Please read and critique my crazy idea for how to do a Celtic Knot

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UCLAJediKnight

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Apr 12, 2013
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alright, so I had issues drilling a bulls-eye dead center hole in my blanks. I use a drill press. I had asymmetric celtic knots and it bugs me.

For my normal blanks I have started doing the following.
1) drill blank - I get an off center hole
2) glue tubes
3) turn blank round
4) trim the barrel

Do this method has ensured that I am square.

So my idea for the celtic knot is this:
1) drill blank
2) turn between centers until round
3) make the inlay cuts and glue them into place
4) "redrill" through the inlays
5) glue tubes
6) square blank
7) turn like normal

This method seems like it could work provided the blank is "thick" enough. My concerns are mainly regarding steps 2-5 and blow out etc...

What do you guys think?

P.S. I know I can drill on the lathe and get a more accurate result but I don't want to invest in the necessary chucks just yet.
 
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Well it does sound good - but..........I don't think I could rotate the blanks and hold them in position accurately to make the inlay cuts. Mine would turn out all wrong. Trust me, you will notice if they are 2 degrees off when you see the final product. I would need a square blank to make it work.
Keep tryin'. You will find the secret.
 
dbledsoe said:
Well it does sound good - but..........I don't think I could rotate the blanks and hold them in position accurately to make the inlay cuts. Mine would turn out all wrong. Trust me, you will notice if they are 2 degrees off when you see the final product. I would need a square blank to make it work.
Keep tryin'. You will find the secret.
Click to expand...

ugh... I didn't think about that. I wouldn't be able to do quarter turn rotations...

I need to think about this more..
 
I have made a large number of Celtic Knot pen blanks, single , double , triple , wide, narrow etc. and the KEY to success is start with a SQUARE block and then find the most accurate CENTER POINTS on both ends. Then , make your insert cuts , always keeping the block SQUARE and when finished use the center point for drilling the hole for the tube. This procedure seems to help me and the knots turn out well ......not always !!! but at least 90 percent.
 
This is the one case where drilling on the lathe is truly superior to using a drill press. If the blank is square, then drilling on the lathe will give you a perfectly centered hole.
 
UCLAJediKnight said:
ugh... I didn't think about that. I wouldn't be able to do quarter turn rotations...
Click to expand...
You can do accurate rotations on a rounded blank. Just mark them on the end of the blank first. Use a sled (or v-block) and put an indexing mark on it. To position the cut, align the desired end mark with your index mark.

This method enables you to make celtic knots with more than 4 sides as well.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
Round blank is needed to make 6 segment knots, there are instructions in the library. I imagine you would be doing the same, but with the hole already present. You can also use any number of segments you would like, 3, 5, 6... 10 might be insane, but I'm sure someone has tried it...
 
just food for thought. i made a set of 12 sided collars. Thanks to Skiprat. now you can drill and round the blank. Then use the collars like an index wheel. so to speak.
 
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