Finial ?

[Bill Bolen]

There have been a ton of very attractive finials posted. I'm just starting out trying to turn a decent finial and am using a set of pin jaws to hold my practice pieces. This won't work with the keepers as the pin jaws often damage the lip being held. So what method do you folks use to hold the finial for turning? Soft jaws, jam chuck ???...Thanks...Bill...

[John Keeton]

Bill, I usually use pen blanks for finials, and will grasp it while square in the chuck (pin jaws should work fine), and using the tailstock I turn the exposed portion to a cylinder. Then, flip it to grasp the cylinder end in the jaws, and using the tailstock, round the remaining portion.

Then, I will generally layout my transition areas with pencil lines, and take off some material, but leaving good mass in the whole piece. Then, I remove the tailstock and turn the finial - starting at the tip, and completely finishing and sanding as I move back toward the bottom.

Depending on how I am using the finial, I will either finish off the bottom end with a stub tenon to glue into a base, or leave a base on the finial, and undercut the bottom with some pulling cuts with the lower wing of a detail gouge. The idea being to make sure there is some concavity to the bottom to match the lid if any. I will still have a stub tenon to glue in the lid.

Were I to an integral lid/finial, I would flip the finial inside the soft jaws to finish the underside of the lid. Haven't done one of those yet, but I think that would work.

[David DeCristoforo]

I use a Beall collet chuck. Turn a tenon on the end of the blank, mount it in the collet chuck and go.

[John Keeton]

Before I got pin jaws for my chuck, I used the collet chuck - works great save for the lack of access caused by the chuck head. Mine is PSI - it may have a different profile than the Beall.

[charlie knighton]

Bill,

i usually use english boxwood, instead of a prong drive center, use a circle drive center and the small center/point on revolving drive, turn between centers. turn spigot usually 3/8 inch wide, switch drive center to stronghold chuck with #1 jaws (pin jaws?) turn to 1/8 inch with tapered ends to your liking. carve spirls, turn top to finish and part off, usually do not use finish on finial but could use clear wax

Bill, i am still on learning curve with Barley twists, green root is more flexable than dry root, but dry root will work if that is all ya got

[Wally Dickerman]

I use my chuck with pin jaws. I often use pen blanks for finials. I insert one end in the jaws, bring up the tailstock to line if up, and turn a short, round area leaving a small shoulder. Then I flip it.

I turn my finial a bit different than most folks. Still using the tailstock, I turn the bottom end first, working toward the headstock. But then, I'm a lefty and we do most things different.

Wally

[Richard Madden]

Many times, though not always, I drill a 1" hole, around 1/8 to 1/4 deep, sand the hole and surrounding area to finish, then use pin jaws. I haven't noticed much damage using pin jaws.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use the PSI chuck to hold the tenon on the finial piece. You have to make it slightly longer because of the access on the chuck end.

[Rasmus Petersen]

for my ornaments i use pinjaws. turn the part to mount in the ball flip it and hold in either pinjaws or in the step jaws i have for my talon. then with tailstok support turn the entire pice, sand and apply finish. the as the very last thing just nip the tailstok end off with a razor sharp skew and Done Next one af so on and so on and............

[Alan Trout]

If the lid is integrated in the finial I will round the stock between center and then turn the base and the underside of the lid with the piece held with the chuck jaws. Then I make a jamb chuck so that it has a nice tight fit and push the base of the lid into the jamb chuck and with masking tape use it to secure the lid portion to the jamb chuck. Then as John says start at the tip and finish as you go. You must have very sharp tools and a gentle touch when doing this. Takes a little practice but works well.

Good Luck

Alan