Today, I turned the short spindles that go below the seat on the bench project I’m working on with Aspen Golann. I don’t usually turn spindles, they tend to vibrate too much when they get thin, but these are short, only about 10 inches, and they have three areas that need to be sized for joinery, so turning them made sense. Plus, there are about 60 of them, so turning is also the fastest way to get the job done. After being turned, they will be steamed and bent into shape.
First, I needed a gauge for the sizing the smaller areas. I made this from a scrap steel bracket I had on hand. I started by drilling a hole slightly large than the dimension I’m measuring. Then I used a hacksaw to cut a slot a little smaller than the drilled hole.
Next, I filed the sides of the slot until it fit a drill bit the size I needed.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Peter Galbert's Chair Notes to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.