AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => Gallery => Topic started by: willstewart on March 28, 2020, 05:34:17 PM
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At the bottom end of the skill scale but useful; I have just made 18 for my wife who is a keen gardener. They are largely for safety - to stop you injuring your eyes when bending down around thin canes. You can use plastic bottles but where's the fun in that?! And something useful to do with odd bits of wood whilst confined to home?
Pretty easy - around 50mm diameter and 90mm long with a 16mm hole most of the way through. These are elm but obviously could be other woods. I made between centres 4-5 at a time and drilled afterwards on the lathe.
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Another good idea for odds and ends, I would be tempted to give them a bath in some form of fencelife type water based preservative even outdoor safe timbers will survive longer with some protection.
Though I am trying hard to discourage gardening, then I could replace all those muddy or green areas with workshop and wood store ;)
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Good job. Much nicer than using plastic ones.
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lol for some reason I immediately thought of walking stick tops. Good idea and very practical.
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Not every turning needs to be amazing.
Turners of yesteryear worked at this craft to make their living, they made what was wanted, what was needed. Food Bowls, kitchen utensils,little things like lace bobbins for that industry to parts for weaving and looms.
So well done for returning to the roots and making something practical, cost effective and not necessarily beautiful but certainly functional.
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Hi Will,
Thanks for the reminder for something to do, and keep us occupied. I will be doing a load of these for my allotments. But there's another version you might like to consider. If you make the hollow large enough, you can use it as the top for a cane 'wigwam' for runner beans and other climbers.
Cheers,
Paul
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Thanks All!
And Paul - you are right. And here is one (of a set) I made earlier in case it helps anyone. About 65 mm dia & 140mm long, oak this time. The only tricky bit is getting the holes angled correctly - I made this crude jig to go on my pillar drill - I am sure it could be done by hand but this is harder than one imagines!
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Hi Will, Now that's what I call doing the job properly!! I like the jig.
But my cane tops just use a larger diameter hole so it can accommodate about a dozen canes in the one hole. This also alllows the angle of the canes to be varied.
I wonder if anyone else has other ideas on this.
And keeping on the gardening front, now is the time for making 'paper pot makers', garden dibbers and even replacement tool handles.
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I think I still have my garden dibber from doing my apprenticeship, as I recall it was the first identifiable object made. not made one since. the garden string line winder was a fun project that went to my father in law for his allotment.