I need some help with an idea guys

[redraidermgr]

Hey everyone,

I am not sure if this is the right sub-forum to post this question in but I am looking for some help and know that I would be able to get the best ideas from this forum.

My wife is a huge harry potter fan and I mentioned a while back that I would eventually turn her a wand and she loved the idea. She has been having some problems at work lately and she is down in the dumps and I wanted to do something that might cheer her up a little bit.

I know a regular wand is nothing that hard; but me being me I have an idea that I cant decide which way to go with it. I want to have a wood finial or endcap on the base of the want then an antler handle that is about 1.5" to 2" long sandwiched between another piece of wood that would be the tip of the wand.

The real question I have is should I try to segment it by squaring the pieces, gluing it, and trying to turn it as one long piece? I am worried that the antler would not glue up strong enough to stand up to turning the wand down to the proper dimensions.

My second idea would be to drill out the center of the antler with a 7 mm drill, mount it on a 7 mm pen tube and turn it separately from the wood pieces. The question then is how to attach the wood finials to the handle. I could turn a tenon onto each finial and glue and press them into the 7 mm tube and hope that it would hold strong enough. Alternately, I could drill some 1/4" holes into each finial, tap the holes, and attach a 1/4" piece of all thread from finial to finial with the antler handle over a long section of the all thread. I have seen the all thread method done with razor handles but that was with metal kit pieces on the end.

What method would you guys recommend that would hold the piece together the best; would gluing the antler to the wood work or should I separate the pieces out and attach them at the end? Any other ideas that I may have missed? Tips or tricks to make it easier?

 

[stonepecker]

Personally? I would go with the idea of making the strongest handle I could. From your ideas ,that sounds like the threaded rod. Now putting a tendon on the wood and fitting it into a 7mm tube would also work and probally be the easier way to do this.

Either one should be strong of a handle and give some weight to that end. Also, the tendons may make a 'tighter' fit in the end. Be sure to post the finished piece.

 

[Sylvanite]

I would do a mortise and tenon joint between the antler and the wood. That should be plenty strong enough. When I made wands previously, I turned the handle and wand sections separately, drilled a hole in the handle, turned a matching tenon on the wand, and glued them together. For segmentations in either part, I glued them up before turning.

I hope that helps,
Eric

 

[Alchymist]

Little late to the party, but - perhaps drill completely through the horn part, and drill into the remaining pieces, and then assemble on a long 7mm tube. Care taken to ensure the ends are square to each other and the tube. Then turn as a unit.

Pen Makers Choice 10" Pen Tube - 5 Pack | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA

 

[redraidermgr]

Thanks everyone for the replies I really have checked the thread and I really do appreciate the input. I am planning on posting pictures of the wand when I get around to it (when it gets warm enough in my shop/garage to do it).

Alchymist: I actually talked to my neighbor, who happens to be a Turner as well and he basically suggested the same thing and I am planning on doing it that way because it seems the most stable and fool proof way to do what I want to do.