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I found it easier to glue if I oriented the blank with the diagonal cut facing up. I use an old restaurant cutting board as a gluing work surface and pieces of the cutting board as culls and pads. In this picture, you can see the three strips to be glued into place. They measure 2” x 10 3/4” x 1/8”. Test fit the pieces first to make sure they will seat into the slot. (I now have a thick piece of Corian countertop for the gluing surface) On my first attempt, I didn’t use enough clamps- using more clamps and culls assured that all of the joints were tight. I probably overdid it with the amount of glue. A liberal coat over all mating surfaces. Clamped up After the glue has dried and the clamps removed, the blank is ready for trimming. I used to use a special table saw jig for this but found it was easier and quicker to trim off the excess insert length on the bandsaw just free handing it. Trim both ends and the side. At this point it is a good idea to “sweeten up” the layout lines, if the trimming operation removed them. Now it is just a matter of re-mounting the blank on the diagonal cutting jig and repeating the operations for making the second diagonal slot. The diagonal slots, glue ups and trimming operations are the same for each of the remaining three sides. On the lathe, ready to be turned. The final dimensions on this rolling pin were: 20” long; diameter at the center: 1 9/16”; diameter at the ends : 1 1/4”. I have tried two types of tapers. One started at the center and continued to the ends. The other starts at the ends of the ellipses and continues to the ends. Personal preferences will determine the tapers. After the blank is turned round, the layout lines for the taper can be drawn on the blank. To aid in getting it symmetrical, I started with an arc template. My turning skills leave a lot to be desired and there was too much variation from one pin to the next in diameter and symmetry. I considered purchasing a lathe duplicator but finances dictated this calls for another jig! Most of the hardware is standard off the shelf stuff- ¼” x 20 threaded stock, wing nuts, T-nuts, deck screws. The only thing “special” was the ¼” tool steel- which I purchased from a local machinist for 25 cents and then ground a rounded tip. This shape worked better than a point because it left the wood with a smoother surface. The base of the jig mounts onto the lathe bed. The back edge of the jig has the “reverse” arc of the rolling pin. The cutting portion of the jig sits on the MDF bottom and the bolt follows the arc to create the shape. The long bolt can be adjusted to position the cutter depth.

Once the blank has the layout lines drawn, it is time to cut the slots for the ellipses. The first step is to set the blade height. When the cut is made, there should be about 3/32" to 1/8” of material left holding the two sides together. This is necessary during the glue up by keeping the pieces aligned. Set the blank on the jig and adjust the angle and the end stop so that the front SHORTER layout line is positioned to the LEFT side of the blade cut. Orientation is when you are standing at the back of the saw looking forward. (These pictures are from the SIDES of the saw). On the latest jig, I drew positioning lines to locate the ends and center of the knot layout as well as the longitudinal center. These really help in positioning the blank. Make sure the length stop is adjusted against the end of the blank Aligning the layout lines to the jig Continue to adjust the angle and the end stop so that the rear LONGER layout line is positioned to the LEFT side of the blade cut. Securely tighten all adjustments. Once these angles/lengths are set, they will not change for all of the remaining cuts. Clamp the blank firmly in the jig. Double check the layout lines. In order to keep the correct orientation of the blank, I labeled the end of the blank nearest me. This end must always be placed against the rear stop for all diagonal cuts. With everything secure, make the first cut. Unclamp the blank. To make the second cut, I made a space strip to reposition the blank without having to change any of the jig setting. My first guess was that this spacer would be 3/8” thick- the same as the width of the finished cut. BUT that was too thick. I guess there is a way to calculate the thickness but trial and error won out. It came out closer to 1/4” (.265”). Later, someone told me that the reason was that I had failed to consider the width of the saw blade and on which side of the layout line the blade was cutting. The second cut is made with the blank position so that the front LONGER layout line is on the RIGHT side of the saw cut. The rear SHORTER layout line is on the RIGHT side of the saw cut. The walnut spacer strip can be seen between the blank and the fence of the jig. The thickness of the spacer strip could be different for each person. So check the setup carefully. Also, Make sure the blank butts up against the end stop before each cut. After the second cut has been made, there may be a thin piece of material left in the slot. I made another spacer- about 1/8”- replaced the first spacer and made a third “clean out” pass. The finished cut should be 3/8” wide and almost through the blank. Completed slot- Checking the slot for the inserts

The second part will concentrate on the layout of the rolling pin blank in preparation for cutting the slots. Create a blank that is 22” long and 2” square. Locate the center of the length (11”) and carry a line around the blank. The ellipses are 11” long and made of three pieces of 1/8” thick material Layout a mark 5 ½” on either side of the centerline and accurately carry the lines around the blank. To assist in laying out the diagonals, use a 3/8” thick spacer gauge, drawing lines on the blank, along BOTH sides of the spacer gauge. It is not necessary to layout both diagonals on each side. However, a check of the second diagonal will indicate if the layout is accurate and crossing in the center of the blank. NOTE: the cut for the diagonal strips falls within the 11” layout lines Rotate the blank 90 degrees and layout the location on the next diagonal cut. Continue rotating and drawing the diagonals until all four sides have been completed. Each diagonal consisted of two drawn lines. One line intersected with the layout line that defined the end of the ellipse. The second diagonal line ends “short” of the ellipse layout line. The location of the end, of this diagonal line, must be carried around the blank. These lines define the location of the saw cuts for the strips that create the ellipse. I have also begun to mark each end of the blank at the exact center of each end. This along with a centering line on the jig have helped reduce positioning errors as the saw kerf widens over time. Accuracy is important when laying out these lines in order to get the ellipses to maintain continuity. This drawing is not to scale. The measurements are what I used to make this rolling pin. The length and diameters were averaged from various baking supply web sites for their rolling pins.

This is a re-post on the Celtic Knot Rolling Pin. I am a fan of “Cook Book” style instructions so if I miss any details, please let me know and I will try to flesh them out. In addition, many of these photos/procedures have been refined over time and I will try to point them out by adding extra photos rather than rewriting the entire blog. I thought it best to start with the jigs I used to prepare the turning blanks. Please note that I always over engineer everything and hardly ever see the obvious or the easy way to do something so if you see an easier way- go for it! The first jig is one I made a while back, when I first started thinking about this project. I try to make jigs that have several uses. This one was also used to make the Cheese Knife Handles. Special Diagonal Cutting Jig Sled has 2 movable fences to change the angle of the cut and position of the blank. Toggle clamp holds blank during cutting operation Top view- Bottom View- The long extension is a stop to prevent the jig from being pushed too far. That’s because I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing and pushed the jig too far thru the saw. Disassembled Fences- Top of the angle fence Bottom of the angle fence- Bottom of the length stop- Top of the length stop, in place- Partially Assembled Fences- The spacers on the bolts elevate the wing nuts above the rolling pin blank to make adjustments easier. The bright pink tape improves visibility as the blank is aligned to the layout marks on the tape. Notice the single narrow saw kerf. The pin blank is cut with three passes thru the saw; using spacers to offset the pin blank on each pass. Several woodworkers suggested that using a dado blade would allow the cut to be made in one pass. My dado set isn't large enough in diameter to get the height needed to cut the slot. Also, the pattern of the Celtic Knot can be varied by making just two single passes. The spacers create a 3/8" slot at the fish of the third pass.

Bigelow tea bags. The cold stuff is usually a local bottled brand from the grocery store.

Thank @Gerald !!

I drink a lot of green tea. Hot in the winter, from tea bags and iced in the summer. I don't like sweet stuff so it is either straight or with a stevia sweetener. Still gotta have my coffee, however.

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time! I had trouble with the rubber tires getting coated with sawdust. Took an old toothbrush and made a clamp to hold it in place to keep the bottom tire clean.

Looks like Amazon carries them- https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-2608000199-Sanding-finger-flat/dp/B0009W874A

@Gerald Thanks!. I thought about putting the tools at the front of the lathe. What you cant see from the pictures is the distance between the lathe and the table saw. It is barely 2'. I was afraid tools in the front would diminish that to an unsafe distance. Got the magnets from Harbor Freight for about $4 each. I pitched several shop made tools made from files. Just didn't trust them. There are a couple of specialized tools in the drawers. @Woodbutcherbynight Never so true as in my shop. I have those Arthur Murray dance foot stickies on the floor to remember how to get around. My wife did compliment me on the fact that I took out a hoved up garbage can of "junk". @HandyDan Thank You! @Jim from Easy Wood Tools Thank You! I should have posted the contents of the cabinet under the drill press. 1 1/2 drawers full of old carpenters tools. Some dating back to my father and grandfather. Just can't part with them. @Larry Buskirk Just 4??? Sometimes when I'm trying to find something I know I have just moving 4 things would be a blessing!

THis may not be "new" news, but I received, in an email, that Lee Valley has a new and improved website- https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca

Those are spectacular!