Replies

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 23, 2008 03:38am | #1

   Use lots of glue and many many clamps to avoid gaps.  It would be wise to glue up the blank extra wide and long so that any misalignment will not result in a smaller than necessary blank.  Speaking of misalignment, it might be helpful to drill, say a 1/4" hole in the two perpendicular corners of each layer and use a 1/4" dowel to perfectly align the plies.

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com

    - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

2. 
   ring | Oct 23, 2008 09:11am | #2

   To glue up a 16" solid blank is inviting trouble down the line, because the expansion/contraction forces involved are tremendous. I would strongly recommend that you analyze what thickness the wall really needs to be in order to allow the turned profile, and make the glue-up as a hollow box with only that wall thickness. For instance, if you need 4" thick walls for the turning, then you will still have an 8" square of hollow core.

   Using that example, I would first glue up stock to get to the 4" thickness. Your 1" material must be absolutely uniformly dry, fairly regular in grain, and planed perfectly. You will need a small army of clamps or a serious press. After glue-up of the 4" stock, allow it to settle for a few weeks. Then joint and plane the 4" stock to create from it the hollow-core leg pieces.

   After that glue-up, cut them to turning length, and set plugs at each end to facilitate the turning. The plugs can just be glued in simply. They should not seal the cavity hermetically, and you can even drill a few holes to allow circulation.

   This is a serious project, and won't be knocked off in a weekend. Good luck.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

1. 
   Nollie | Oct 24, 2008 07:15am | #5

   Thanks Ring.

   Very interseting way of doing . I have never thought of the internal stresses that would take place inside the blank.

   Regards from Africa

   Nollie

3. 
   Eef | Oct 23, 2008 09:23pm | #3

   hey nollie,

   ring is right.

   eef

1. 
   Nollie | Oct 24, 2008 07:05am | #4

    

    

   hey Eef

   Thanks

   Nollie