Review: John Boyne-Aitken Demo – Sunday 21st July 2024

Note that whilst spindle turning is considered to be relatively safe, it is always advisable to wear a minimum of protective glasses and better still a face mask. It is every woodturner’s responsibility to consider the appropriate personal protection equipment required for a given task in your own working environment.

John started the demonstration with the bombshell that, although he is known as the “bowler-hatted turner”, he doesn’t actually wear a hat during turning. John did pose briefly to show us what he would look like if he did wear a hat.

Cake stand

The cake stand comprises of three plates of increasing sizes, a base plug, two stems between the plates, a top stem with a horizontal hole, and a finger bar.

The bottom button stud is turned from 1x1x3 ash. A tenon is created to fit the hole in the plates and the hole to be drilled in the stems. The piece is reversed in a chuck and the button is created by rounding over the end. The finger bar is made from 1x1x4″ ash, held in a chuck, turned between centres to the desired thickness and rounded at each end. The finger bar will go through a horizontal hole in the top stem.

The two stems are made from 1x1x8″ ash turned between centres. A tenon is created on one end to go through the hole in the plate. It is then held in a chuck by the tenon and a hole is drilled 20mm deep. The stem is supported by a cone drive in the tailstock and shaped. John made a bead at each end and he used a skew to create a shallow cove with a bird’s beak next to each bead. John also added a bead in the cove area. The process is repeated for the second stem.

The plates are three sizes to give a triangular shape to the stand. The plates are taken from a planed flat board. John held the blank between router mat glued to a morticed disc (to be held in the chuck) and a cone drive.

To shape the bottom of the plate, mark a circle 95mm from the edge with a pencil. Turn from the line to outer edge and then from the line inwards to the centre leaving a small conical nub. Round the outer edge. Remove the nub; John used a hammer! The centre is then drilled out on the lathe until the plate rolls onto the drill bit.

Reverse the plate and hold between the router mat disc and a cone centre. Round over the edge. Add a decorative rebate on the edge and round over again. Sand. Repeat for the other plates.

The top stem is turned from a 1×6″ blank with a predrilled horizontal hole at one end for the finger bar. Shape round and create a tenon at the hole end. Hold in a chuck by the tenon. Drill a hole as for the other stems. Support with a cone centre. Create decorative beads at each end and shape. Take care not to remove too much material near the end with the drilled hole! Sand. Pare away the nub and sand. Note that you might need to adjust the thickness of the finger bar to fit the hole.

Finally we can assemble the cake stand. Apply glue to the button stud tenon and push it through the bottom plate centre hole and into the hole in the first stem. Then apply glue to the stem tenon, push it through the middle plate hole and into the hole of the second stem. Finally apply glue to the second stem tenon and push it through the top plate hole and into the hole in the top stem. The finger bar is then fitted to the hole in the top stem.

Hanging Potpourri

The hanging potpourri is made from a 2x2x8″ maple spindle blank.

The blank is held between centres and rounded and a dovetailed tenon is made a one end. The blank is then held in a chuck by the tenon and supported by a cone centre in the tailstock. Round it true. Mark 2.5”, 2.5” and 3” sections. Put a second dovetailed tenon on the other end. Drill a small hole 2-3mm diameter at the tailstock end for the ribbon. Support again with the tailstock. Part off the end section. Use a skew to mark the centre for drilling. Drill a 6mm hole, 2” deep. Then enlarge the hole with a 10mm Forstner bit. Continue to enlarge the hole with larger bits. The hole could also be hollowed with a gouge.

Shape the tailstock end in the form of a barrel. Hollow a bit more using a scraper. Mark out lengthwise quarters around the piece with a pencil. Then mark out quarters along the barrel. Then use a post-it note as an edge to mark out hole centres. Use an awl to mark the hole centres. Drill the holes and then clean the inside with a scraper. Partly shape the remaining section which will become the bottom finial of the potpourri.

Next we chase a thread on the piece. Chasers are sharpened flat on a diamond stone or card. Threads are chased at 500rpm. On the bottom section we create a female thread: Round off the inside edge. Touch the edge using the middle of the chaser (“striking the thread”) to help start the chasing. Then chase the threads.

Measure the hole between the female threads and add 2-3mm. Create a tenon for the male thread on the top section to that diameter. Cut a groove next to the tenon shoulder to give space for the chasing. Add wax to the tenon. Strike the thread and proceed as before. You need to pull away the chaser before it hits the shoulder. Test fit. Continue chasing and testing. If the thread doesn’t screw to the shoulder shave the tops of the threads with a parting tool. Re-chase and test again. Note that you can’t chase the full depth of the chaser teeth as you will cut off the tops of the threads.

Screw the parts together and finished the shape of the female threaded (bottom) piece. Remove the tailstock and remove the evidence of the cone drive hole. Sand and finish the bottom piece.

Once you are happy with the thread roughly turn the decoration to the top piece. Drill a 6-7mm hole for the ribbon. There should now be a hole all the way through the top piece. The final stage is match the grain when the parts are screwed together. If they don’t match, remove a little from the shoulder using a parting tool. Test and repeat until they match. Create a bead near the thread and remove the female piece. Refine the shape of the top piece. Sand and finish.

To reverse mount the top piece you could jam chuck the thread or even create a female thread in a scrap piece. John held the piece lightly in the chuck jaws. Remove the tenon and gently refine the shape. Make an internal chamfer in the end hole where the ribbon will go. Sand and finish.

Pull the ribbon through using a piece of wire. Wax the threads. The potpourri on the right is one John made earlier showing the drilled holes.