Following my project posting here, I had a couple of enquiries as to how I do it. I hope the following will help. These are a great way to use up small pieces of interesting timber and knitters & stitchers love ‘em.
I’m starting with a rough cut blank of about 5” square
Oh yes, these are ‘giant’ buttons often used for decoration on knitted bags and hats.
Having drawn diagonals and a circle, I rough cut the blank to size on the bandsaw. I drill the holes for the button by using one of a number of drilling guides I made from perspex or similar. I hold the guide in place with either a spring clamp or double sided tape.
I’m not sure what you’d call this “thing”; maybe a chuck. I drilled a piece of softwood using the same perspex guide & glued in two dowels to fit the holes in the button blank. Using just two adjacent holes means I have four chances of the button fitting on the pegs (in case of slight slippage when I drilled the blank). Clever eh?
I now attach the blank to the chuck with a couple of blobs of hot melt glue
Here I’ve started turning & pencil marked about 2/3 of the width for the back of the button and 1/3 towards the front.
Turn to desired shape, sand and
finish to taste.
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
9 comments so far
Kent Shepherd
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2690 posts in 1458 days
#1 posted 497 days ago
Great information—Thanks
-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong
SPalm
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#2 posted 497 days ago
Tastes great.
And yes, very clever.
Good job, Stewart.
Steve
-- -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Julian
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278 posts in 862 days
#3 posted 497 days ago
Neat idea. I noticed you have a homemade tool rest; could you post a couple of photos of the toolrest?
I would like to make a small one for my lathe.
-- Julian
YorkshireStewart
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1097 posts in 2073 days
#4 posted 497 days ago
Ah yes, Julian that toolrest. I took delivery of a new lathe just before Christmas & it arrived with a toolrest too long for the job I needed to do so I quickly made a rough and ready one to get me over the immediate problem. It’s working so well, I haven’t got around to forking out the $30 for a metal one. Maybe never will! I’ll try to remember to photograph it for you the next time I go out there.
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
rance
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3856 posts in 1332 days
#5 posted 497 days ago
Stewart, you are very clever with that jig/setup. I really like all your buttons too. I think I’ll make a few.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
clieb91
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2676 posts in 2107 days
#6 posted 497 days ago
Stewart, Thanks so much for posting I love this idea and may have to try it out to provide the DW witrh some parts for her projects.
CtL
-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."
Grumpy
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#7 posted 497 days ago
Nice one.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
Dave
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#8 posted 495 days ago
Very ingenious, and a good use for those pieces of wood that gather all over the shop.
-- Superdav "No matter where you go - there you are." http://chiselandforge.com
a1Jim
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87330 posts in 1749 days
#9 posted 495 days ago
Good blog thanks for sharing
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
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