Turning chair spindles exactly the same size and with a consistent diameter used to be frustrating until I set aside my chisels and let this router jig do the job. It’s simply a welded framework of steel tubing and angle iron that bolts to my lathe bed. I attached a couple of strips of lauan plywood to the top of the jig for my router to slide on. To use the jig, I chuck a blank in the lathe and an upspiral bit in my plunge router. An edge guide attached to the router base keeps the tool centered over the workpiece.
To turn each spindle, I plunge the bit down until it makes light contact with the wood, then I move the router from left to right with the wood spinning at a low speed. A series of deeper passes brings the spindle down to size, and the router’s depth stop makes the final setting repeatable for as many spindles as I need. The setup works very well.
– Larry Collins
East Ridge, Tennessee
