Popular Woodworking 2007-04 № 161, страница 66

At the Lathe

Tiny Goblets

Miniature turnings are perfect projects for trying out new techniques.

Goblets are classic forms; practicing small variations will deepen your understanding of the basic shape. Captive rings are fun to make and good technical practice. They can also be used on other items such as pens, ornaments and rattles.

These little goblets are fun and easy projects, though the ring(s) on the stem may make them a bit more challenging. Because they're small and relatively quick to make, they're good proj ects for exploring variations. Prepare and turn 10 or 20 of them, changing the shapes, proportions and details a bit each time. This is how you learn to make those many tiny decisions which, taken as a whole, determine the look of the final object. You'll learn more by making several goblets than you would by drawing the same number. There is no substitute for seeing the object in three dimensions, and while you are trying all those variations, you are also practicing the turning itself.

A goblet is made by first preparing stock between centers for a glue mount. This mount is especially good for such small objects because it is very safe; you will be working very close to the headstock, so the smooth, round surface of the waste block is much safer than the jaws of a chuck spinning so close to your hands.

A piece about V2" to ³/4" square and 1V2" to 2" long is good to start with, but don't hesitate to try larger and smaller versions.

Any hard, close-grained wood will work well. Small pieces like this are a good opportunity to use interesting domestic woods that

by Judy Ditmer

Judy, author of two turning books and many articles,

has been turning since 1985. She teaches and demonstrates her skills throughout the United States and Canada.

aren't typically available in large dimensions. Rose-of-Sharon, black haw, American hornbeam, most fruitwoods, dogwood and many ornamentals are great. You'll want a piece large enough to cut the entire blank from wood outside the pith, or at the very least to have the pith well to one side of the center. The pith is weak in most woods, so the stem of the goblet shouldn't include any of it. And look for wood with particularly outstanding color or grain; plain woods won't show well in such a small object.

The goblet is turned entirely from the glue mount, and is sanded and finished on the lathe. After parting it off, you can hand-sand the bottom of the base as needed.

Again, you should make at least several of these little goblets. Besides the technical

and design practice, these are much more interesting in groupings than as singletons. Have fun with them.

Prepare the stock between centers by turning it to a cylinder and cutting a slightly tapered spigot (the larger diameter should be at the workpiece and the smaller diameter on the outside end) on one end.

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Popular Woodworking April 2007