# long spindle wobble



## BlackWater (Nov 20, 2009)

I've never had a woodturning lesson in my life, so I'm basically self-taught - mostly from making LOTS of mistakes! 

I bought this J-Line lathe a few years ago from a Craigslist ad. It will do 42" between centers, and I try to make use of that with my walking sticks/canes - I've had some very tall people buy them. As with most long thin stuff between centers I have to deal with a certain amount of wobble, so I bought the One-way spindle steady. it helps, but it didn't come with any instructions or tips for use so I'm not sure what my problem is. 

Lately I've been turning "oval" stuff. my canes are not round and it's very obvious even by looking! Also, the wheels on the steady rest that contact the work seem to wear excessively - the thick o-rings break, the nylon wheels get worn - to the point where I had to have One-way send me replacements.

I've tried slowing down a bit - perhaps I should go even slower? Or possibly speed up to faster than I had been? Could it be my lathe - bearings worn or some other problem?

Any advice/comments from you more experienced folks is appreciated!


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## saculnhoj (May 18, 2015)

turning long spindles are challenging. What tool are you using? Scraper really generate chatter. I use a spindle roughing gouge for most of the work. Generally the problem involves several things. First is to much pressure from the tailstock. Cut grooves in the drive end so you don't have to push hard with the tailstock to make it drive. 
Of course wood flexibility is an issue in itself and you willl find that some don't flex as much as others. The second reason is unsharp tools. Make sure your tools are very sharp. This leads to the next reason which is too much pressure on the bevel of the tool. If the tool isn't sharp or if your trying to cut with too much forward pressure you end up pushing against the bevel. This flex's the wood and starts the chatter and then it just gets worse. Try being really light with the tool. 
You might also try sharpening the tool to a more acute edge. Many spindle gouges or spindle roughing gouges come sharpened too blunt from the factory. I use about 35 degrees but no more than 45 degrees as measured from the flute across the bevel. 
I rarely use a steady rest anymore. Usually I can dampen the vibrations with my left hand around the piece pushing opposite the bevel. If the turning burns your hand your either turning too fast or pushing on the bevel too hard. 
Ideally the steady rest should just barely be pushing against the wood. Also start all of your work at the center and work toward the headstock and tailstock. That keeps the wood larger and reduces the chatter. If you thin both ends and the middle at once you really increase the chatter.


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## BlackWater (Nov 20, 2009)

Thanks, saculnhoj! Lots of good advice and suggestions there! I'll keep them in mind next time I try to turn something long and skinny.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Don't know where Blackwater is in Ohio, but there are woodturning clubs in most of the major cities. I always recommend new turners find a club to join. You'll meet a lot of friendly people and learn how to turn, sharpen your tools, and everything else in between. Really shortens up the learning curve and gets rid of bad habits.
Mike Hawkins


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

I have a few suggestions:

With the blank between centers and light tailstock pressure, turn a tenon on the headstock end. See the next step to determine the right diameter of the tenon.
Remove the blank and spur drive and install a scroll chuck on the drive spindle with jaws of the appropriate size for a perfect circle fit. I like Vicmarc chucks because of their precision and each set of jaws state the perfect circle diameter. Note that the tenon in the previous step will need to be dovetailed if you use dovetail jaws.
Install the blank and use just enough tailstock pressure to gently snug the shoulder of the tenon against the top of the jaws.
The purpose of the chuck is to minimize the pressure between the spindle drive spur and the tailstock live center. Pressure will try to bow the piece as it gets thinner.
Begin at the tailstock end and work your way towards the headstock. By doing this, you will have wood of ample thickness from the driving end that is less likely to flex. If you try to work the whole length simultaneously the problem of flexing will be worse. I suggest using an SRG (spindle roughing gouge) for removing material and then using a skew for final smoothing. Make sure that your tools are surgically sharp and stop frequently to resharpen.
Stay mindful of tool pressure ... it needs to be very light, especially as the piece gets thinner. I often wrap the fingers of my left hand around the back of the piece while controlling the tool with my right hand if whipping Starr's to become a problem. This is much more effective than a steady rest.
If the part closer to the tailstock begins to flutter as you get closer to the headstock it might be helpful to use the steady rest about mid-span. The correct way to use the steady rest is to adjust it so that each wheel just barely contacts the wood. Don't clamp it tightly or it might actually exacerbate the problem because the force exerceted by each wheel will not be equal to the others. I've turned a number of long thin spindles and I don't have a steady rest and don't feel the need for one.
Wood with perfectly straight grain is easier to turn than wood with wild wavy grain. Riven wood is ideal and preferable to sawn wood. If you have to saw it then align your cut along the grain direction rather than cutting parallel to the edge of the board.
Long thin spindles aren't easy so practice and experience are necessary.

As previously mentioned, joining a turning club is well worth it. Other turners can provide valuable mentoring that can save a newbie years of frustration.


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