Here is a simple method of making wooden beads that does not require the use of a lathe. All you need is an electric drill and a benchtop belt and/or disc sander. Also use at least a dust mask and preferably a dust-collector system, this method creates a lot of dust which can wreak havoc with allergies, sinuses, and lungs. Some kinds of wood are known to be carcinogenic, protect your lungs before any dust is made - there will be lots of dust.
To hold a piece of wood on a drill I have used a #8 steel wood screw with the head removed. The length of the screw needs to be long enough to go into the hole drilled in the bead far enough so the other end of the hole is centered when spinning, and also extend far enough into the drill chuck so that it is held straight and secure - I used a 1.5 inch screw for mine. Drill the holes in the beads with a 1/8 inch drill bit. Slip a washer or spacer of some sort over the screw to keep the screw point from going too far into the bead and to prevent the chuck jaws from marring the bead. Make sure that the drill turns in the right-hand direction so the bead does not un-screw from the mandrel during shaping. Use pliers with padded jaws to help remove the bead from the mandrel if needed. Lubricate the screw threads by driving it into a block of beeswax or soap once in a while to make bead removal much easier.
If you only want to make small beads you can also make a tapered friction fit mandrel out of a 16-penny nail. Cut the head off of the nail and file a shallow taper on one of the ends while the nail is spun in a drill press. Have a piece of scrap wood nearby with a hole drilled the same size as the hole through the beads to check the fit. Cut the nail to length so the mandrel extends far enough to keep the drill chuck out of the way, but not so far that it will easily get bent.
Use a coarse (40 or 60 grit) belt for shaping. When the blank still
has corners or flat sides remaining, hold
the drill firmly above the sander
and gently remove the corners running the drill at high speed - don't
let the drill
bounce or vibrate or else the bead
will be out of round or off center with the hole through it. I prefer
to use the
end roller with the belt surface
moving away from me pointing the drill along the length of the belt,
this makes it easier
to shape the bead without having to
tilt the drill as much. Once you have the end of the bead shaped like
you want it,
unscrew the bead from the mandrel
and attach the mandrel to the other end to shape the rest of the bead. |
To
remove the deep scratches caused by the shaping, use either a finer
grit sanding disc (around 120 grit) on a combination
belt/disc sander, or a sheet of
cloth-backed sandpaper to sand the bead smoother. Power sanding lets
you skip several
grits to get a good finish, but if
you are spinning the bead on a non-moving sheet then you will need to
use more steps of
progressively finer grits. Keep the
bead moving around on the sandpaper to prevent grooves from forming
that result
from spinning the bead in one spot,
and clogging the sandpaper. Foam-backed sanding pads work great and
shield hands
and fingers from the heat generated
by sanding. For the smoothest finish, carefully spin the bead against a
small folded pad
of Scotch-brite. Do not use steel
wool because it will end up getting wrapped around the bead and mandrel
possibly causing
injury. Make the bead blanks with the hole drilled in the same direction as the end-grain. This will make the beads stronger
and easier to shape and smooth. |
A sample
of some of the beads made in an afternoon. These were all sanded to 600
grit and then a wax finish was
applied. The finish is in bar form
and is pressed against the bead while it is spinning at high speed, then
it is spun
against a rag and the heat from the
friction melts the wax into the wood and then buffed with a clean spot
on the rag to produce
the final finish.
