pig, as a prospective family heirloom :) , to my 8 weeks old grand daughter. However, I could at this stage usefully convert it to a money box.

Also, how have you done the legs? I was thinking of turning them, possibly off-centre, with a tenon that would fit into the body.

Brian

[David C. Roseman]

Clarence and Brian, here's a link to an SMC thread a few months back on a little pig I turned from Black Walnut. It might spark an idea. It's only 5" long, but could be made any size, and easily adapted to a small piggy bank. To do that, I'd probably just bore it out from the tail end with a spade or Forstner bit at a slight downward angle, then fit a removal wooden plug, and screw the cup hook (or similar) into the plug. If you make it much larger, though, I'd treat it as a hollow form, as has been suggested, turning the exterior between centers, then mounting it nose-first in a vacuum chuck. You could even thread the plug, but that's beyond my skill set for now. ;)

The slot could be made with repetitive bores with a 3/16" drill bit, then cleaned up with a thin file. Or just cut with a hollow-chisel mortiser, if you have access to one.

The legs were turned all at once, each with its own tenon, then cut apart on the bandsaw. The ears were cut on a scroll saw, then contoured on an oscillating spindle sander and each secured with a pin made by cutting the head off a small brad set in a pre-drilled hole with CA glue.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?199144-Salt-Free-Pig

David

[Brian Finney]

David,

Thanks for that. The alternative would be consider it as a box with the joint just behind the head - but then again that may be just too difficult without starting again.
A threaded box is beyond me. Don't have a vacuum chuck but there will be another way of holding need to think it thro - turning has been around a lot longer than vacuum chucks.

Brian

[Dan Forman]

If you plan on drilling any holes in the body (for tenons on the legs), do so before you turn the body round, or they are likely to tear out badly as the bit goes in - such has been my experience with drilling on curved surfaces.

Dan

[Brian Finney]

Dan,

Too late - its already round. I'll use a new drill bit and a pilot hole - thanks for the heads up

Brian