# Turning clamps for 8 & 4 open window Christmas Ornaments.



## Talfalfa33 (Dec 5, 2012)

Hello All,

Trying my hand at turning ornaments and with not wanting to use tape and plywood cut outs to hold the pieces in place while turniing the first cut, and being limited to just one size or having to have different cut outs for different sizes being stacked up. As you can see on the square or the 4 window, just change the length of bolts to clamp bigger blocks for bigger ornaments. And for the 8 window, just change the bolts up till the the wood blocks reach the bolts. then just cut blocks to reach into the corners of the blocks your turning. So what do you guys think. Not bad for milling and machining in my spare time.


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## Jim Smith (Dec 5, 2012)

Your setup looks great, but those clamps attached to a spinning lathe look like really bad knuckle-busters.  Be careful!

Jim Smith


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## alamocdc (Dec 5, 2012)

Nice looking clamps, Timothy. I like using shop made jigs and things. Like Jim said, watch those things on the lathe though. That would hurt!


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## Joe S. (Dec 5, 2012)

That's cool, I might try somthing like this! Careful though, that looks like it would be a saw blade on either end!


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## Haynie (Dec 5, 2012)

I guess I don't understand.  Are you using these to glue the pieces together?  If so why are they on the lathe.  Great idea for glue up.


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## Joe S. (Dec 5, 2012)

Haynie said:


> I guess I don't understand.  Are you using these to glue the pieces together?  If so why are they on the lathe.  Great idea for glue up.



It's so he can skip the whole glueing process for the first step in an ordament like this. You just turn it clamped!


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## bigevilgrape (Dec 5, 2012)

I still don't get it.  I'm hopping a picture of a finished ornament shows up


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## lorbay (Dec 5, 2012)

I am a jig man myself, but those things spinning at 2500 rpm scare the crap out of me. Think I will stick with brown paper and glue and keep all my fingers.
Lin.


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## Talfalfa33 (Dec 5, 2012)

Joe S. said:


> It's so he can skip the whole glueing process for the first step in an ordament like this. You just turn it clamped!



Your right, I can turn it for the first turning process. I could have used four hose clamps, but in my trial ornament, I couldn't get it balanced and the blocks wanted to shift. So all eight where machined at the same time clamped together and weigh exactly the same for balancing issues. Now to keep them from coming apart while turning, I use 1/4-20 bolts and I apply a bit of plumbers thread tape on the end threads and this holds the bolts tight without worry of loosening or stripping the aluminum. I also made sure I have 7/8 thread depth for maximum grip. And for the possibility of hitting them with my knuckles, I add two inches of material on each end to my ornament to have the room to keep my hands away. Should have a pic by Friday.


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## Joe S. (Dec 5, 2012)

Talfalfa33 said:


> Joe S. said:
> 
> 
> > It's so he can skip the whole glueing process for the first step in an ordament like this. You just turn it clamped!
> ...



YIKES!!! That just put a horrifying image in my head! Be careful...


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## bensoelberg (Dec 5, 2012)

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.  I've never seen an 8-sided ornament with a window before.  (Never looked either, but it sounds cool.)


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## airborne_r6 (Dec 6, 2012)

Haynie said:


> I guess I don't understand.  Are you using these to glue the pieces together?  If so why are they on the lathe.  Great idea for glue up.





bigevilgrape said:


> I still don't get it.  I'm hopping a picture of a finished ornament shows up



He is doing something called Inside-Out turning.  Here is a good video showing it: Video Inside-Out-Ornament


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## bigevilgrape (Dec 6, 2012)

airborne_r6 said:


> Haynie said:
> 
> 
> > \
> ...


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## Crashmph (Dec 6, 2012)

I just use the flat twine like movers use to wrap furniture.  Once I make about 10-12 laps around the wood and tape the plastic wrap down, it will not budge.  Plus there are no knuckle killers.


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## mikespenturningz (Dec 6, 2012)

I have an old article somewhere about this. The author used masking tape to hold the work while he turned the inside.


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## Talfalfa33 (Dec 7, 2012)

*Update on clamps*

For those that wasn't in favor of these clamps, I agree with your concerns about being a knuckle buster but to let you all know that no knuckles where in contact. I will say that they worked like I had planned but they do stand out further than I had expected. So I think what I'm going to do is use the clamps I made to lock all my pieces together and then use either a couple hose clamps or something like the twine wrapped around to hold while turning the inside or the first turning. By doing it in this order, I'll be able to slide the clamps down as I wrap the setup. But here are the final pics of of my first ever 8 window ornament. If you notice I went above a beginners stage and placed a finial in the center of it.


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