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ideas and help with rolling pin turning

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  MonteCristo 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm wanting to turn a basic straight rolling pin. Seems simple enough, but i want to add something to it. I'm at an odd place in turning where I've done a good number of small projects, bit am no way experienced in a lot of techniques. Nor am I good at reading what the grain will produce or know the different qualities of a bunch of woods. What I have is a 2X3 piece of cherry a buddy gave me. I'm trying to come up with some simple techniques and was thinking of laminating something contrasting in there to get a couple of big swoops like I saw in a picture. Any recommendations for an online tutorial? Also, what would a good contrasting wood be? I've mainly just milled down firewood for past projects so I don't have a lot of experience with how things finish and what woods are compatible. Thanks for reccomendations.
 
#2 ·
Couple ways you could go with this idea. Simple tablesaw slices, nice straight ones, you can cut at an angle as well if you make a jig. Just glue pieces in there. This method would allow you to use 1/4" thick pieces and playing with angles and off center slices could have an interesting effect. An idea I'd like to try would be to cut wavy lines on the bandsaw and glue in veneer. Basically producing stringing throughout the whole piece. I just can't seem to find any local veneer that is affordable. I'd start with maple, walnut or purpleheart as nice contrasting woods.
Biggest thing, measure the length of your drawer. I proudly handed my first rolling pin to my wife who loved it until it was discovered it wouldn't fit in the drawer at all. All the ones since have been a touch shorter.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the info. I'm in luck as I have a nice chunk of offcut walnut. With a little more googling I found a good explanation at

http://www.hillcountryturners.org/Projects/Laminated_Rolling_Pins.pdf

I was really going to make it harder than it needed to be until I saw this. But two more questions. Is there a reason to cut the diagonals on the band saw versus a tablesaw with a tapering jig? Also, with the cherry I have, would there be an issue if I don't apply the same grain to each-other when gluing up the blank. The walnut is just one sheet with the obvious face grain. The big block of cherry I have would provide more stock if I rip the side off rather than the top, essentially making what is edge grain on the big block in to face grain. Or does that not really matter and face grain is just whatever happens to be on the bigger surface?
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Perhaps the specific turning gouges you own will determine how to cut the big block of cherry (long vs end grain turning).

If you cut the cherry so you'll be turning end grain, a spindle gouge isn't designed with the heft, strength, and grind needed for turning end grain. But a bowl gouge is. The bowl gouge's added mass and special grind will safely produce a finished cut on the end grain without clatter.
 
#6 ·
I probably need to reword my question. When gluing up the blank, is there any difference in the way the wood would act (shrinking etc) that would depend on which face I ripped the block down? I know that end-grain glu-ups are not that strong, but I want to be sure that edge grain and face grain are similar enough.

I plan on turning the pin using the spindle gouge and skew with either my chuck or between centers.
 
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