In my work I make a series of boxes, one
of which is a finial box. This is certainly a more challenging project
than what we've shown you to date. This has an infit lid and when you remove it
there's a suction pop. what I'm going to do now after reassembling it, is to go to the chart and take you through the stages of the development of this box. This chart that I have here will show you the first three stages of the development of the finial box. The first thing we do is to mount a piece of
wood between centers and turn to a cylinder. Cutting the spigot on this end
with a slight undercut which will go into the scroll chuck. The next stage is that we measure this and divide this up into the fact that lid will represent 1/3 of the overall size of the piece and the base 2/3. At this stage this lid is a little longer than 1/3 because there's an element that
fits inside this piece. We part in with a parting tool a short way to define that
length. We then move on here and reduce the diameter of the top, which is going
to be the form the finial part of the box and we reduce this area here to the
size of the plug fit. We'll now go to the lathe and take the cylinder to those
stages. We're now going to make the finial box. We've got our stock up between
centers ready to turn. Rough this down with a 3/4" roughing
gouge, supplied with the bevel rubbing. It's 45 degrees out of the verticle. That flute.
You notice the fingers pushing along the tool rest there almost working like a
traverse. Always cutting downhill so you don't get massive material in front of the gouge. You can get a fairly clean cut just
from the roughing gouge with control. Just going to part down across the end to form the spigot to fit into the
scroll Chuck. I'm using the 3/8" beading, parting tool. just checking that diameter with the
calipers, I have to reduce more. Now it's there and I'm just cutting down the
slight taper that will go within the scroll Chuck. The spigot is about an inch and a
half in diameter and about three sixteenths of an inch long. Just checking to see that the spigot was
clean. It's now ready to be removed from the lathe. You can see that slight undercut
there to fit within the scroll chuck. The Chuck has been put on the lathe with the
spindle locked. We enter the dock into the jaws of the chuck and tighten the scroll
jaws down onto the spigot. We're now ready to proceed truing the end up. You could see that we have the drive center marks there. These all need to be cleaned off. For the
purpose of the videos, we've been cutting the spigot on the tailstock end. Normally
when I'm working at home, I cut on the headstock end and this procedure is not
necessary. Just showing you cutting with the fingernail
gouge, now showing you that you can clean that end with the skew chisel. You can
see that little waist block fly off the end there. Just looks like a little
cooley hat. And that tool will give you the cleanest cut that is possible to
achieve on end grain. It's also the most difficult tool to use. Just have to remember that it's only the edge that's cutting. Don't let it lean
over or else it kicks back. I'm just going to show you cleaning this surface up with the
heel of the skew chisel. You can see we're cutting just beyond the point and not
beyond the center line. It's in that lower section of the tool and see those lovely
little shavings coming off, which will give us an extremely clean surface. This
tool works extremely well on this sort of timber. Now we've got a surface true.
We're going to measure the proportions here for the length of the lid. Remember that
this is going to be a third of the overall length of the piece when it's
completed. Now going to part in here with the 1/8" parting tool about 5/8" of an inch. See I'm cutting the headstock end of
that pencil line. This has defined the length of the lid. Now we need to reduce that down. I'm
using the 3/8" spindle gouge at the conventional angle. Long ladyfinger point. Cutting downhill all
the time as you can see. Rubbing that bevel behind the cut. The flute of the tool is usually applied at
45 degrees out of the vertical. Just turn it over to cut back that way. Now I'm just taking the 3/8" beading tool to true up that area, using it like a skew chisel. That needs to be parallel not by the
court fit. This is the fit that's critical. It fits inside that face. I'm going to
the chart now to explain to you the next three stages of the development of this
finial box. The first thing that we do, is to form
ninety percent of the finial form with a small spindle gouge. Then we go back to
the shoulder here and make that absolutely parallel. This is critical. This is the piece that confirms the fit of the lid. After this is achieved, this is parted off with a 1/8" parting tool. We then go to the base and we hollow the interior with a
small gouge, just an area there and then we create a shoulder here normally with
a parting tool. This is again a critical fit area. When you can see on
this detail here, this shoulder has to be absolutely parallel to fit this in
fitting plug. This should be a tight friction fit. Once this is assembled we
then start and do the outside profile. The shape that we have here is going to
be two-thirds of the final visual image. We leave the base slightly heavier at
this stage to carry the weight while we hollow the interior. Now we can start and shape the finial
form using that 3/8" spindle gouge, reducing that down further. Now we're getting somewhere closer to
the profile we're looking for. You're always cutting down hill with
this tool. We're now getting down closer to design in these spots as you can see it's
starting to take shape to give you some touchstones the infant part of this
lid is normally about 2/5's of the overall diameter of the piece. In this
case this piece is about 2-1/2" in diameter, so the plug is about 1-1/8" in diameter. The length of that plug is usually around a
quarter to five sixteenths in length. The size of the finial that we're creating
here that diameter on the largest part of it will normally be around five
eighths to three quarters of the absolute maximum on something of this size. I've been shaping it through with the
little fingernail gouge. Now I've picked up the 3/8" beading tool, which I use very
much like a skew chisel as you can see. I role that around to get a nice curve on
the top of that finial and we go through the end here creating a slight point. This is the plug that fits inside. This
has to be absolutely parallel. This is critical. Using that 3/8" beading tool like a skew chisel to give us an extremely fine finish. Normally I don't like to sand this area
because it's so easy to round it and you need this to be absolutely parallel. This is 400 grit paper and I've been very
careful not to round that top off, or the underside. Just refine that finish a
little more with a little bit of wax on a cloth. You just polish that up because you're not
going to get an opportunity to finish that again. We're ready to part through
here, taking the 1/8" parting tool. Making a peeling cut as you go through.
I stop when there's about a 3/8" tenon there and remove that piece with the saw.
This prevents the tear out and is much safer. We need to finish the underside of
that lid. We're now going to insert this finial into a hollow mandrel and you can see
that we've got a surface that needs cleaning. I'm going to make this slightly concave
using a fingernail gouge. There's our mandrel half prepared. It's got a hole
right through it, so we can eject that knob without damaging it. Already cut a
tenon on the end there or a spigot with the sllight undercut to fit into the
scroll chuck. I need to take the dimensions of the outside diameter
there, using the vernier calipers. Then you can see I've got to increase
that size to fit that finial within. This is what will happen once that's
opened up. It will sit down in the mandrel and then I can turn that bottom off. It
will be friction held in there. I've prepared this little ejection
stick. It's turned with a depression in it, just like a countersink and then
you can eject that finial without damaging that point. Now we're going to
insert the mandrel in the chuck. The spindle is locked, we tighten down onto that
spigot. Now we're going to mark the diameter that I need with the vernier
calipers. Just checking on the right-hand side to make that more clear we put the
pencil mark in. Just start an open that up with a 3/8" beaded
parting tool. This is the tool I use a great deal as you can see. This could be done with
the point of a skew chisel just as easily if it was used flat on the rest. just check that to see if it fits. It's not quite big enough at the moment. take another cut, just to open it up a
little. Still not quite there. Just ease it a little bit more. now it's too loose. We can correct this,
just going to make it a little deeper now. We're too loose. Well, we can manage to correct this. We've
got a little survey yet here, we are pushing that through and that's giving
us a good grip. If it was any more than this, you would have to cut that recess
again and make it a tight fit, but we should be able to turn that. With a little fingernail gouge, I'm going to cut across the bottom there,
making that slightly concave, so it's a nice true base to this piece. The bevel all the time is rubbing behind that
cut. i'm just going to use the skew again to remove the ripples in a sheering
scraper cut. Saning underneath here, using wax on
the paper. Now we've gone to the 0000 steel wool, again dippped in wax. I've just waxed underneath here, as it
gets very little handling and that should be sufficient. You take the mandrel out, and now we're
ready to eject that little finial knob, turned up underneath. Just tap it and out
it comes. There we have the underneath turned to completion. We're now ready to put our base of the box into the scroll jaws, releasing the set pin there to release the spindle. We're
now ready to start and fit the plug inside here. Just strike in that with a
pencil line as I got a mark from where the parting tool was that I could see
which is very close to the diameter I need. Just removing that little core. Now
with the 3/8" spindle gouge with the short angle, i'm using that to bore a hole. Again the flute is 10 to 15 degrees out of the vertical when you start to bore in.
You start the hollow with the flute at 45 degrees out of the vertical. You can
see this pivoting cut. Now I've got to form the shoulder. I'm
using the 3/8 beading parting tool, opening it up closer and closer to that pencil
line. Just checking to see if it'll fit. Still a
little small at the moment. Opening up again. Some people may prefer to
use the point of the skew to do this, but this is the method that I always use. Almost there, but not quite. Just needs to
be opened a little more and eventually we'll make it a little deeper. I have only gone
in about an eighth of an inch at this time. That's the fit we're looking for. Now I've
fitted the plug in there. I'm still not quite as happy as i'd like to be with
that shape, so I'm just going to refine it a little more using the fingernail
gouge as you can see. Normally I try to have this done while it's still attached
to the piece, but I've made this slightly wrong and I wasn't quite as happy
with the form as I would have liked. Just easin little whispers off it, just
truing it up here that beading parting tool. You can see it roll in there, the bevel
coming down there. It's being used just like a skew chisel. You can get extremely fine
detail. You can see that little point now beginning to really look really clean. These little shavings make all the
difference to the overall profile of the piece. This is the critical factor. A
little bit removed makes all the difference to it from the visual side. Notice that the shoulder is sticking out
slightly of the base of the piece. This is intentional, as I want to blend that
in to that shape. You can see that protrusion. That I'm happy with the form
that I've got there now. I measured the length of the box and I'm parting in there with a narrow parting tool to define the overall length of the piece. Now with the spindle gouge I'm starting to shape the outside form, blending that in.
Now I've come to the bottom to reduce the mass from there somewhat. Continuing to rub the bevel behind the cut. This is the 3/8" spindle gouge that I'm using. Now I'm just going to blend those curves in together as you can see. It's very critical that you don't make this
shoulder a diagonal shape. Else you'll find that you get a feather edge on the
material of this needs to be nicely rounded where that plug fit goes in. Now I'm using the 3/8" beading tool to
round this more, using it like a skew chisel. It's a delicate cut. One you can very easily
make a mistake in it. Something you can only do when you've really got your skill
level at a high standard. Most people have probably foundd this easier to do with the gouge, rather than that tool. Now using the point of the skew chisel to true that body up. Again, a tool that needs considerable skill to handle, which
comes from practice. The bevel is always rubbing just behind the cutting edge to
give the support. You can see I'm cutting in the lower section of the tool and I've come beyond the center line. You can be in trouble. The tool can grab. I'm now
going to explain the last three stages in the development of this box. First
thing we do is to remove the lid and then we excavate the interior. This is
hollowed normally with a 3/8" spindle gouge. It's then refined with a side cutting
round nose scraper, which comes around here and pulls through. I have one that
is modified somewhat, which allows me to get back under the shoulder. Once that is
achieved, we replace the lid here and we need now to quicken the base area to create the full form of this piece. You can see on the last drawing
that this has been achieved. We've quickened this base down considerably against this
one here and all that remains now is to sound the exterior to total conclusion,
the interior to conclusion, apply whatever polish or finish that you have in mind. Once that has been achieved, you then go
to the end and part this off with a small parting tool. The final thing that
needs to be done then, is to turn the bottom of the base. We use our little
3/8" spindle gouge boring a hole in there and then we start and swing
around. As you can see these boxes are more difficult because they're enclosed
more, so you have to be more precise with your cutting It's easy to rub the bevel on
the top shoulder and round it off, so be very careful when you're making these cuts. Now we're ready to move in with the side cuting round nose scraper. Go down
to the bottom of the box, then pivot slightly outward, taking in that round. I need now to get underneath that
shoulder and you can see I've got this modified little swan neck scraper here
that allows me to get back under there. We remove the knob. We're going to check
the depth here, I want to leave about 3/16 of an inch of material in the
bottom there. Just checking that with the depth gauge and now we're ready to start
and hollow. And again we use that little 3/8" spindle gouge boring a hole in
there and then we start and swing round as you can see. These boxes are more
difficult because they're enclosed more, so you have to be more precise with your
cutting. It's easy to rub the bevel on the top shoulder and round it off, so be
very careful when you're making these cuts. Again it's that 45 degrees out of the
vertical doing the hollowing. Pulling up you can see and pivoting at the same time. Removing quite a lot of the mass at this time. Just rubbing that tool back
and forth under that shoulder, but it's been a scraping mode underneath there. Checking the depth once more. Little bit
more refinement and material to be removed. We're getting very close to the final
cuts with the gouge. I aim to get ninety to ninety-five percent of the material
out with the gouge, before resorting to the scrapers to refine those ripples and
undulations. Now we're ready to move in with the
sidecuting round nose scraper. Just lifting the rest up a bit, so as it tilts
down out of the horizontal about 10 to 15 degrees and cuts on center height. You see I'm removing the ripples that I've left there with the gouge. Now down to the bottom of the box, then pivot slightly outward, taking that round. You get quite a bit of leverage when you down that bottom end there. You can see the tool just bouncing a little, but it's pretty clean now. Just another cut, little pimple in the
middle. I like to grind that slightly flat across the end so that I can go just over the other side of the center. When you're using these scrapers, you've got to be very
careful that you don't damage the shoulder of the opening and get very
close to that top surface at that time. I need now to get underneath that shoulder.
You can see I've got this modified little swan neck scraper here that
allows me to get back under there without fouling on the shoulder and the
opening. This tool has been modified from one of the round nose side cutting
scrapers. I modify them after they're worn out and past their usefulness
from their normal tool condition. Just got to go back and blend the two
surfaces together here. There's a slightly larger curve than those used under the shoulder, so it makes it easier
to blend them together. That's the final check on the depth there. One more pass here. Hopefully we'll be happy with the result. just checking the wall thickness now to
see where we are. You can see that we are between eight and three sixteenths of an
inch wall thickness. That's the sort of thing that we were
looking for throughout the piece Just going to reduce some of the blades flock
there with the gouge to allow myself access in behind the base. With the little narrow parting tool, I'm going through there to reduce that base diameter smaller. Now
with the 3/8" spindle gouge, I'm reducing the diameter of the base and created a
much more acceptable ascetic form. Remove the mass with the gouge. Now i'm using the point of the skew chisel down here. This requires a high level of skill. One
mistake now and it will dig in and spiral back up that base there. You'll ruin a
considerable amount of time and effort that you've put in, but it's worth
practicing to learn these skills. It's maybe just worth mentioning that when I'm
working with the very dense timbers, I I often don't use the skew chisel to achieve that. I tend to use the gouge more often and then likely sheer scrape. Often
with the very dense timbers, you can get a kickback much more easily than you can
with these more forgiving timbers that we're using here. I'm using the abrasive dipped into paste
wax again. This minimizes friction heat. The papers I'm using are silicon carbide, which as the name means, you can use them wet and dry
papers and wax gives that moisture. It minimizes the dust in the atmosphere as
well. I work this through from 150 grit down
to 400 grit, using three or four different grains along the way. Now we've done the sanding. I'm using 0000 steel wool again dipped in the paste wax. This will get rid of any of the
scratches that you may have put in with your abrasive paper. We've already sanded the interior. I
haven't used a sealer on this particular piece, I'm just using a
high-quality paste wax here, just as the final finish. As we're making this as a
video, I haven't gone through quite all of the steps of finishing. On a soft wood
like this, I would normally have sealed this with a lacquer finish. As in
handling, you'll lose this sheen that's on it at the moment, but with the dense
woods such as Ebony's and Rosewood's this is the method I normally use.
Polishing direct onto the wood. we're now going to reduce the tenon down
a little. We're getting close. We don't part all the way through. This lever is about three-eighths of an inch diameter or so.
We'll cut this off now with the saw. The hand will go around to support the box This is a safer method and stops tearing
the material out in the bottom. There's almost the finished piece. We've still got to do the base. I've got that little waist block. I've just taken my
calipers to measure the internal size of that. I'm going to create spigot on here
to invert that base of the box on to turn the bottom. Just creating the spigot with the 3/8" parting tool. Still a little large, just reduce a bit more. Not quite. Just reduce more. You notice I
haven't gone the full length of this, because If I get it small, I'm gonna have
to shorten it more. That looks like the fit that we need, so
now we'll just lengthen that spigot for the full length, bottoming out on the shoulder inside that box. That's the fit we need. That's good
friction hold. Just tap it on a little more, rotate it, you can see that's running
true. Come around the end now with our little
spindle gouge and remove that little tenon that we've got there. Make that a nice
smooth slightly concave surface, so that the piece won't rock. I just turn straight off the gouge, so now
we can sand through again through our various grades of abrasive. I never start
sanding with anything coarser than 150 grit on anything like this. Usually
finishing up around the four to five hundred grit. Just applying the soft paste wax on the
0000 steel wool to get rid of any sort of scratch marks from the abrasive and just
with a cloth, put some more of that finishing wax on and just polish to
conclusion. It's now finished. Remove that from our
spigot holdig device. We can now put the knob back in and we've now got a box
totally finished. Finial boxes add another dimension to box making. Now select yourself an inexpensive, sound piece of material and go and make one like
we've shown you in the video.
