Turned Chandliler??

[Tom Norton]

I would like to attempt making a chandiler, the type with a wood turned center spindle with 6-8 arms. These are typically called "primitive/americana".
I assume the turning needs to have a hollow. Wondering how best to create it. Create it during the glue up?
Also looking for a source for the arms and other parts.
Thanks!

[Tom Norton]

No one?????

[John Keeton]

Tom, it may be helpful if you could post a pic of something similar to what you are wanting to do.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Years ago I made a wagon wheel chandelier, the center, the hub was drilled after it was turned. The spokes were also drilled after they were turned. The wheel itself, was a glue up, that consisted of 6 or 8 pieces. It was cut to shape with a saber saw, and then routered. The spoke holes, and wire holes, again were drilled as it was put together.

[Doug Rasmussen]

I think this may be the place I used in the past.

www.diylightingsupplies.com/‎

(864) 314-8460

In my area (Seattle) there was a time you could go into any one of several lamp shops to buy parts. Now it's like they all got together and decided not to sell parts any longer. Liability is the issue they all claim.

[Stan Calow]

If you're talking about needing a long center hole for the wiring, you need a lamp auger.

[Tom Norton]

Cannot seem to post the link to the pic. But the fixture is a spindle with 6-8 arms coming out of the larger part of the turning. I believe I need to create a cavity in this area for the wires and connections.
I think I have a idea, I will make the spindle in 2 pieces I will bore out a cavity and install the companion piece with a turned tenon. Had this idea while laying in bed!!

[Mikey Green]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're wanting something like a wagon wheel, with the outer ring attached to the hub by several spindles (hope that makes sense). My grandfather, now deceased used to make boat wheels like you see in the older boats, that were that style. The way he did it was to cut the outer circle out of several pieces of material after they had been glued together in a rough circular shape.

Then, he would use a router anchored to the middle by a string or piece of wood to cut out the inner and outer circles of what would become the outside wheel. He also turned the middle hub and drilled mortises into the hub on an equal spacing, and would drill mortises on the inner and outer portions of the outer wheel. I'm not sure in what order he did the above, but it would be somewhat difficult to drill the inner mortises after having already assembling outer wheel. (I wish he were still around to explain his process to me, so I could share it.)

Then, he'd turn however many spindles he wanted for that particular wheel, with tenons on each end. Finally, he'd do his glue-up, placing the spindles in the mortises of the hub and placing the other end of the spindles in the inner portion of the outer wheel. Most of the time when making these, he'd drill the mortises into the outer portion of the outer circle/wheel and would place small steering handles that he'd turned into those mortises. He then glued in the tenons from the spindles into the inner portion of the outer wheel. In essence, the outer wheel is created by a router, the mortises are made by a drill and the hub and spindles are created by turning.

I know this sounds confusing (it's confusing me and I'm the one writing it!!). If you need me to, I can take a photo of one he made for my Mom and Dad the next time I'm over there and place it onto this thread to give an example. I don't have a boat steering wheel like he made, but I do have some other objects he made several years ago.

Funny thing by the way-Granddad only had a total of about 7 fingers. He worked extremely fast on a production scale, and he'd lose a joint of a finger every now and then. Only one finger was completely lost, the other 2 fingers missing were comprised of a joint or two, here and there. Never seemed to bother him though!!