Turning project: Architectural columns
I recently accepted a project to turn 3 columns for a house in Seattle that was more than 100-years old. The surviving column was of red cedar, and measured 5.5” by 5.5” by 60 inches long. Fortunately, my lathe can turn 24-inches by 66-inches long.
I contacted a local lumber dealer that specializes in red cedar and they agreed to cut some logs to the dimensions I needed…for $175.00.
I set the timber up on the lathe, located the exact center on both ends and marked the centers. On one end I screwed on a 4-inch diameter face plate using 8 screws, and used a center punch to mark the other end for a live center.
Silvia and I mounted the timber on the lathe between the spindle and the tailstock, adjusted the speed to 800 RPM (no vibration) and adjusted the tool rest.
Accuracy is critical because I am making a reproduction…so I transferred dimensions (distance and diameters) from the sample (old) column to the timber in increments . I go for one feature at a time, turning a band, bead or on ovulo as we go.
Because Cedar is a soft wood, I had to be very careful not to tear away any of the wood with an aggressive or uncontrolled cut. Even a sharp gouge left a very rough surface….arrgh!! So what to do? The best tool for this occasion was my 1 3/8” Alan Lacer skew.
Red Cedar is a very abrasive wood, which demanded frequent sharpening. Many many many checks with tape measure, 6-“ rule and calipers allowed me to create 3 reproduction columns in 9-hours.
Putting them side-by-side, any slight differences are negligible, and when installed 8-feet apart they look identical !!!
A demanding, and very satisfying project.
The customer was happy and I was happy for a difficult job that turned out well, keeping in mind that only one mistake means that the valuable wood was useless….we can’t put the wood back!!!
Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive special member offers directly to your email.
Related Posts
Wooden Pieces, Care & Instructions
Spindle Nomenclature - Shapes and Individual Features to Create Spindle Work
120 comments
Do you know that Herpes (HSV) has a cure?
My name is Dr. Tunde Francis, I’m a traditional Herbal Medicine Doctor. I specialize in treating all kinds of diseases and infections using Herbs and Roots. My Major areas of concentration are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). I have the Herbal Cure for Herpes (HSV). I have treated more than 165 patients that have Herpes (HSV 2) and all of them were cured. My herbal medicine is 100% safe, there are no side effects and You will start seeing clear results as early as 7 days. You can reach me on Phone [ +2348029666702 ].
I also treat other infections, like Human papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Diabetes, Leukemia, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Autism, insomnia (Herbal Medicines to stop insomnia & give you good night sleep), Fibroids, Infertility, Overweight (Obesity) and Alzheimer and other deadly infections. My herbal Cure for Obesity is very effective, you can lose as much as 10KG in 21 days with my herbs. If you have been taking conventional medicines for that Herpes infection and you are still having those re-occuring outbreaks, why don’t you try Herbal Medicines and see it get cured in weeks. For more information, send me an E-mail [ dr.tundeherbalmedicines@gmail.com ]
Visit my website: https://www.tundeherbalmedicine.com/
Thank you for sharing such an insightful post on turning architectural columns! Your detailed approach to the techniques and tools involved in woodturning is both educational and inspiring. I particularly enjoyed your discussion about the various styles and designs of columns; it really highlights how woodturning can add unique character to architectural projects.
Your emphasis on the importance of precision in measurements and techniques resonated with me. It’s fascinating how the right approach can significantly impact the final outcome, especially for intricate designs. I also appreciated your tips on finishing, as achieving the right texture and appearance can really enhance the beauty of the turned pieces.
One question I have is about the integration of woodturned columns with other materials, such as stucco. Are there specific considerations or techniques you recommend for ensuring that wood and stucco work harmoniously together in architectural applications? I’d love to hear your insights on this!
https://zlidein.com/read-blog/97062
https://zlidein.com/read-blog/97063
https://zlidein.com/read-blog/97071
https://zlidein.com/read-blog/99326
https://www.skreebee.com/read-blog/110085
https://telegra.ph/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86-07-12
https://webyourself.eu/blogs/25649/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86
https://www.merexpression.com/read-blog/21528
https://www.rolonet.com/blogs/89146/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86
https://oktob.io/posts/41814
https://webyourself.eu/blogs/26016/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B6%D9%84-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9
https://oktob.io/posts/41908
https://www.domyate.com/2022/06/14/why-emc-mee-company-to-transfer-furniture-to-to-jeddah/
https://www.domyate.com/2022/06/12/best-nakl-afsh-jeddah/
https://www.domyate.com/2022/06/12/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%83-%d9%88%d8%aa%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%8a%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%ab-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%af%d8%a9/
https://zlidein.com/read-blog/99328
https://telegra.ph/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B6%D9%84-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%85%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A9-07-17
http://html.net.linux17.wannafindserver.dk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=447291&sid=d49bfa79507d1da5e63e18cadb51c609
https://www.carookee.de/forum/Retinoblastom-Forum/32167082?mp=49083704862d5f02883b054f8275606a980b0ddf6bde4bc1a0c4b5&mps=%26%231588%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231577%3B+%26%231606%3B%26%231602%3B%26%231604%3B+%26%231593%3B%26%231601%3B%26%231588%3B+%26%231575%3B%26%231604%3B%26%231589%3B%26%231602%3B%26%231585%3B+%26%231575%3B%26%231604%3B%26%231583%3B%26%231608%3B%26%231604%3B%26%231610%3B#32167082
http://html.net.linux17.wannafindserver.dk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=447319&sid=02b7bb5d454a63d0454daad5ff0e8fa3
https://www.carookee.de/forum/Retinoblastom-Forum/32167083?mp=156822404062d6023635638289af31b90d4f5bbea03aea79dc802ca&mps=%26%231588%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231577%3B+%26%231578%3B%26%231606%3B%26%231592%3B%26%231610%3B%26%231601%3B+%26%231605%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231610%3B%26%231601%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231578%3B+%26%231576%3B%26%231605%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231577%3B#32167083
https://www.carookee.de/forum/Retinoblastom-Forum/32167084?mp=156822404062d604da7583a085d6df59451e00fbf675ffe4d767997&mps=%26%231588%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231577%3B+%26%231578%3B%26%231606%3B%26%231592%3B%26%231610%3B%26%231601%3B+%26%231582%3B%26%231586%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231606%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231578%3B+%26%231576%3B%26%231582%3B%26%231605%3B%26%231610%3B%26%231587%3B+%26%231605%3B%26%231588%3B%26%231610%3B%26%231591%3B#32167084
https://www.carookee.de/forum/Retinoblastom-Forum/32167085?mp=156822404062d60ab56d77ab711e09fefce9f81dfa2064fdad6969e&mps=%26%231588%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231603%3B%26%231577%3B+%26%231606%3B%26%231602%3B%26%231604%3B+%26%231593%3B%26%231601%3B%26%231588%3B+%26%231605%3B%26%231606%3B+%26%231580%3B%26%231583%3B%26%231577%3B+%26%231575%3B%26%231604%3B%26%231609%3B+%26%231580%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231586%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231606%3B#32167085
https://elasakr-jeddah.jimdosite.com/
https://business.go.tz/web/rashid.ndimbo/~/86020/home/-/message_boards/message/24415721
https://business.go.tz/web/rashid.ndimbo/~/86020/home/-/message_boards/message/24415731
https://business.go.tz/web/rashid.ndimbo/~/86020/home/-/message_boards/message/24458120
https://business.go.tz/web/rashid.ndimbo/~/86020/home/-/message_boards/message/24456486
https://bestmoversfurniture.wordpress.com/2022/04/05/transfer-furniture-jeddah/
https://www.smore.com/ps2zt
https://www.smore.com/s9rz8q
https://www.smore.com/0kthj
https://www.muratshriners.com/profile/elsakrjeddah/profile
https://www.medmotion.org/profile/elsakrjeddah/profile
https://ello.co/atar-almadinah
https://ello.co/atar-almadinah/post/9biwwplb4odbgeboq8xcgw
https://nowewyrazy.uw.edu.pl/profil/atar-almadinah
http://findfriendz.com/profile/173148.html
https://companyhouseservice.wordpress.com/2022/08/06/%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b6%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6/
https://www.edocr.com/v/d9xod4ar/atar-almadinah/shrka-nkl-aafsh-bgda
https://www.edocr.com/user/atar-almadinah
https://www.tuugo.us/Companies/atar-almadinah/0310006888242
https://www.tuugo.us/SiteViewer/0310006888242
https://topsitenet.com/startpage/ataralmadinah/859508/
https://topsitenet.com/profile/ataralmadinah/859508/
https://en.gravatar.com/elsakrjeddah
https://610b31f1e425e.site123.me/about
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/atar-almadinah/about
https://500px.com/p/ataralmadinah?view=photos
https://about.me/atar-almadinah/
https://www.behance.net/ataralmadinah/
https://angel.co/u/atar-almadinah
https://vimeo.com/user163509125
https://ello.co/ataralmadinah/post/asrc-rqxhmfvgrr7skhajg
https://ello.co/ataralmadinah
https://www.myminifactory.com/stories/best-transfer-furniture-jeddah-atar-almadinah-62f1c48d224b9
https://www.myminifactory.com/users/atar
https://speakerdeck.com/almadinah
https://fstoppers.com/profile/atar-almadinah
https://www.instructables.com/member/atar-almadinah/
https://www.mifare.net/support/forum/users/atar-almadinah/
https://www.recode.net/users/ataralmadinah
http://simp.ly/p/bwJRTQ
https://zenwriting.net/jzlzjv7sf2
https://writer.zohopublic.com/writer/published/rg9748fafd0f2210f4604b33d2cbf28388aea
https://my.desktopnexus.com/ataralmadinah/journal/furniture-moving-company-in-jeddah-38820/
https://app.ex.co/stories/item/c9e4da01-b4c3-492f-84a4-55474a6abf47
https://pastelink.net/a93tslol
https://pastelink.net/6zkez7a2
https://www.kongregate.com/accounts/ataralmadinah
https://bit.ly/3PiheFn
https://bit.ly/3SJJZxX
https://giphy.com/channel/atar-almadinah
https://fullservicelavoro.com/2022/08/15/furniture-moving-companies-in-jeddah/
https://www.ted.com/profiles/37578103/about
https://www.merexpression.com/elsakr
https://www.merexpression.com/read-blog/31739
https://webyourself.eu/elsakrjeddah
https://webyourself.eu/blogs/31059/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B6%D9%84-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9
https://devpost.com/elsakrjeddah
https://knowyourmeme.com/users/jumperads
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/2022/08/21/%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%af%d8%a9-2/
https://atar-almadinah.over-blog.com/2022/08/sharikat-naql-eafsh-abhir-alshamalia.html
https://atar-almadinah.over-blog.com/2022/08/naql-eafsh-dakhil-jida.html
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/2022/08/22/%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%ad%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9/
https://jumperads.shutterfly.com/22
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/home
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jedaah-elhamdniah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-yanbu
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-najran
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-Jizan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jazan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/moversjeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-abha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkhobar
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkharj
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elmadina-elmnowara
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-eljubail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elqassim
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hafrelbatin
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elbaha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-burydah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-tabuk
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-khamis-mushait
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-rabigh
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/madina
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/ahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/cleaning-mecca
http://fullservicelavoro.com/ شركة ريلاكس لنقل العفش والاثاث
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-taif-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالطائف
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-riyadh-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالرياض
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-jeddah-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بجدة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/01/transfer-and-movers-furniture-mecca/ شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-madina-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-khamis-mushait-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/09/transfer-movers-abha-furniture/ شركة نقل اثاث بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-najran-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بنجران
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-hail-furniture/ ِشركة نقل عفش بحائل
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-qassim-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/02/transfer-movers-furniture-in-bahaa/ شركة نقل عفش بالباحة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/transfer-movers-yanbu-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بينبع
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/18/%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%a7/ دينا نقل عفش بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA/ نقل الاثاث بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/12/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D8%B5-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A9/ ارخص شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-elkharj-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالخرج
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-baqaa-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالبقعاء
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/05/transfer-furniture-in-jazan/ شركة نقل عفش بجازان