I am making a wooden cylinder to be filled with lead shot to act as a
weight for a grandfather clock. The first one I made cracked because I
filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot. The wood eventually
shrunk but the solid lead did not shrink resulting the crack. The next
cylinder also cracked as I was turning it on the lathe... arrgh!
I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
on the lathe.
Question: Is it better to orient the squares with their grains at right
angles to each other like plywood or will cross grain expansion cause
more cracks? (The second one that cracked had the grains in line not
crossed.)
[email protected] wrote:
> I am making a wooden cylinder to be filled with lead shot to act as a
> weight for a grandfather clock. The first one I made cracked because I
> ... The next
> cylinder also cracked as I was turning it on the lathe... arrgh!
>
> I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
> drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
> on the lathe.
>
> Question: Is it better to orient the squares with their grains at right
> angles to each other like plywood or will cross grain expansion cause
> more cracks? (The second one that cracked had the grains in line not
> crossed.)
Parrallel grain is the way to go when laminating wood.
More work but much more elegant would be making it with
staves like a barrel.
--
FF
Guess who wrote:
> On 2 Oct 2005 17:35:31 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
> >drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
> >on the lathe.
>
> That is inherently dangerous, and other adjectives I'll leave out. If
> you *must* make it from wood, then turn the solid piece and slow-drill
> later. Also, precut the solid piece on the TS to an octagon to have
> less to remove on the lathe. The drilled out center does not have to
> be dead-center, but you still have to be careful, and clamp the piece
> being drilled.
>
In addition to what he said, I misunderstood the geometry.
You should glue the blanks so that when you turn it the grain runs
lengthwise, from the headstock to the tailstock, like a spindle
turning instead of a bowl turning.
It would still be cool to build it out of staves like a barrel.
--
FF
Hello,
My 2 cents on the turning would be to do what was suggested above....if
you're glueing...make a solid piece, turn it to size, and then drill
out the diameter hole that you want. That will give you the support
for the turning without having it blow apart on you.
What type of wood are you working with? Is it possible to get a piece
big enough so that you don't have to glue it up?
Depending on your lathe set up, you could just turn it out on the lathe
after you finish the outside diameter. From your description I'm
guessing this is what you've been doing.....but....
Good luck
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am making a wooden cylinder to be filled with lead shot to act as a
> weight for a grandfather clock. The first one I made cracked because I
> filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot. The wood eventually
> shrunk but the solid lead did not shrink resulting the crack. The next
> cylinder also cracked as I was turning it on the lathe... arrgh!
>
> I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
> drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
> on the lathe.
>
> Question: Is it better to orient the squares with their grains at right
> angles to each other like plywood or will cross grain expansion cause
> more cracks? (The second one that cracked had the grains in line not
> crossed.)
>
Doesn't really matter. Most glues creep enough to allow for changes in RH.
It's about 3:1 on change. Three percent RH one percent dimensional change.
Not a lot with thin sides.
Easiest thing to do is laminate or use a large block lengthwise, where the
distortion won't strain the glue line, just go a bit out of round. Lots of
ways of doing this, from boring first and turning on tapered ends to
hollowing on the lathe itself, or turning and boring the cylinder afterward.
Any of the techniques used in box making (www.metacrawler.com) will work, if
you have the equipment and skill.
I'd turn the cylinder, make ends and part them off, then hollow, but I have
a chuck which will allow holding a piece by the end. Tougher to do between
centers. There you'd be best to glue up your bottom after boring, and
friction fit the top to get things trued and sanded, after boring out the
center of the block now fitted with turned ends.
On 2 Oct 2005 17:35:31 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
>drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
>on the lathe.
That is inherently dangerous, and other adjectives I'll leave out. If
you *must* make it from wood, then turn the solid piece and slow-drill
later. Also, precut the solid piece on the TS to an octagon to have
less to remove on the lathe. The drilled out center does not have to
be dead-center, but you still have to be careful, and clamp the piece
being drilled.
Question: How are you going to attach the piece to the chain?
"Tom Banes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2 Oct 2005 17:35:31 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
> The first one I made cracked because I
> >filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot.
>
> <<<<<< SNIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Buy a 25# bag of #9 shot, pour it in cold. Molten lead in a wooden
> cylinder - yikes!
There you go. I was wondering why it had to be melted.
Bob
Molten lead? Yikes! I've used lead shot before as weights in various
setups. Can't help you with your question, but it did get my attention.
My guess would be that it wouldn't matter, not with a 4" spread between
grains. But then again, it probably does help - even if only a little -
to alternate grains.
But doesn't a 3" hole in the 4" blocks narrow down the sides a bit too
much? Only 1/2" diameter for that much weight sounds inherently risky.
Jack
[email protected] wrote:
> I am making a wooden cylinder to be filled with lead shot to act as a
> weight for a grandfather clock. The first one I made cracked because I
> filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot. The wood eventually
> shrunk but the solid lead did not shrink resulting the crack. The next
> cylinder also cracked as I was turning it on the lathe... arrgh!
>
> I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
> drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
> on the lathe.
>
> Question: Is it better to orient the squares with their grains at right
> angles to each other like plywood or will cross grain expansion cause
> more cracks? (The second one that cracked had the grains in line not
> crossed.)
>
Doug Miller wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "BillyBob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>
>>>>Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
>>>
>>>Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
>>
>>I did. I don't get it.
>
>
> Glue up the block out of several pieces which are the desired length and width
> but less than the desired thickness. For example, if you wanted a cylinder 8"
> long and 3" in diameter, you'd glue up four pieces 3/4" x 3" by 8" to make a
> block 3" x 3" x 8", then put it on the lathe and turn a cylinder.
>
Maybe BillyBob and I are picturing what is being turned a little differently
than you are. I am picturing more of a disc, or squashed cylinder. Say, a
2.5" long cylinder with a diameter of 4".
-John
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
"BillyBob" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> >Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
> >>
> >> Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
> >
> >I did. I don't get it.
>
> Glue up the block out of several pieces which are the desired length and
width
> but less than the desired thickness. For example, if you wanted a cylinder
8"
> long and 3" in diameter, you'd glue up four pieces 3/4" x 3" by 8" to make
a
> block 3" x 3" x 8", then put it on the lathe and turn a cylinder.
Thanks for the patient explanation. I was hung up on the explanation that
the OP pre-drilled the pieces before glueing. I am not a turner so do not
know all the tricks. How do you put the hole in it? On the lathe? I don't
have a forstner bit that will go more 3" or so in depth. Actually I don't
have a 3" forstner bit so its academic for me.
Bob
In article <LEz0f.254$_%[email protected]>, John Girouard <[email protected]> wrote:
>Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>, "BillyBob"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>>
>>>>>Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
>>>>
>>>>Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
>>>
>>>I did. I don't get it.
>>
>>
>> Glue up the block out of several pieces which are the desired length and
> width
>> but less than the desired thickness. For example, if you wanted a cylinder 8"
>
>> long and 3" in diameter, you'd glue up four pieces 3/4" x 3" by 8" to make a
>> block 3" x 3" x 8", then put it on the lathe and turn a cylinder.
>>
>
>Maybe BillyBob and I are picturing what is being turned a little differently
>than you are. I am picturing more of a disc, or squashed cylinder. Say, a
>2.5" long cylinder with a diameter of 4".
Doesn't matter. You still glue it up out of pieces whose length matches the
length of the cylinder, and whose width matches its diameter. There's no
reason at all to ever need to glue end grain to end grain.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In addition to what he said, I misunderstood the geometry.
> You should glue the blanks so that when you turn it the grain runs
> lengthwise, from the headstock to the tailstock, like a spindle
> turning instead of a bowl turning.
Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up? That doesn't sound very sturdy.
bob
In article <[email protected]>, "BillyBob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> In addition to what he said, I misunderstood the geometry.
>> You should glue the blanks so that when you turn it the grain runs
>> lengthwise, from the headstock to the tailstock, like a spindle
>> turning instead of a bowl turning.
>
>Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
>
> Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
I did. I don't get it.
On 2 Oct 2005 17:35:31 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
The first one I made cracked because I
>filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot.
<<<<<< SNIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Buy a 25# bag of #9 shot, pour it in cold. Molten lead in a wooden
cylinder - yikes!
On 2 Oct 2005 17:35:31 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm,
[email protected] quickly quoth:
>I am making a wooden cylinder to be filled with lead shot to act as a
>weight for a grandfather clock. The first one I made cracked because I
>filled it with molten lead rather than lead shot. The wood eventually
>shrunk but the solid lead did not shrink resulting the crack. The next
>cylinder also cracked as I was turning it on the lathe... arrgh!
>
>I make the cylinger from 4 inch squares of 4/4 wood with a 3 inch hole
>drilled in each. These squares are glued up in a stack and then turned
>on the lathe.
>
>Question: Is it better to orient the squares with their grains at right
>angles to each other like plywood or will cross grain expansion cause
>more cracks? (The second one that cracked had the grains in line not
>crossed.)
Cooper strips of wood, then use a poured round of lead with 1/4" of
foam padding around it to accept any shrinkage. IOW, make your own
barrels but don't worry about taper.
_ The strips will be shaped something like this.
/ \ (Half-ascii drawing to the left.)
---
--
"Most Folks Are As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be"
-Abraham Lincoln
-----------------------------------------------------------
www.diversify.com - Happy Website Development
In article <[email protected]>, "BillyBob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> >Wouldn't that be a pure end grain glue-up?
>>
>> Only if you do it wrong. Think about it.
>
>I did. I don't get it.
Glue up the block out of several pieces which are the desired length and width
but less than the desired thickness. For example, if you wanted a cylinder 8"
long and 3" in diameter, you'd glue up four pieces 3/4" x 3" by 8" to make a
block 3" x 3" x 8", then put it on the lathe and turn a cylinder.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.