side where the cutter will align with the live tailstock center (fig
3). Raise or lower the bar on the right side being careful not to
interfere with the height on the left side. Since the relative
position of the follower and cutter has now been set, they
should not be changed in their holders - with the follower
resting on the right template wing, rotate the entire duplicator
base in or out until the cutter aligns with the tailstock center.
When aligned secure all allen screws and knobs.
General procedure for preparing the turning spindles
Using a spur center in the headstock
Bandsaw cross cuts into the end of your spindle (corner to
corner). Make the cuts approximately 1/8" deep. Mark an "X"
on the tailstock end by
drawing lines from corner to
corner. Center punch where
the lines cross for
positioning in the tailstock.
(fig 4).
Remove the spur center
from the lathe and tap it into
the cut end of the spindle
blank. Use a rubber or
wooden mallet to avoid
damaging the spur center. It should be secure so the wood will
not spin through when turning.
Insert the spur center with spindle blank into the headstock.
Secure the tailstock live center into the center of the "X" on the
other end of the spindle. Spin the wood with the duplicator
mechanism in place to make sure the wood corners clear the
cutter when the duplicator cutter is pulled back. If the cutter is
hit by the wood it will be necessary to bandsaw the corners off
of the spindle.
Mounting using a 4 jaw chuck
As an alternative, you can mount the spindle in the headstock
using a self centering 4 jaw chuck - this method is preferred
because it will be easier to finish the pieces and make rounded
tops when positioned in the chuck.
Installing the Template
Position the template in the duplicator template holder. Slide
the template so the left wing of the template extends
approximately to the point of the spur center. Secure the
template firmly in the holder by tightening down the philips
screws on the top of the template holder bar. The front edge of
the wing of the template should extend slightly beyond the front
of the holder bar on both the right and left hand sides of the
template.
Turning the chess piece - General directions King, Queen,
Knight, Rook, Pawn
These pieces are all symmetric with similar bases and are
generally turned the same. Note that the Bishop, Knight and
Rook will require finishing with other tools.
Proceed turning and following using the instructions provided
with your duplicator.
As you turn and duplicate be aware of the following:
1) You can run the lathe at a higher speed when you rough the
turning square down to the template.
2) Leave at least 1/2" of square spindle at each end, do NOT
round the spindle at the ends! Leaving the ends square will
make it easier to cut the piece off at the base later and will
facilitate finishing and cutting the pieces apart when you
complete turning and finishing. It will also facilitate finishing
the round tops of the King, Queen, Bishop and Pawn provided
you chucked up the spindle in a 4 jaw chuck.
3) Since the chess profiles have intricate beads, it is important
to make sure all of the profile elements have been duplicated
onto your spindle.
4) When turning and prior to sanding Do NOT turn the wood
down to the template at the center where the heads of the pieces
meet since this is the centerline of the turning and doing so will
prematurely cause the turning to disengage from the lathe
5) Make your final cutting pass at the lathe's highest speed - cut
slowly for a smooth finish .
Finishing
Finish the chess pieces 2 up and proceed as you would any
other turning. Start with coarser sandpaper and continue with
finer sandpapers. Progressing from 180 grit thru 400 and up is
typical. Pay extra attention to sand into the deep crevices
between beads.
Apply a final finish with waxes or lacquers. Once finished,
you can cut the pieces apart in the middle by cutting with the
duplicator cutter all the way down to the template (optionally
Fig. 4
Marking
tailstock
end of
spindle
blank
Fig 5
Mounting spindle
blank in 4 jaw chuck
at headstock
Fig 6
Duplicated
king and
queen spindle
Fig. 7
Sanding and
rounding
Pawn
mounted in 3
jaw chuck
Fig. 8
Queen finished
while mounted in
3 jaw chuck
2