# Clarinet stand



## Daveb (May 3, 2007)

Although this is somewhat crude compared to the artwork posted here, this is my third project and better than the last two. 

The bell is maybe basswood (?) (a slab came with the lathe) and the legs are walnut. I was hoping for a better contrast than I achieved. Next time, I'll widen the base to exceed the clarinet bell, get rid of the extra lip, and use only one wood species. 

Some firsts with this project for me - new spindle master, friction polish, Hut wax, and drilling the darn legs. I made a nice drilling jig but had a bit of operator error on one hole. I can reuse the jig for a variety of different sized instrument stands.

Dave


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

you just solved one of my christmas problems. My son plays the clarinet. I will make him one. Since I've gotten into threading I may be able to make it with collapsible feet. I'll have to sketch on that and see.


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## Daveb (May 3, 2007)

Yes, I walked by, saw the store bought stands on our floor and thought, "I can make one of those".

As to the feet, they are collapsible, in theory, due to the 20 degree angle (from 90). They just slide in. But mine are too tight. Threaded ones would be neat.

I chose 3 legs instead of 4 since I thought it would be easier to get it to stand straight without wobbling. But now I think I could do 4 legs.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Dave,
Nothing wrong with that project. Looks good. I would experiment with some different color wood species. Laminate some scraps together and see what happens. I think if I played a clarinet, I would have to make one that looks like a space ship with fins on the bottom for the legs. Just an idea. 
Mike Hawkins:thumbsup:


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## Daveb (May 3, 2007)

Thanks, actually I like how it turned out. But I'll fess up to my biggest problem with it. I built this fancy jig (even with felt to protect the polish) to drill the leg holes on the drill press, and then forgot to lock-down the drill press table for the first hole! It moved. However, I recovered mostly.

I have a procedural question. What is the best way to finish the apex of this project (cutting, sanding and polishing)? I do not have a fancy chuck, just two centers and a faceplate. In this case, I cut the form between two centers, then polished what I could while leaving a small amount of material at the apex to hold it to the tail stock. I then cut-off with the parting tool and finished the apex mostly by hand. I could not figure out a way to re-mount to the headstock and get it centered properly. I used double-sided tape and went carefully. But there has got to be a better way. Can you mount the stock to a faceplate and turn the basic form between a faceplate and a tail center. That way, when I cut off the apex, the base would still be supported. Or is that a no no?


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Dave,
There a number of ways to skin the cat here. You could finish just about everything, including the bottom of the base, then part it off.
Attach a scrap piece of 2 x 6 to your faceplate. Round it up, then turn a recess in it to hold the base. Has to be a tight fit. Jamb the piece in, hence you have made a 'jamb chuck'. Finish off the end of the point taking very light cuts with a sharp tool. Sand and finish. The easiest way is to get a jaw chuck. With an adjustable jaw chuck you could turn a recess into the bottom of your base. Only needs to be about 3/16" deep. Size it to fit your chuck in the expansion mode. Chuck your piece up just being carefull not to overtighten. Go ahead and finish. Have the fun of turning is trying to figure out how to hold something in the lathe when you don't have a tool for it. Use your imagination.
Mike Hawkins:shifty:


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## clarinetman (Apr 18, 2012)

Hi there, apologies for resurrecting a very old thread.

I am planning on making a similar project, and I have come for some advice.

My materials are these:










As you can see, there are two purpleheart dowels (2.5"dia. x 7"L), which will be removable from the zebrawood base (10"L x 5"W x 2.5"H) via a hanger bolt and a threaded female wood insert. Essentially the plan is to begin the taper approximately 1 inch from the bottom of the dowel, so when the instrument is sitting on the peg, it is raised slightly off the base. This means that the taper will start with a jut in to create somewhat of a "lip" to support the clarinet. This is demonstrated well in Daveb's photo.

The issue I am having is how to go about making the conical taper on the peg itself as shown in Daveb's original post. Unfortunately, being new to this woodworking game, I do not have excellent machinery as many of you have, so this may be more difficult than I had planned. I assume creating something as smooth and well-finished as shown in OP's photo would require a lathe, is that correct? Would a CNC machine also be able to create this? I may have easier access to a CNC, but regardless of machinery, I also know purpleheart is a very dense and hard wood; do you think this would cause problems?

TL;DR, what is the actual process, and what tools will I be needing to create a conical taper from a dowel?

Thank you,

~Alex


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I know nothing about CNC, but what you are trying to do is simple on a lathe for anyone with even beginning turning skills.


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