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New tops

Terry Q

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Terry
I usually make my tops from solid wood. There is always a piece left over. Time to use them up. Bought some hard Maple dowels for the stems. I made the stems to long so I tried some new designs. They spin ok but 2 are almost perfect.
 

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Penpal

Grand Master
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Peter
Perrenial favourites especially when they are so well finished Terry we used to make the smaller ones you started on the bottom then they would turn over and spin for ages on the top at demos the kids would be lined up all over the place to watch and receive.

Peter.
 

Winemaker

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Oct 7, 2014
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Cornwall
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Tom
Make mine look bad :sob: I tried longer tops but found it too top heavy. How big are they, that maybe what I'm doing wrong
 

Penpal

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CONGRATULATIONS TERRY brilliant second on the IAP COMPETITION and I mean outstanding mate.

Peter.:goesred::goesred::goesred::goesred::goesred:
 

Terry Q

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Roanoke, Illinois USA
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Terry
Make mine look bad :sob: I tried longer tops but found it too top heavy. How big are they, that maybe what I'm doing wrong

Tom first of all I have probably made 300 tops. I get better with each one I turn. Left over maple scrap with dowel glued in place. Chuck it up so the back of the blank is up against your chuck. It helps if the dowel and scrap are perpendicular to one another. Turn and chatter/color the end.
 

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Terry Q

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Roanoke, Illinois USA
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Terry
I am using one of these in the tail stock. https://www.oliverswoodturning.co.uk/product/finial-mandrel/ http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=4497 Bring the tail stock up against the top. Loosen the chuck and pull the top/tail stock out until most of the stem is exposed. Be careful to keep the top/chuck/tail stock in the same relationship. Tighten the chuck, lock down the tail stock and tighten (lightly) against the top. Turn the back and stem. You can decorate the rest of the top before or after turning the stem. Using the finial mandrel makes this very stable. The end to be parted off is shown at 2mm diameter. I turn the lathe speed way down, back the tail stock away and finish parting off.

I want to point out that I use hard maple dowels.
 

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Terry Q

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This one is a little eccentric, but with a shorter stem if wouldn't be as apparent. This stem is approx 2" long.
 

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Scots Bill

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Feb 2, 2016
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North Yorkshire
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Bill
Great work, from a top turner. When I was a kid in Glasgow peeries were the thing, a top the lassies used to lash with a whip thing, a leather bootlace fixed to a stick perhaps. They could keep them spinning indefinitely, a knack to that.
Yes the colours are nice, what do you use as a chatter tool? You have put a new spin on things Terry, ouch!
 
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