Need help with a DIY Tapered Fluted Oak Column

[wrenchguy]

I needing to reproduce 2 interior colonade tapered & fluted oak columns. They'll be stained and varnished about 8' long. Looking for good fyi videos or a reproduction manufacturer. TIA.
edit, A round one, not flat one.

 

[The Cobbler]

I guess you'd need a lather for starters.
I did a custom trim job probably 35 years ago ,I had duplicated 12" butternut base & door casing , sills etc in oak . The customer wanted a column duplicated from the front staircase for use in the back addition. they had a local carpenter duplicate it and it was bang on

 

[macgyver37]

Look for someone with a Legacy Ornamental Mill.

I know a guy in St Louis area with one that does this type of work but he is booked out for a Long time.

 

[PCustoms]

I'll give the short version of my idea.

Plywood "L" brackets on each end to support centers, may need to add a center support at that length. A long sled to hold your router.

Chuck the square column between centers, run the router as a live tool to turn it down. The sled can be built to work the taper in.

From there you index the column and run a ball end to get the flutes.

 

[wrenchguy]

Thanks for tips so far, I should have mentioned i got 3or4 machinery lathes to chose from. It was automatic for me to not mention it because I didn't think of not using 1 of them. They're actually my sons at his shop but I don't think he has ever turned wood. So for my own education i should ask about using a metal lathe to turn wood. These will be about 8" diameter at base.

 

[shoot summ]

Pretty involved process, starts with just the glue up for the column as a solid piece will be extremely heavy, glue up will be too. Essentially a segmented glue up for the blank, then a taper attachment on a (BIG)lathe of sorts to make it round. Then a special jig to cut the flutes.

Based on that effort, unless there is an unlimited budget for time and money, I would look for a company that could make them, which will still be extremely expensive for wood(IMO).

 

[PCustoms]

Thanks for tips so far, I should have mentioned i got 3or4 machinery lathes to chose from. It was automatic for me to not mention it because I didn't think of not using 1 of them. They're actually my sons at his shop but I don't think he has ever turned wood. So for my own education i should ask about using a metal lathe to turn wood. These will be about 8" diameter at base.

The lathe can do an 8 foot column?

Or are you going to stack several short pieces?

 

[wrenchguy]

Well I don't know what his smaller ones center numbers are... but his biggest is 40' with 36.5" to ways.
I don't know what PCs are.

 

[kbs2244]

that will work
use a router for the flutes

 

[PCustoms]

that will work
use a router for the flutes

I feel like I was setup lol.

Q: "how do I make this big column?"
A: "well you need some sort of a big lathe"
Q: "oh, will this work?"

 

[LXCam]

Well I don't know what his smaller ones center numbers are... but his biggest is 40' with 36.5" to ways.
I don't know what PCs are.

Man oh man, that’ll be a clean up job from hell.

 

[wrenchguy]

PC,
You quoted this,
"I should have mentioned i got 3or4 machinery lathes to chose from. It was automatic for me to not mention it because I didn't think of not using 1 of them. They're actually my sons at his shop but I don't think he has ever turned wood. So for my own education i should ask about using a metal lathe to turn wood. These will be about 8" diameter at base."

I never mentioned, "will this work"? I knew he had 1 or more big enough. I never set anyone up.
BTW I think the big Leblond came from a paper mill in VT. When pictured the install was just completed and "BIGBOY" had never cut metal.

 

[PCustoms]

PC,
You quoted this,
"I should have mentioned i got 3or4 machinery lathes to chose from. It was automatic for me to not mention it because I didn't think of not using 1 of them. They're actually my sons at his shop but I don't think he has ever turned wood. So for my own education i should ask about using a metal lathe to turn wood. These will be about 8" diameter at base."

I never mentioned, "will this work"? I knew he had 1 or more big enough. I never set anyone up.
BTW I think the big Leblond came from a paper mill in VT. When pictured the install was just completed and "BIGBOY" had never cut metal.

I was making a joke....

I was propose some alternative, small run ideas and then you posted that pic, total overkill but perfectly adequate to make these (assuming the tailstock moves into 8').

 

[Sumboodie]

PC,
You quoted this,
"I should have mentioned i got 3or4 machinery lathes to chose from. It was automatic for me to not mention it because I didn't think of not using 1 of them. They're actually my sons at his shop but I don't think he has ever turned wood. So for my own education i should ask about using a metal lathe to turn wood. These will be about 8" diameter at base."

I never mentioned, "will this work"? I knew he had 1 or more big enough. I never set anyone up.
BTW I think the big Leblond came from a paper mill in VT. When pictured the install was just completed and "BIGBOY" had never cut metal.

Setup to do rollers and shafts. Grew up in a logging and paper area.

 

[2oolhound]

As far as using a metal lathe for wood - it works great! Like cutting butter. Just cover the bed or you'll get sawdust and shavings everywhere.

Pick the lathe with the best taper set up.

PS: I remember your post about that monster and how you built the floor in the shop to support it.

I like the idea above for using a router to do the flutes.

 

[wrenchguy]

All my sons work in his shop.
Good column fluting jig vids on the tube, that'll be my job when post turned.