Spindle Turning

Fine points for the beginner

by Rude Osolnik
I
always enjoy teaching spindle turning because any well always show how I use my tools, but nobody needs tools like
coordinated person can pick up the rudiments of the craft so mine. All you need are a parting tool and a couple of gouges.
quickly. Unlike so many woodworking disciplines, spindle The Superflute gouges, available at local outlets and mail-order
turning doesn't demand a long apprenticeship. Almost from the supply houses, work well for spindle turning. The point is, al-
start, good students begin exploring an endless variety of shapes, most any tool will work well if you learn how to hold it properly.
wood grains, colors and textures, and injecting their own feel- I don't spend a lot of time preparing turning stock, especially
ings and personality into their work. This personal involvement for simple shapes like the weed pots, but it's wise to bandsaw off
is what makes the craft so fascinating for me year after year. any lopsided corners and protuberances that will get in the way
If you want to learn spindle turning, don't even think about when you rough-turn the piece. Perfect balance isn't necessary. I
duplicating the complex spindles you see in books. That copying usually locate one of the spurs to the side of the heart of a limb
has given spindle turning a reputation as a boring, repetitive section, which throws the piece out of balance anyway. This pro-
task. Relax, and concentrate on cutting a nice, free shape. I en- duces an interesting star effect on the side of the turning. I often
courage beginners to start with simple shapes, like the weed pot try four or five centers on a piece before getting the effect I want.
shown in the picture series, and to work with found wood, which It's a good way to manipulate the emerging grain patterns. Be-
is cheap and often stunning. If you buy expensive wood, you'll cause of the out-of-balance pieces, don't turn at the higher RPMS,
be too worried about the money to learn how to handle your especially when roughing out. Ninety percent of my work, any-
tools and master the basic cuts. The secret to spindle turning is thing up to 5 in. to 6 in. in diameter, is done at 1,800 RPM. For
locating the highs and lows, which is a matter of measurements, pieces more than 6 in. in diameter, I slow clown to 600 RPM.
then connecting those points with shoulders (flat areas), coves To shape the weed pot shown, I mount a chunk of oak be-
(hollows) and beads (round or oval swellings). These shapes are tween centers and rotate the spindle by hand a couple of times
cut with a parting tool and a shallow fluted gouge, with the same to seat the centers. Since my centers are small and sharp, they
techniques used to shape the weed pot. penetrate easily, but you may want to drill a center hole for
Since so many good turnings are designed to showcase the heavy centers with thick spurs. If a piece is very irregular, I
natural beauty of woods, searching for wood is a good way to sometimes begin with the heavier centers, then shift to the
start thinking about turning. Good sources for hardwoods in- smaller ones, once the spindle is balanced. Rotating the spindles
clude the firewood pile, trees knocked down by storms or old is also a good way to check if the turning clears the tool rest,
age, and fallen branches. Look for sections with curvy undula- which should be about in. from the turning. The tool rest
tions to the bark, or with burls, bubulous growths often having should be slightly below the center of the turning, so the cutting
spectacular, distorted grain patterns. Spalting, the dark-line pat- edge of your tool will be just above the center, as shown below.
terns caused by mineral stains and fungus infestation as wood Remember, you will be cutting with a small section of the bevel
decays, is very pretty. Wood with wormholes, cracks and interest- near the point of the tool, or slightly to the right or the left of
ing bark also is good. center, and that part of the chisel should be above center. Con-
Generally, dead limbs are pretty dry, but if the wood feels wet, centrate on the relationship between the edge and the work.
I stack it out of direct sunlight for a few months to get rid of Take a in. gouge and try cutting with the lathe off, turning the
excess moisture. I might rough-turn a wet piece and put it into a stock by hand so you can see how the gouge rides on its bevel
plastic bag for a week before finishing it. I don't use chemicals and can be lowered or rotated to the right or left until the cutting
like polyethelene glycol (PEG) to stabilize wet wood. I tried it edge contacts the wood and begins to remove stock. Always try
once, but the turning never felt dry. One thing that sells turnings to set the bevel first, then bring the cutting edge down, rather
is the warmth you feel when you pick up a piece. If a turning
feels clammy, it won't sell. That's why wood doesn't sell well on
a rainy day when it can absorb environmental moisture.
If your found wood doesn't have an exceptional grain or spalted
pattern, it's crucial that its turned form be attractive. This means
a turning has to be balanced, well-proportioned, and have pleas-
ing lines. That's an intimidating roadblock for many beginners.
Get around it by working from nature. Natural objects frequently
have an attractive shape—an onion is a good example. Fruit
forms are also good. The designing is all done—you just need to
extract some of the lines. Also, get into the habit of cutting
pieces to different lengths. The size variations will force you to
think of different forms, shapes and proportions.
When you see a pleasing shape, scribble that form on a scratch
pad and build an inventory of shapes. Look for simple lines that
don't detract from the natural flow of the wood grain. Pieces
should look as if they're rising out of the surfaces they rest on.
Note how slender, delicate sections create a distinctive elegance.
I've also found that if a piece looks good, it feels good. If your
hands flow smoothly over the piece, it's good.
Another thing that hampers beginners is that they have too
many tools. My tool kit is pretty small, only five tools—a square- Practice cutting with the lathe off, rotating the wood by hand,
nose parting tool; three homemade gouge/skew combinations until you understand how the tool rides on its bevel as it cuts.
, and a large gouge about 2 in. wide. I
To shape a weed pot, begin with the gouge on its side, left, and to polish the surface. On the bottom, work the point of your
reduce the diameter of the vessel's neck. Don't try to cut the gouge or parting tool in to form a concave surface, right, which
shape all at once, but make several passes. Final cuts, center, are will help ensure that the pot's base will be true enough to sit on
very light, aimed at minimizing the amount of sanding needed a flat surface without rocking.

than jamming in the point of the tool, which could catch. high and the flute of the tool pointing up. Then, as you go to the
I rough out pieces with a 2-in. gouge, making a shearing cut smaller diameter, bring the cutting edge down and rotate your
down the cylinder, but a in. gouge will work. This is one of the wrist so it's almost at a right angle to the spinning, above, left.
most difficult parts of turning, because the out-of-balance stock Keep the tool riding on its bevel. Don't rely only on your hands
produces quite a bit of vibration and the larger tool will absorb to move the gouge. The smoothest turning motion involves
some of this. Because of the great amount of material removed swaying back and forth with your body, rather than a hand move
during roughing out, I also wear a glove to prevent chips and ment. Keep your arms close to your body and move your arms
bark from cutting my hands. A face shield is advisable. and body together. Don't use a white-knuckle grip on the tool.
Once the stock is turned to a fairly true cylinder, try to visual- As you get toward the final shape you want, take finer and finer
ize a shape that best shows off the wood's natural beauty. My cuts, above, center, to produce the smoothest surface possible.
general strategy is to shape the base of the turning first, to elimi- Bark left on the turning can provide an interesting texture, but if
nate excess waste and give myself more room to work, then do it comes loose, stop the lathe and squirt in Hot Stuff, a syrupy
the top near the tailstock. Most of my weed pots are cut with a cyanoacrylate glue which dries almost instantly. It's available from
in. or in. gouge, but I will use a narrower gouge for tight Craft Supplies USA, 1644 S. State St., Provo, Utah 84601 (they also
curves. The general rule is to cut in from the greatest diameter to sell Osolnik's turning tools and urethane oil), and Conover Wood-
the smallest, as shown. Begin your cuts with the gouge fairly craft Specialties, Inc., 18125 Madison Rd., Parkman, Ohio 44080.
Before cutting off or parting the top and bottom, I shape the
ends of the turning to facilitate cleanup. On the top, I cut an
inverted cone with a stem slightly thinner than the drill bit used
to bore out the center of the pot. The drill will neatly pop off the
waste as it goes into the main body of the pot. On the bottom, I
work the gouge in to create a concave surface, above, right. I cut
nearly through, then sever the last bit with the lathe turned off.
I bore the pilot hole in the weed pot with a brad point drill in
a Jacobs chuck mounted in the headstock. You can also use a
drill press. The best way to finish the hole is to modify regular
spade bits, which are available from any hardware store. Grind
the center to make a long, slender brad point and taper the main
body of the bit to shape the rim of the original hole, as shown. I
wrap the center bit with enough tape to make it fit snugly and
run true down the drilled hole.
Forming the concave surface on the pot makes it easy to level
the bottom, since the center bump left in parting off is recessed
so it can't make the pot rock. To sand this surface, I mount a
mandrel with a 1-in.-dia. sanding disc in my drill press, far left,
and hold the turning under the spinning disc. With a little prac-
tice, you'll find you can manipulate the turning to produce a
smooth bottom. To prevent the paper from grabbing, I glue a thin
piece of foam to the disc, then glue sandpaper to the pad.
After you've made a few weed pots, try a simple stool with
turned posts, as shown in figure 3, p. 40. Make the beads, coves
and shoulders with the same cutting techniques you used on the
weed pot. Chuck a 2-in. turning square between centers and
 Working with an old-time turner by Dick Burrows

Working with Rude Osolnik is a delight— who like wood enjoying the work. That's a
he's the fastest, and probably cleverest feeling I often find stifled in a world of art
turner I've ever seen, a great storyteller objects and woodworkers who pride them-
and, even after 50 years as a woodworker, selves on working within tolerences that
just plain excited about wood. When he would challenge a machinist.
was showing me how to turn a weed pot, Rude has no secrets. He'll show you every
he abruptly shut off the lathe, moved the technique he knows, if you're interested, all
light up and said, "Isn't that pretty?" It the while stressing there's no one right way
was, but what's more important, he re- to do any turning. Experiment and have fun
minded me why I wanted to be a wood- as you develop your own style and tech-
worker in the first place. nique. Don't do too much measuring. Use
Wood is everywhere in Rude's world. reference points on your tools, such as the
There are piles of it near the nine lathes in distance from the bandsaw table edge to the
the two shops next to his house. The house blade, or the length of your thumb or the
itself could be a craft museum. Bowls and width of your hand instead of rulers. If the
pots ready to go to the Benchmark Gallery, diameter of your lathe's tailstock is in.,
which his son runs in Berea; carvings, ce- use that as a guide for estimating spindle di-
ramics and other objects he traded his work ameters. When making duplicates, use com-
for; even a handmade Windsor chair built To make a distinctively Osolnik-style pleted objects to guide your eye, rather than
by his wife, Daphne. During a tour of the candlestick, form two cones, cutting in taking measurements. Simple, common-
neighboring countryside, he showed me an- from each end toward the narrow stem. sense tricks. Try them and see how relaxing
other barn full of his wood. Across the road The top cone is one-third the length of the spindle turning becomes, and how much
is another complete shop, now unused, stock, which should he straight-grained more of you goes into the turning.
where he and his sons used to mass-produce to prevent the stem from breaking. Be warned though. Rude makes every-
wooden letters, stools and other gift items thing seem easier than it is. He's been at it a
for companies in New York and other big- never got the candlesticks right. long time. He grinds high-speed steel bars
city markets. Nearby are more sheds full of The difference, Rude told me, is that he to make his own turning tools, for example.
wood, some of it dark with dust and age, shaves the stems thinner than his imitators Each tool looks like a roundnose scraper
but Rude identified the rosewood, walnut and cuts a slight curve on the top and bot- with a 30° bevel on the bottom and a flute
and rhododendron without hesitation. Each tom cones. He's made at least 150,000 of cut into the top to help clear shavings. In
wood cache also prompted a story about these candlesticks, which helped pay his Rude's hands they cut, not scrape, and they
bargains, sly trading and people trying to children's college tuitions. The design is do everything effortlessly. When I tried it,
take the country boy to the cleaners. simple—the top cone is one-third the though, I found the long bevel a little awk-
Rude never wastes a chance for a story or a length of the stock, the bottom two-thirds, ward and caught the tool a couple of times.
humorous ruse. Due to a reservation mixup but each one is a little different and has a I discovered it pulled and tore much the
at the car agency, I drove to Berea in a shiny, little different shape. Rude consistently way a badly placed skew did. The tool's so
metallic-blue Toyota MR2, a hot little sports- turns one every five minutes. He often be- versatile that it's worth a little practice.
car that seemed a little out of place in the gan turning at 4 AM, four hours before he One thing I like about Rude's tools is
quiet college town. Rudy just had to borrow had to leave to teach his first class, and he their beefy in.-dia. handles. Rude ex-
it. "There are some old guys I have coffee knew the time was up when he'd finished plained that a small handle encourages you
with every day. I'm going to drive up and 48 candlesticks. (Incidentally, be careful if to clench the tool tightly and this hampers
tell them it's my car. Shake 'em up a little." he says, "we'll get an early start in the smooth cutting. If you hold the tool as if
They believed him, for a while at least, and morning." He means it.) To save time on you were shaking hands with a person, with
marched out to admire the car, talk about spindles like the candlesticks, Rude doesn't your thumb on the top of the tool, and re-
cylinders and gears, while commenting even stop the lathe to remove and chuck on lax your grip, you'll do better work with
about old goats who won't grow up. new pieces. The secret is in having a deli- less effort. Little pointers like that kept
Later, Daphne asked how he was going to cate touch and using a fine spur center. He cropping up all day long. One of his former
explain the car's absence when I left. "I'm made a believer of me, and I'm going to try students, a woodworker in Berea, told me
going to tell them you made me take it it again, as soon as my fingers stop stinging. Rude had always been like that. He contin-
back. They'll believe that." Afterward, he Little details like the stem of the candle- ually came up with efficient, if somewhat
admitted he probably gave everything away stick—the elegance of a slender form, a unorthodox, methods to get the job done.
when he answered a question about the subtle curve or line cut to reveal the natural One day a pickup drove up to Rude's
cost of the car with "I'd give my pickup for beauty of the wood—abound in Rude's shop and a man and his wife got out. Folks
the car and $200." work. His output as a turner over the years downtown had given them directions and
I had hoped to meet Rude ever since I is astounding, yet each piece has a certain said Rude wouldn't mind seeing him. The
began teaching myself turning in North individuality that comes from Rude's en- man had an idea for a new sharpening sys-
Carolina about 15 years ago. His work was thusiasm for the wood and his joy in reveal- tem. As Rude was talking to the man, his
pictured in magazines or shown in the ing its beauty. He's a craftsman's produc- wife softly said "My husband thinks it's an
Southern Highlands Guild shops, and I tion turner. Not only is he enthusiastic honor to walk on the same concrete as that
knew he was making a living at it, just as I about the work he produces, he delights in man." That about sums it up.
wanted to do. I copied some of his ply- the process and coming up with clever
wood-lamination bowls and rolling pins, ways to produce. There was no pretentious Dick Burrows is an associate editor of
and his distinctive candleholders, but I posturing, no art babble—just two guys Fine Woodworking.
rough-turn a cylinder, as before. Use your parting tool to set the
depths, then round the shoulders with a i n . gouge. To avoid
tearing the corners below the top square, I score the area with the
point of my gouge, then cut from right to left and left to right with
the gouge to clear out about in. of wood. Then, I lower the
depth with a parting tool. In addition to the depth below the top
square, you must establish the flat below the narrow top bead and
the bottom of the top cove. Again, use the narrow gouge to round
over the square shoulders left by the parting tool to form the bead
or hollow out the cove. The bottom section is done the same way.
Set the flats, then shape between the flats. Use the point of a
gouge or a parting tool to crisply cut the small flat areas and cut
sharp lines bordering the beads and coves. Size the coves and
beads with calipers, if you like. For rungs, I turn in. tenons on
the stretchers and chamfer the pieces on a tablesaw. (For more on
assembling stools and seat weaving, see FWW #36, #62).
To expand your technique, experiment with mandrels. Basical-
ly, they're plugs that support stock that would be awkward to
mount between centers. To make a napkin ring with a in.
hole, for example, turn a 6- to 7-in.-long plug that's in. in
diameter. The plug is just a holding device, so don't worry about
producing a perfectly flat surface. Now, drill a in. hole
through a 2-in.-thick block of walnut and friction-fit the block on
the plug, as shown at bottom left, facing page. To turn the ring,
use a parting tool to lower the center of the ring, then a small
gouge to round the end sections.
Another mandrel makes it easy to turn salt and pepper shakers.
Since I make a lot of these, I've modified a drill to cut the three-
step hole in one pass, figure 4, but you could use three different
drills. The larger hole is in., and is later plugged with a small
cork. After I bore out the walnut blank, I turn a three-step plug to
fit inside. Then, the blank slides over the mandrel, the tailstock is
brought up and the outside of the shaker turned to shape, sanded
and finished. Drill the top for salt and pepper holes.
Bracelets are always a nice gift, and an excuse to try pressure
turning. Turn the two fixtures shown at bottom right, which re-
semble two 3-in.-dia. bottles set opening-to-opening. Glue sand-
paper to the ends of the fixtures, mount a 5-in.-dia., in.-thick
disc between them as shown and turn the bracelet shape. Free it
with the tool shown in figure 5. You can re-turn the small disc to
make a napkin ring.
It's annoying how many people ruin good turnings by sanding.
They forget that clear, sharp lines make the spindle look nice. I
cut 100-grit garnet paper into strips about in. wide, and fold
them lengthwise. I wrap the strips around my fingers or use parts
of the strip, whatever I have to do to make the paper follow the
lines of the piece and not dub off the sharp shoulders. Don't
ever flatten out a wide sheet with your hand and sand. That's
how beginners sand bowls to create razor-sharp rims. After sand-
ing with 100 grit, I progress to 150, 220, then 320. As you sand,
check to get rid of the smear wood, torn chalky-looking fibers.
Sand until these fibers have a glazed look.
For a good, quick finish, apply a coat of Deft clear sanding
sealer and let stand until tacky. Then saturate a pad of 0000 steel
wool with urethane oil, and use the pad to apply the urethane
while the turning is spinning slowly on the lathe. Buff the turn-
ing on the lathe with a cloth.

Rude Osolnik has been turning wood for more than 50 years. He
retired as head of the woodworking program at Berea College in
Kentucky in 1978, but still conducts turning seminars at his
home and in workshops across the country.