How to you finish the base of a spindle while on the lathe?

[Jared Walters]

Specifically if you're turning a spindle and the both ends need to show, how do you finish them? If you leave them attached to waste material it leaves an unfinished spot where you eventually cut it off.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Careful work with a carving knife and sandpaper seems to work for me. I can't think of a way to conveniently hold it on the lathe if that's what you're after, but I'm sure someone here can come up with a way - turn a cup that's the right size to hold one end, slice the end into four sections and put a clamp on it. Seems like an awful lot of work unless you're going into production...and, if it's long, the potential for whipping action could be dangerous.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jared, it would be helpful if we knew what kind of spindle work you are talking about. Candle holders, pepper mills, vases all use spindle orientation but have different ways of finishing the ends.

[Jared Walters]

Think more like a baton, narrow and solid on both ends.

[Stan Smith]

I'm sure there are lots of ways to do this. What I do with tool handles is to have one end in a chuck and part it off or leave a small tenon and cut it off with a dozuki ( or fine toothed) saw. Then I chisel off any unwanted stock sand with the various grits and finish. If I use wipe on poly, I finish off the lathe.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I do like Stan does, cut the final bit with a fine pull saw. If you're turning between centers, at the very end you have to back off the pressure from the tail stock. Keep in mind this does require a bit of sacrificial waste wood on the ends.....

[Tom Wilson66]

If it can fit into the through hole in the headstock, you might try putting tape around the end to prevent marring, and leave a short piece extending out from a scroll chuck. This should turn fairly true and allow finishing the very end of the baton. If it has a handle, this won't work unless the baton is long enough to allow the handle to stick out of the back of the headstock.