TURNING Salt & pepper shakers
82 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking September 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.com
15 Grip the 20mm spigot in some pin jaws if you
have them. If you do not have this type of jaws,
alternatively, you could do all this between centres;
it just means that the last bit would need to be
sanded off the lathe12 This is the top section for the toothpicks. Into a
blank measuring 70mm long and 40mm square, drill
a 45mm deep hole, 20mm in diameter, then mount
it in the chuck once it’s round. The mark left by the
drill point can be removed using a small scraper16 A common mistake that I see is when the turner
does not allow enough waste at the tailstock. I like to
leave at least 5mm if not 10mm; this means I don’t
end up with an unsightly hole in the top of the ball
13 Clean up the top surface of this section with a
gouge before remounting it back between centres.
Turn the required tulip shape and sand to a fine finish
17 The narrow width of the cove at the base of
the ball requires you to use a smaller spindle gouge.
Ensure to not allow the unsupported right-hand edge
of the tool to catch the right-hand side of the cove14 The last part of the stem is the alternative top
section, which is made from a 55mm length of the
same timber as before. Because you are going to hold
the spigot in the chuck, finish the bottom bead as the
chuck will be in the way later on11 Whether to use the skew or the gouge depends on
which one you find quicker, but in this case, I prefer to
use the spindle gouge for the majority of the process.
Keeping the bevel in contact with the surface affords
you control and a great finish10 Draw a rough idea of the shape you want to
create onto a piece of scrap wood, then transfer
the relevant sections onto the spinning wood
18 Gently turn the top of the ball away to leave
a perfect curve with little or no grain tear-out.
Then, once again, sand the finial to 400 grit,
the same as for the rest of the project