I'm diving into cylinder-making, but I'm struggling a bit with my first attempt. I glued together 18 pieces at 10 degrees, and unfortunately, there are noticeable gaps in the joints. I used a Skil contractor table saw along with a digital angle gauge to get the angles as accurate as possible, but they might not be perfect. Also, I'm looking for advice on how to smooth out the cylinder to ensure it's round on both the inside and outside.
4 Answers
If you're using hand planes, why not try leaving the last piece a bit oversized? Then you can plane it down for a perfect fit. For smoothing, a spokeshave is good for the outside, and for the inside, you could use a sanding block or a large forstner bit. Oh, and to apply more clamping pressure, consider using screw band clamps. They might leave some marks, but those can be sanded away later!
I think your approach looks great! Just keep in mind that errors in joints can multiply. As for smoothing out the shape without a lathe, a really well-tuned block plane can do wonders on the outside, and maybe try shaping a sanding block to match the inner radius. Sounds like you’ve got this!
Your cylinders actually look pretty solid for a first go! Just remember, any slight errors in your setup can really add up when you're working with a lot of segments like this. As for smoothing, if you don't have access to a lathe, that's tough. But I heard about creating a mock lathe with a drill and router—might be worth checking out! You could also try using a spindle sander for the inside.
Those are pretty impressive for a first attempt! I would recommend always double-checking your angles—small mistakes can escalate quickly. If you don't have a lathe, you might want to look into some DIY options to round your pieces. It's a bit of a challenge, but with a little creativity, you'll get it right!
Yeah, getting the angles just right is tricky! That mock lathe jig sounds promising. I'll definitely look into that. Thanks!