Sizing Tools

[MarcW]

Hi all,

I'm starting a new project these days, a pegboard, shaker style. As I turned my first pegs today, I saw, the sizing of the dowel part that will go into the pegboard later, is fiddly work. My first attempts look like these:

I turned the blank down to half an inch, so it went into the drill chuck. The two ends were supported til I shaped the mushroom with an oval skew stabilizing with my left thumb and forefinger. Here the peg or the knob sits in the chuck just finished with some oil:

My question: Is the Sorby sizing tool real time saver for the dowel? Does it work precisely? And are my methods acceptable? I'm just a lathe newbie, nothing more.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and comments.

 

[PowerTool]

Hi Marc - never tried the Sorby sizing tool (but know the one you mean) so can't comment on it.
When I've been doing similar stuff before,I've just used a pair of calipers and a parting tool,and "fine tune" with abrasive if required.

And,as the finished article looks very nice - yes,your methods are perfectly acceptable

Andrew

 

[TEP]

Hi Marc.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the sizing tool, it is not that easy to use. It also locks a tool up while in use if you want to use that tool for something else.

I echo the comment on using callipers. or a cheap vernier gauge. On the pegs you can use a open ended spanner to size the ends without measuring. In fact I use open enders for many copying jobs I do.

If you are doing bigger sizes were spanners don't fit, you can use a piece of aluminium sheet to make a sizing gauge. Of course it is only worth making this if you are doing a lot of the same size.

 

[CHJ]

Hi Marc, when I do something like your Pegs I turn them initially with the Head towards the chuck end, that way the dowel portion is near the tailstock centre and you can check the fit of you dowel in a pre drilled hole by sliding the centre back.

To finish the head I use a sharp parting tool or spindle gouge to shape the dome reducing the spindle diameter near the chuck as far as I feel comfortable and sand, I then saw the last few mm and reverse the peg in the chuck and finish sand the dome profile.

 

[jasonB]

For sizing small diameters try using a spanner, less cumbersome than callipers and it won't get knocked off size.

Oops missed the spanner suggestion above.

Jason

 

[MarcW]

Hi,

Thank you all for your input, I will have a go next week, will try an open end spanner and a test hole.

Nice to be in a place where helpful people are at home.