Turning Dogleg Spindles
I discovered this technique for turning the angled back legs of chairs in an old wood-turning book. First, prepare the leg blanks on the bandsaw. In most cases I use a 2-in. offset from the seat height to the bottom of the leg. With this setup, you turn the leg in two steps using two jigs.
In the first step, attach the bottom portion of the leg to a jig and turn the top part above the seat. In the second step, reverse the workpiece and place the top of the leg in a second jig and turn the bottom part of the leg below the seat.
Three important principles dictate the design of the two jigs. First, the assembly of the workpiece plus the jig must be balanced so that the center of gravity is on the turning axis. This eliminates vibration on the lathe while turning. Second, the jig must extend as far as possible down the leg to lend rigidity to the workpiece. Third, the jig must provide a convenient method of attaching the work and, in the case of the second jig, do so without damage to the already-turned portion of the spindle. To accomplish this, I made the edge of the second jig in the form of a V-groove and lined it with leather pads under the hose clamps that attach the spindle to the counterweight.
Jon Siegel, Andover, N.H.
Fine Woodworking Magazine, December 2001 No. 152
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