Popular Woodworking 2006-06 № 155, страница 55

Pocket Mirrors

Pocket mirrors are a fun project to turn and are very popular for gifts and craft show items. The ladies find the highly figured wood very attractive and the hand-painted floral pins from Russia add another fascinating feature. Present the pocket mirror in an attractive bag and you have a complete gift for the most discriminating customer.

by Dale Nish

A professional woodturner and retired industrial education professor, Dale is the author of three woodturning books, including the landmark "Creative Woodturning" (Brigham Young University Press).

Select a piece of highly figured wood, such as this piece of fiddleback western maple. Band saw it to a thickness of ³/s" to ⁷/i6" thick, and wide enough to make a circle about 3V2" diameter. Then use a compass to lay out a 3V2" circle and use a band saw to cut it to shape.

Fasten a ³/4"- to 1 "-thick waste block to a 3" faceplate and true it up on the lathe, then face off the waste block until you have a smooth, flat surface.

Cut off three strips of double-faced tape, each about 3" long. Remove the backing from one side of the tape, and place the sticky side down on the waste block. Cover the block evenly, then remove the backing from the top side of the double-faced tape. Place the round disc onto the waste block, being careful to center it on the waste block. Press the disc firm ly against the waste block.

Install the waste block assembly on the lathe. Use another waste block to help press the mirror disc firm ly against the tape. Use the lathe tailstock as a clamp, putting firm pressure on the mirror blank, causing good adhesion to hold the blank in place during turning and finishing. Keep the pressure on for a few minutes, then back the tailstock away and remove the extra waste block.

Set your lathe speed between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm. Use a ³/s" spindle gouge to make a shearing pull cut across the face of the blank. Check for a clean, flat surface.

Once the face is clean and flat, true up the edge of the mirror blank using a shearing cut, removing just enough wood to leave a smooth and clean surface.

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