Preparing Octagonal Spindle Stock
H
ERE IS A QUICK METHODof marking the amount of corner
stock to be removed from a square blank you want to turn on
a lathe. Simply lay a 12-in. ruler diagonally across the timber, aligning
the zero mark with one edge and the 12-in. mark with the opposite
edge. Then mark points at 3^1 ⁄ 2 in. and 8^1 ⁄ 2 in. Lines drawn through
these points and parallel with the stock’s edges will indicate the
amount of stock to be removed to convert the square section into
an octagonal form.
How does this method work? The proportion of 3^1 ⁄ 2 to 12 (or the
easier to work with 7/24) relates to the geometry of an octagon
almost exactly.
—J. H. WALKER,Aspendale,Victoria, Australia
CHAPTER SIXLay a 12-in. ruler diagonally across
the face of a turning blank, and mark
31 ⁄ 2 in. from each end of the ruler to
layout lines for sawing off corners.