First Custom Finial

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lwalper

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Mar 16, 2014
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This is a first attempt at a custom finial. That's a new challenge :rolleyes:. I can see the advantage of collet chucks (which I don't have).
 

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This is a first attempt at a custom finial. That's a new challenge :rolleyes:. I can see the advantage of collet chucks (which I don't have).

Yes once you have a set you will wonder how you ever did without them, especially when it comes to custom pens. Nice job BTW.

Lin.
 
First attempt at custom finial.

Yours is much better than mine....and I have a collet system LOL
At least your made it over to the pen!

I know what I am doing now (sort of :smile:).

Nice work!
 

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I would do what BSea said above/



I bought the PSI ones. BUT, I believe Jon Brooks likes the one(s) that come with metric collets. Maybe, it is just about getting the metric collets.
I used my PSI and love it, but haven't come close to what J Brooks has done.
 
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I have a collet chuck and still prefer to make my custom finials on a faceplate. I keep a 1" scrap screwed to the faceplate at all times. I glue on my scrap piece for the finial with CA and turn away. It inly requires about an inch of blank....vs 3-4+ with my collet.

You should also look at the csusa collet....same price range and a higher quality piece imho.
 
I would buy the beall collet chuck if you want one and expect to get a lot of use out of it. . I had the psi one and it was good especially for the price. I didn't like the big body of it through. Maybe because I'm left handed.

I prefer the beall. The recently departed (from the forum not earth) Andy Little claimed the the different in runout between the two is quite measurable. I never measured and didn't notice a substantial difference.

That said, I make all my finials in my nova pin jaws. I'm too lazy to get my blank down to a nice uniform size for a collet. I just put the blank in the jaws and go.
 
I wouldn't by a collet chuck set just for this. You likely already have a jacobs chuck for drilling. Glue your cutoff piece to a short piece of 3/8 or 1/2 inch dowel then put the dowel in the jacobs chuck to turn.

You did a nice job of grain matching of the finial to the upper barrel. To me it looks a little long and it was me I would cut the length by at least half.
 
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