Help Turning Custom Burnisher

[Logans Leather]

I know this will sound out of topic for this forum, by is there anyone out there who can turn me an 18" long piece of maple with an outside diameter of 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" with a center bore of 1 5/16" ? I'm trying to turn my old shoe finishing bench into an edge burnisher. I never use the sanding wheels on it, as I have a belt grinder that works far better, so I removed them from the spindle and want to use the space they took to make an awesome burnisher instead. I can find lots of folks who can turn the wood, I've even got some old rolling pins that would work, but I can't find anyone who can bore a centered 1 5/16" hole for the spindle. If anyone can do this, or is willing to put me in touch with someone who can, I would be very grateful. I think this would make the ultimate burnishing bench, as I am leaving the sole burnishing wheels and the polishing brushes on. I will post pics when I get it all together and working.

[Sylvia]

I know this will sound out of topic for this forum, by is there anyone out there who can turn me an 18" long piece of maple with an outside diameter of 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" with a center bore of 1 5/16" ? I'm trying to turn my old shoe finishing bench into an edge burnisher. I never use the sanding wheels on it, as I have a belt grinder that works far better, so I removed them from the spindle and want to use the space they took to make an awesome burnisher instead. I can find lots of folks who can turn the wood, I've even got some old rolling pins that would work, but I can't find anyone who can bore a centered 1 5/16" hole for the spindle. If anyone can do this, or is willing to put me in touch with someone who can, I would be very grateful. I think this would make the ultimate burnishing bench, as I am leaving the sole burnishing wheels and the polishing brushes on. I will post pics when I get it all together and working.

Get in touch with Spinner. He makes very nice burnishers for drill presses and dremels... I bet he can do what you need.

[Logans Leather]

Get in touch with Spinner. He makes very nice burnishers for drill presses and dremels... I bet he can do what you need.

I'll give Spinner a try, this is a tough one though. It's a very long, wide bore. 3 sections of 6" each would work just as well though. Might be something more folks could do too.

[Tree Reaper]

That's pretty special, 1 5/16 bore over 18 inches.

You might have better luck on a wood working

forum.

[electrathon]

I'll give Spinner a try, this is a tough one though. It's a very long, wide bore. 3 sections of 6" each would work just as well though. Might be something more folks could do too.

Not really that tough, especially in 6" pieces. You want to bore the hole first, just in case you go off a little in the hole, then chuck it in the lathe and turn the outer diameter. A forstner bit will easily cut the hole.

Have you thought about how you are going to connect the burnisher to the shaft? It might be easier to bore the inner hole a little larger and have inserts on each end, then have set screws in the lock ring.

Aaron

[Shaunny Rotten]

It sounds a bit strange but a metal shop will have the right tools for this job. They can clamp the solid block into the lathe at one end, and turn the entire piece, inner and outer, without having to move the piece. This will ensure that the wall thickness is even and your outside edge won't be offset, or egg shaped.

[Logans Leather]

Yep, I had thought about a metal shop, especially one that custom makes gun barrels, as that would seem perfect. Now I just need to find one willing to try woodwork on their metal lathe!

[Spinner]

I had replied via email but just to put this out there in case others have a need for the info...a metal shop like a smith is likely the best bet. Woodturning lathes have a max depth for boring of about 6" and that's pushing most lathes.

I checked up on prices for the drill bit out of curiosity and it costs about $85-90 for a 1 5/16" drill bit with a 1/2" shank, add in the $15 or so for the wood plus the turner's time and you're likely in for a $150 burnishing wheel. Unfortunately my midi lathe just isn't up to the task.

[Tree Reaper]

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/lampaugerbit38.aspx

lathe has a hollow headstock (or tailstock), and you're holding the workpiece with a hollow center

[Northmount]

If you have a spade bit the right size (or forstner bit better yet) and extensions to fit, a center steady rest and of course a lathe with long enough bed, you can drill from both ends and meet in the middle. If you drill only from one end, chances are the hole will wander to one side and not come through the middle on the other end. I have used this technique to drill through stock for pepper mills. Drilling from both ends reduces the length of drill bit required, and you can add the extension after the bit reaches its maximum depth. As ususal, when you switch ends, take your time to make sure the stock is centered in the chuck.

If you need a center rest, you can build one with a piece of plywood and wheels from inline skates. My center rest was commercially made, but the rollers are too small and have no tire, so tend to mark up the wood. One of these days, I'll make one using roller supports I salvaged from a clothes dryer (they support the drum). They have nice tires instead of a hard surface.

CTG

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Well you have a few options here. I am a machinist / tool maker, so I have a little experience with this. First off wood won't mess up a metal late, so a shop shouldn't worry about that. My concern is the wall thickness of the finished piece, and warpage, cracking, or ovaling. Can a smaller , say .500" diameter shaft be installed, and just use a rolling pin? I would think that even a series of 1.00" rings would work, and have a away to true them up on the machine from time to time.

This can be done on a drill press the same way a gun stock can be drilled. Put a point in the drill press table. and align it with your drill point. Mark the center of your part, and place it on the point. Then drill from the top. This can be done from both directions with a large enough point diameter to fill the hole. Of course you will also have to have a way to clamp the part securely so that it does not rotate. Once drilled, it could be turned between centers to the correct diameter. A drill press can be pressed into service as a wood late with a little work.

On a lathe it can be done by holding it in the chuck, if the lathe has a large enough hole in the spindle to handle the diameter. Otherwise a steady rest will need to be used. A 6" long piece would be able to fit in most decent sized chucks without a steady. The chuck, and steady rest , will leave marks on the outside that will need to be removed after boring to size with a boring bar - which will be more accurate than a drill. A 4 jaw chuck would be able to handle a square piece in shorter sections, or a long piece with a cat's paw installed to allow the steady rest to be used.

A suggestion would be to bore it a little oversize , gluing it onto the shaft, then doing the final truing up either on the machine itself, or putting the assembly on a lathe to do this operation. By gluing it up, it may stabilize the wood, and keep it from the above stated maladies.

[Tree Reaper]

Another option is to cut the blank in half, router out both halves then glue the two halves back together and then turn it.

[Northmount]

Tree Reaper's router idea is probably the best and easiest to do. Once you have your burnisher mounted on your shoe finishing bench, you can true up any eccentricity and cut your grooves. No lathe needed. Make sure you use a good quality glue so it doesn't blow apart when it is spinning.

CTG