Joe Wagner: Ducks Turned on Two Axes
The object of this demonstration was a small duck figurine turned on two axes. The same procedure can be used to turn a stork figure with only slight variations in the pattern and process. Joe cited a reference from a book by Mike Darlow entitled: Woodturning Methods, pages 127-130. Turning on the center axisJoe began with a 2½"×2½"×4" blank of soft maple. He mounted it between centers using a Steb center and modified cone center. The blank was turned to a cylinder with a roughing gouge. A chucking tenon was cut in one end with a parting tool and skew. The blank was then mounted in a scroll chuck. Joe declared a preference for the Vicmark™ chuck. The roughed cylinder was then turned to a finished diameter of 2¼" and the outboard (right hand) face was trued up and faced off cleanly. Joe then laid out the critical dimensions along the length of the piece. These dimensions are shown on the plan Joe provided which is included in these notes. Measuring from the outboard face, which was to become the base of the figurine, he marked pencil lines at 3/8, 1-5/8, 2½, and 3½". These lines represent, respectively, the top of the base, the top of the duck's back, the base of the duck's head and the top of the duck's head. Using a parting tool and caliper, Joe turned the right-most section (the base) to a diameter of 1-3/8". He then used a ¼" fluteless (skootchy) gouge to chamfer the base inward toward the bottom of the duck's body and round over that chamfer to create an attractively curved profile as shown in the plan. Joe then used the same gouge to round off the bottom of the duck body to meet the top of the base. With the long point of a skew, mark the line representing the top of the duck body (2½" from the right-hand face) with a v-cut. Deepen the v-cut to about 1/8" then use the heel (short point) of the skew to round off the body into the base of the v-cut. This should produce a smooth asymmetrical bead for the body profile running from the top of the base to the bottom of the v-cut. With a gouge refine the bottom of the base to make it slightly concave so the piece will sit on the table on only the outer edge of the base. Create a dimple at the center point to guide a drill bit into the center of the base. Drill a 5/32" pilot hole into the bottom of the base at the center point. Joe uses a 5/32" bit mounted in a wooden handle. With the lathe turning he manually inserts the bit into the base on centerline. The drilling could also be done with a Jacobs chuck mounted in the tail stock. Sand the turned areas of the base and body to finish. This completes the work for the center-axis turning. Turning on the offset axisThe upper surface of the duck body (the back), the neck and the head are all turned on a new axis offset from the center axis by 5/8". Joe has developed an offset jig for this purpose. To create the jig, mount a piece of ¾" MDF on a faceplate and turn it to a disk. Mark the center of the disk then mark a point 5/8" outside the center point. At the marked point bore a 1-3/8" diameter hole about ¼" deep with a Forstner-type bit. The bit will leave a center mark in the bottom of the hole. At that center mark drill a pilot hole through the MDF to receive a #14 sheet metal screw from the back side. Remove the MDF disk from the faceplate and thread the sheet metal screw through the pilot hole so the end of the screw is exposed. It may be necessary to countersink the hole to allow the pan head screw to mount securely without conflicting with the face plate. Joe cemented the screw permanently in place and ground off the tip of the screw to a desired length. When the disk is remounted on the faceplate, the partially turned duck blank is threaded onto the screw in the jig via the 5/32 inch pilot hole previously drilled into the base of the duck. The base will fit nicely within the 1-3/8" hole bored in the MDF and the base should tighten down flat on the bottom of that recess. The sheet metal screw length should be such as to provide a secure purchase in the blank but not so long as to be inconvenient. With the piece firmly held on the screw and the faceplate mounted on the lathe spindle the new turning axis will be displaced from the original axis by 5/8". With the lathe turning, bring the cone center in the tailstock into contact with the piece for stability. Joe used a small (5/8") roughing gouge to turn the neck and head section (area above the v-cut) down toward the approximate head diameter (1"). When close he used the caliper and parting tool to cut reference grooves to the 1” head diameter for the length of the neck and head sections. He then remarked the lines defining the top and bottom of the head. The parting tool was then used to cut a depth reference at the bottom of the head to the 3/8 diameter of the neck. A 3/8" spindle gouge can be used to turn the upper part of the body section in a broad cove cut from tail to the base of the neck to create the duck's back. With the same tool, taper the neck toward the base of the head ending at the depth of the 3/8 “ diameter reference cut made previously. Refinements of the tapering neck can be made using the wing of the gouge much like a skew. The edge of the skootchy gouge might also be used for this refining cut. The back and the base of the neck can be cleaned up with a negative rake scraper. Joe used a modified spindle master gouge as a shear scraper for this purpose. Joe marked the center height of the head section and then turned the head profile by rolling a bead with the spindle gouge. In this instance a stub about 3/8” long remained at the top of the head contacting the live center. shop-made leather sleeve as a sanding mitt to protect his fingers from heat and accidental contact with the off-center wood. After sanding to finish grit, he parted off the live-center stub and sanded that area. He sands to 600 grit then uses a Bear-Tex pad for a final buffing of the surface. He prefers the Bear-Tex over steel wool because it will not discolor light woods as steel wool does. To add accent to the piece, Joe cuts three fine grooves in the neck about ¼" apart, burns the grooves with a fine burning wire and colors the two bands formed between the grooves with Tombow brush-point markers. The burned grooves prevent the colors from bleeding into one another. After the marker dyes have dried a moment, Joe buffs them with paper towel to fix them in place. To complete the head, drill a 1/8” hole near the equator of the head to receive the tenon of the beak to be turned next. The duck can now be removed from the jig. Turning the beakTo create the duck's beak Joe mounted a ½×½×2” piece of yellow Putu Muju in a chuck fitted with pin jaws. This small blank was turned to round and the free end squared off cleanly. Joe then turned a short tenon ¾" from the end of the blank. The tenon was turned to the same diameter as the shank of the bit used to drill the 1/8" hole in the duck's head. It is important that the shoulder between the tenon and the beak itself be undercut so the beak will fit flush against the curved head. The beak was then profiled with a skootchy gouge into a flared trumpet-like cone ¾" long and ½" in diameter at the outer edge of the bell. The narrow end of the beak next to the tenon is only slightly larger than the tenon. Sand the beak to finish and seal with thinned lacquer (Deft). The completed beak was then parted off from the blank. The tenon was inserted into the head to complete the assembly. OptionsA miniature duck can be turned using exactly the same process but with all dimensions halved. A few of the miniatures displayed with a pair of the larger ducks make a cute family group. The same process can be used to create a stork with the following exceptions:
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