Anchors away

[farmerbw]

LOML and I made this turntable back during the summer, during our vacation out of state of all times, for her mom's beach house.

I had cut and prepped the discs before we left, and tried to mark the layout for the lazy susan bearing, but had to trudge along any tools I thought I'd need as well as paints, stains, poly, brushes..... etc.... :no: We mostly worked on it at night after the kids went to sleep and LOML did the bulk of the coloration one overcast day while I took the kids to the nearby zoo. I put a couple more coats of topcoat on at another relatives house after we had to check out of our rental place and then gave it to her mom before we left. She was very pleased with it and it looks like I may now have to make two others for my SILs...... If I do make more I'll be looking for a better means to cut circles with my router as I wasn't completely happy with the results I got using the Milescraft circle jig that I got as a gift years ago and had never used until now. :thumbs_do

Anyway, this one is 28", which made it hard to photograph well, with a 24" bottom disc. I used one of the Woodcraft lazy susan bearings that someone recommended in another thread I posted and routed a groove for it to rest in so there was a smaller gap between the discs. Hand drawn with some wood burned designs, GF wb stains/poly, and acrylic paints.




Thanks for looking.
B.

 

[Hmerkle]

That looks GREAT!
You MIL I sure loves it and that is why your SIL's want one each I am sure!

Talk to Joe Scharle http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/member.php?u=148
About the best way to router a circle - I KNOW he knows!!!

 

[Jeff]

You put the spin on the lazy susan. Nicely done!

 

[JimD]

I've had relatively good luck cutting circles with a router by making a new base of 1/4 plywood that is big enough I can just screw or tack it in place with a nail in the center of the piece I want to be a circle. I use a plunge router and cut it in 2 or 3 passes. I use a 1/2 inch straight bit to minimize deflection of the bit. I have to sand the edge some to remove marks from the routing but it works. If you rough cut it with a jig saw you could do it in one pass and have less sanding to do.

 

[Endless Pursuit]

That's cool!

 

[Jeff]

If I do make more I'll be looking for a better means to cut circles with my router as I wasn't completely happy with the results I got using the Milescraft circle jig that I got as a gift years ago and had never used until now.

Can you explain why you weren't happy with the jig and your results? There are lots of circle cutting router jigs that can be +/- accurate or forgiving to use. The user's technique can also be a factor. Just curious.

 

[farmerbw]

Jeff, I think the main problem I had doing these 2 discs was flex between the router base and the bar/arm. I at first attributed it to user error or technique, but after noticing problems after the first rotation I tried to be more careful on the next rotations and even more so on the 2nd disc after seeing how the edge came out on the first one. I cut thru the 3/4" BB in 3 passes on the first one. You could tell on the cut edge how many passes were taken cause there were ridges and it took quite a bit of sanding to get it satisfactory. I took 4 passes on the 2nd disc and still got ridges, but not quite as bad and it didn't need as much sanding. I tried to use less force to less force to rotate the router, but you have to move it while cutting or you don't cut a circle! :gar-Bi

I'm still not convinced I worked out the best technique since I've only used it for this project. Maybe I was rotating too slow? This size is near the limits for this particular jig and the flex may increase as you get farther from the pivot point..... I think Zach(subguy) had commented on another thread that he hadn't had a lot of luck with his. Maybe he'll expand on his experience as well.

B

 

[redknife]

I have had good luck with micro fence's router circle jig. Pricey, though.

 

[Jeff]

A few thoughts to consider.

1. 3/4" BB plywood. A 1/4" router bit with a 1/2" shank in a plunge router to minimize vibration of the shank and scalloping. Some use a 3/8" bit with a 1/2" shank.

2. Take shallower passes-about 1/8"-3/16". Clean/vacuum the groove and surface after each pass. Go with it without hesitation or slowing down-just go with it and keep on going.

I found a lot of negative reviews about the Milescraft jig-flimsy, wobbly, etc.

 

[nn4jw]

I've had much better luck and less mess using a circle cutting jig on my band saw. Faster too.