How to Cut a Wood Spindle
The ways to cut a wood spindle are as varied as the types of wood available from which to carve. The basics require any wood blank to be chiseled into cylindrical form on a turning lathe, but once you have the proper shape to work from, the job will depend on what the aesthetics of your project dictate and the intended use of the spindle. Once you determine how you want the spindle to look, then you may proceed with shaping your block of wood into something beautifully unique.
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Shaping the Cylinder
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Every spindle starts as a block of wood that you need to shape into a cylindrical form. This is done with a process called "roughing," in which a gouge is used to shear away sharp, hard edges into curved angles as the block turns on the lathe. Grinding the tool along each side of the block of wood rounds the edges down with a curved blade as it carves away more material with every thrust. The process leaves a rough finish to the wood that you can sand down later but for this step, the goal is to transform the square shape into something round. Gouges come in different sizes depending on the size of the spindle you are carving. Once you complete the basic roughing, you plane or smooth down the wood.
Spacing Cuts
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Once the spindle is molded into a cylinder and smoothed down, it is time to start applying spindle gouges to begin shaping a profile into the wood. Spindle gouges come in different sizes with a variety of shaping tips to create a number of profile types. These first spacing cuts separate different parts of the spindle into sections so that you can sculpt each one individually. This is best served for spindles that have profiles comprised of a series of beads or similar repetitive type of decorative chiselwork.
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Decorative Decisions
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Now that the spindle is spaced into sections, it's time to decide on the type of profile you are chiseling into the wood. Using different modes such as bevel or forward scraping modes, you may create beads with rounded edges or V-cut bevels. Go the other way instead and carve coves or hollows along the piece for an even ended decorative approach. There are a bunch of different spindle gouges to choose from with which to make decorative chiselwork. Once the major gouging is done, use parting tools and skew chisels to make finer cuts and smooth out particular edges.
Finishing Your Ends
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Spindles may have different ends based on the specific use of the piece. Spindles will often have either round ends or flat, square ends. Spindle gouges that make V cuts are used to make squared-off ends while those with a curved bevel edge to the tool, best used for beadwork, make the best round edge. For spindles made as handles, most are sculpted with one rounded end and a flat end at the opposite side. Achieve this by using a technique that gradually blends bead carving and cove carving into one long curved profile.
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References
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