Turning
Wooden Bracelets
written
by Chris Wright
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For
many, woodturning is a hobby but like most hobbies that
require a good amount of supplies woodturning takes money.
This means selling your wares to the public. To capture
a broad market you need to diversify from the normal products
and cater to current trends. This is how I started turning
wooden bracelets. This style of bracelet is called a "bangle."
The following will take you through the simple process
of turning a bangle that is finished inside and out, putting
your finished product ahead of the mass production items
that department stores sell. Using exotic woods and adding
additional enhancements will also set your bangles apart.
You
will need:
Safety
gear: faceshield (glasses at the least) &
dust mask or respirator
Block of turning stock (see first photo for recommended
sizes)
4 jaw chuck (I am using a Oneway Stronghold with the #2
jaws)
Spindle gouge
A thin, narrow parting tool -or- a 2
1/2" hole saw & jacobs chuck
Wooden jaw set (see this project
tutorial to make your own set)
Sandpaper & finishing supplies
Sizing
bracelets:
Women's bracelets are normally sized by the interior circumference.
While this makes no sense to those of us making them,
it's the way it's done. The average range of sizes (in
woodturner's terms) is 2 3/8" - 2 7/8" interior
diameter with 2 1/2" being the average. To translate
our sizing to the masses, simply multiply the diameter
by 3.1416. (example: 2 3/8" diameter = 7.46"
circumference)
(Click photos
to enlarge) |
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| Start
with a block of your choice of woods. The blank size
will be mainly determined by the opening diameter.
I add 1/4" to the desired opening to determine
the blank size. The best idea is to measure your 4
jaw chuck in it's most open position to determine
what the largest diameter block you can use. 3 1/4"
is about the largest you will need. Any width will
work, but I recommend at least 3/4" wide, most
of the women I polled regarding these preferred 1"-1
1/2" wide bangles. |
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| Once
cut to a round blank, place the blank in the chuck.
Use a spacer (metal rod, wooden dowel, tool blade)
to space the blank out away from the bottom of the
chuck jaws about 1/4". This will leave enough
room to bevel the back side of the bracelet inner
edge. IMPORTANT - Don't forget to
remove this spacer prior to starting the lathe! |
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| Use
the spindle gouge (I am using a 3/8" Robert Sorby
spindle gouge with a fingernail grind) to face off
the block. |
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Next
use the parting tool or hole saw to core out the
center of the bracelet blank. With both methods,
turn the lathe speed down low. High speeds will
cause friction and the tool or saw will bind (and
possibly break). With the parting tool method, only
part to about 3/4" depth maximum. If the bangle
is to be wider than 3/4", part to 1/2 way and
flip the blank around and finish coring from the
opposite side. (The parting tool I am using is part
of the Delta micro tools set, 1/16" thick x
1/4" wide blade)
If
you aren't comfortable with coring the blank, it
can be hollowed by any standard method. Coring allows
you to use the inner core as a blank for a future
project. |
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| Here
you can see the coring doesn't remove the core. This
is the case when you use a blank wider than the bracelet
is to be, you can't core all the way through or when
a hole saw is used. Move on by trueing up the outside
of the blank, removing as little material as possible. |
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| Mark
off the depth of the core and part the bracelet off
of the blank. |
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| With
the core removed, remount the bracelet in the chuck.
Remember to space the piece away from the chuck 1/4"
as in step two. |
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| Using
a shear scrape technique (with the flute pointing
to approximately the 10:30 position), true and clean
up the inside of the bracelet. Bevel the front edge
of the bracelet. Use the tip of the gouge to bevel
the back edge of the bracelet (this is why we spaced
it away from the chuck). You can also turn the blank
around in the chuck to bevel the inside edge, but
this may require you to true the inside again. Keep
in mind, everytime you true up the inside, this will
change the size of the bracelet. |
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| Once
the inner edges are beveled and the insides run true,
sand to 600. For these I use friction polish, so I
will apply it at this stage to burnish it in on the
lathe with a paper towel. |
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| Change
to the wooden chuck jaws (to see project plans click
here) and chuck the bracelet against the stop.
Turn the outside profile of the bracelet with the
spindle gouge. You can add beads, v-cuts, friction
burn lines, color, texturing, the possibilities are
endless. Finish the piece by sanding to 600 and applying
your finish. Again, I used friction polish and burnished
it on the lathe with a paper towel. |
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Here's
the finished product. This bracelet is made from
spalted, high figured maple. 2 3/8" opening,
3/16" thick, 1 1/16" wide.
Enjoy! |
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