Comb-back chair spindles
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Comb-back chair spindles
About 20 years ago, my wife and I bought these comb-back chairs from a Rhode Island chair factory. They were a semi-custom variation on one of their standard models. Unfortunately, they've suffered from broken spindles from the get go.
You can see the left, right and middle spindles are lighter than the others. These are the ones I replaced. The originals broke where they were pinned into the top comb.
None of the other spindles broke because they're not pinned into the comb. They're loose in their holes.
I had 6 spindles to replace for my four chairs. Making the spindles was the challenge. I bought the straightest-grained ash I could find and roughed out octagonal blanks with the Shopsmith's table saw function. I chucked them into the Oneway lathe chuck, but, as many of you would predict, the spindle quickly got too whippy to turn without chattering. I made a quick attempt at a steady rest. The less said about that the better.
Then I found this one online. http://www.novawoodturnersguild.com/docs/steadyrest.pdf. I mostly kept to the instructions, except instead of using rollerblade wheels, I used roller skate wheels, because that's what I already had in the back of the closet. The rollerblade wheels would've been better.
The steady rest worked as well enough to get the entire spindle down the largest finished diameter. But, I still got chatter while thinning out the upper half of the spindle. At that point, I finished up with a spokeshave using the Shopsmith as my shaving horse, turning the spindle by handle as needed. The lathe rest served as a backer to keep the spindle from bending away from the spokeshave.
Perhaps there were other solutions. I'm finished now, but I'm interested in what else I could've done.
You can see the left, right and middle spindles are lighter than the others. These are the ones I replaced. The originals broke where they were pinned into the top comb.
None of the other spindles broke because they're not pinned into the comb. They're loose in their holes.
I had 6 spindles to replace for my four chairs. Making the spindles was the challenge. I bought the straightest-grained ash I could find and roughed out octagonal blanks with the Shopsmith's table saw function. I chucked them into the Oneway lathe chuck, but, as many of you would predict, the spindle quickly got too whippy to turn without chattering. I made a quick attempt at a steady rest. The less said about that the better.
Then I found this one online. http://www.novawoodturnersguild.com/docs/steadyrest.pdf. I mostly kept to the instructions, except instead of using rollerblade wheels, I used roller skate wheels, because that's what I already had in the back of the closet. The rollerblade wheels would've been better.
The steady rest worked as well enough to get the entire spindle down the largest finished diameter. But, I still got chatter while thinning out the upper half of the spindle. At that point, I finished up with a spokeshave using the Shopsmith as my shaving horse, turning the spindle by handle as needed. The lathe rest served as a backer to keep the spindle from bending away from the spokeshave.
Perhaps there were other solutions. I'm finished now, but I'm interested in what else I could've done.
Re: Comb-back chair spindles
Beautiful job, Dave !!!
Can't think of any other way to make these spindles. You did real good!!!
Can't think of any other way to make these spindles. You did real good!!!
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
- rjent
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Re: Comb-back chair spindles
You guys amaze me. Outstanding solution and result!
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
Re: Comb-back chair spindles
Add me to the growing list of folks saying "great job"!
Gale's Law: The bigger the woodworking project, the less the mistakes show in any photo taken far enough away to show the entire project!
- BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Comb-back chair spindles
I've never tried to turn anything so long and thin, but your post reminded me of a video I watched a while back. The presenter made wooden goblets with amazingly long thin stems. It's pretty slow to get going, but it just might have some techniques that would have made your job easier.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqbi5jVl5-I[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqbi5jVl5-I[/youtube]
Re: Comb-back chair spindles
This was an awesome thread, thanks for the ideas!
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Re: Comb-back chair spindles
I enjoyed the video. He's a good demonstrator. And it's a good advertisement for the Easy Wood Tools, which are sold by Shopsmith.
I don't think his technique would scale to my problem, but I could be wrong. Thanks everyone for the feedback.
I don't think his technique would scale to my problem, but I could be wrong. Thanks everyone for the feedback.
Re: Comb-back chair spindles
The link above no longer works, I guess they re organized their web page, but you can download the plans from this updated link.davebodner wrote: Then I found this one online. http://www.novawoodturnersguild.com/docs/steadyrest.pdf. I mostly kept to the instructions, except instead of using rollerblade wheels, I used roller skate wheels, because that's what I already had in the back of the closet. The rollerblade wheels would've been better.
http://www.novawoodturnersguild.com/hin ... dyrest.pdf
Ron Dyck
==================================================================
10ER #23430, 10ER #84609, 10ER #94987,two SS A-34 jigsaws for 10ER.
1959 Mark 5 #356595 Greenie, SS Magna Jointer, SS planer, SS bandsaw, SS scroll saw (gray), DC3300,
==================================================================
10ER #23430, 10ER #84609, 10ER #94987,two SS A-34 jigsaws for 10ER.
1959 Mark 5 #356595 Greenie, SS Magna Jointer, SS planer, SS bandsaw, SS scroll saw (gray), DC3300,
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Re: Comb-back chair spindles
I also have never tried turning anything that long and narrow. Very nice job on everything ! Those are really nice chairs.
Paul
Paul