Spindle support

[jimbiow]

I have recently started wood turning and am building up my tools collection.  I am making a table lamp stand for a friend and need to drill a hole through the centre.  Can anyone tell me where I can get a spindle support, which is what I believe I need?

Thanks

Jimbiow

[Twisted Trees]

Hi Jim

unless your lamp is going to be particularly tall you probably don't need a spindle support. You will need a long drill to get the cable through. You will also need to consider your design, when cutting a 1 piece, I like to cut a fairly large mortice into the base to allow room for the cable to enter and make a 90° turn to run up the stem, this makes an ideal mounting point for some pin jaws which gives a good strong connection to the chuck. If making a 2 or more piece, then cable direction change can happen in
the base and I would still aim to hollow out the base enough for the cable to turn neatly but leave enough thickness both to provide good weight to the base, but also room to make a mortice in the top to match a tenon on the spindle.

final tip, drill your cable entry hole with a slight upward angle this makes the cable drop quickly onto the table.

If you do want to make a spindle support I recommend this video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GMXRTzMHnQ

If you need a long drill then I recommend you watch this one https://youtu.be/bJ_bvO6WQ4E

have fun.

[Bill21]

I bought a 6 x 600mm and a 8 x 600mm drill bit from Rennie tools along with a few other bits, they’re not expensive. They do other sizes.

[BrianH]

Hey Jim
My I offer a word of advice before you start?
Arm yourself with the lampshade first because it's the only piece you will have no control over so all sizes and proportions must be made to suit it...far more more diffecult the other way around. All the best with the project.
Brian

[Twisted Trees]

Hey Jim
My I offer a word of advice before you start?
Arm yourself with the lampshade first because it's the only piece you will have no control over so all sizes and proportions must be made to suit it...far more more diffecult the other way around. All the best with the project.
Brian

Good advice, finished design is where you need to start.

[BrianH]

Another idea to consider. Start with 2 pieces of wood, work a groove down the face of both, glue them together... face to face... and pull a piece of string through to get rid of glue beads and hey presto a long hole without drilling.
Brian

[Bill21]

Wooden standard lamps used to be made in several pieces. No reason not to do this with a table lamp and could make drilling easier.

[Paul Hannaby]

What nobody seems to have mentioned is that the usual way to drill a lamp is to hold it between centres and to use a hollow centre and an auger (a drill could also be used). So unless your lamp blank is particularly thin (unlikely as the hole may wander...) , you wouldn't need a spindle support.

[Twisted Trees]

I did say the spindle support is probably not required, but the link to Mike Waldt's video is still worth sharing, as it may come in handy for another project.