Duplicate Turnings - RIDGID WL1200 Owner's Manual

Duplicate Turnings

Identical turnings require great accuracy when plotting the
work and doing the various cuts. Many methods have
been devised to aid in perfecting the work.
Use of Patterns
Professional workers generally use a pattern, or layout
board. This is a thin piece of wood or cardboard on which
is drawn a full- size half section of the turning. The contour
of the finished surface is drawn first; then the diameters at
various critical points are drawn to scale as vertical lines
intersecting the contour line. By placing the pattern
against the roughed-off cylinder, you can quickly mark the
various points of the critical diameters. To make each siz-
ing cut, use outside calipers and set these by actually
measuring the length of the vertical line on the pattern
which represents the diameter desired. Then make the
sizing cut, down to the proper diameter by using the cali-
pers to determine when the cut is finished. After making
the sizing cuts, hang the pattern behind the lathe where it
will serve as a guide for completion of the workpiece.
Using a Template and a Diameter Board
When many identical turnings are to be produced, it is a
convenience to have a prepared template. This can be
made of thin wood or cardboard - and is cut on a band saw
or scroll saw to have the exact contour of the finished turn-
ing. The number one finished turning can also be used as
a template. Attach the template to a board; then mount the
board behind the lathe, on hinges, so that the template
can be moved down to touch the workpiece and allow you
Using a Template Using a
to closely observe progress of your work.
Diameter Board
If a great many turnings are being produced, a diameter
board will save the time used for resetting calipers. This is
simply a thin board along the edge of which a number of
semicircular cuts have been prepared to represent all the
various caliper settings required for measuring the sizing
cuts. Each semicircular cut is held against the workpiece
instead of using the calipers.
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