Lathe Turning Question

[hellmutt]

As I noted in the bed section I am trying to make a single size trundle bed that might replicate the late 1600s - early 1700s. I think I may be getting close to the final design.

I believe I will be going with posts that are mostly turned with a few square areas.

My question involves the fact that the mortises for the headboard will be in the turned areas.......................can I do the mortises before turning or will I end up with a lot of tear out?

[wmackey]

If you are concerned about tear out you could insert a waste tenon.  Do the truning and then pull the tenon out.  Id likely drive a screw down through the tenon and in to the post so the block doesn't come out.

[rchampagne]

I made an oak bed with turned bedposts, "Pilgrim" style a few years back.  It was my own design, based loosely upon one of the very few photos I could find of a bed from this period.  I borrowed the design from the top of the Brewster and Carver chairs for the tops of the posts.  The headboard posts are about 42" high, with a turned cylindrical section above the rail, terminating in the egg looking design found on those old chairs.  The headboard is a flat paneled section with chamfered rails and stiles and a carved top rail, floating in mortises in the sides of the turned posts.  I do not remember whether I made the mortises prior to or after turning.  Generally, I try to do most of my mortising prior to turning, though in some case you can leave square sections of waste beyond the turned design (in my case, above the top of the post, and the bottom of the post I left square). It will be easier to mortise if you do it in the square.  It will be easier to turn a smooth shape if you do the mortise after.  My mortise was the entire height of the headboard panel, maybe 24' - 30", as I made a side stile to make the headboard assembly more secure.  You could build a router platform on the bed of your lathe and use a plunge router to create the mostise after turning.  I have an old Bridgeport that I sometimes use for things like this, as I can clamp the work piece to the table and move the table about below the router bit.  Short of these, my guess is that if you are careful in the turning, you would be okay cutting the mortise first.    I like the idea of the waste tenon as well.
Rob

[hellmutt]

Rob, I have in the past made a platform to mortise while the piece was still in the lathe using a plunge router and have thought about that, however I thought it might be more accurate to mortice before turning but I'm worried about the tear out that might happen; a plug scares me.
It sounds like the bed you made might be in the style that I am trying to do because I am looking at the turnings noted in Wallace Nuttings Pilgrim book and headed that way. Is there any way you could send me a picture of what you came up with.
I also believe that we live only a few miles apart here in Norwich................If I am right you live in that great old saltbox that I love.

Michael

[msiemsen]

The mortise and fill isn't a bad idea. You could also turn just the area to be mortised and leave the rest square, chop your mortise and then go back and turn the rest. If you mortise by hand you can clamp a straightedge to the squares to run your gauge against and if you use a mortise machine you can just put it against the fence.

[hellmutt]

miemsen, Thanks........that never even crossed my mind, does sound like it would work well.

Mike