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WIP Critique Home made oak base

Discussion in 'vBench (Works in Progress)' started by ACCOUNT_DELETED, Sep 24, 2014.

  1. ACCOUNT_DELETED A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I have tired of looking for model bases locally and have settled on this approach.

    1. Purchase oak newel post (for stair bannister) from Home Depot - $85 (enough wood for about 10 square and several round bases. Here is a photo after I had cut 2 bases out of it with a chop saw (mitre saw).

    P1010139.JPG

    2. Note that the post is solid oak but is not one piece - there are several pieces of oak glued together and lathed. Here is a bottom up view to illustrate.

    P1010140.JPG

    3. Measure and cut the wood into appropriate blocks .... for large bust I am using 2 15/16". You can get newel posts in various diameters and can use stair rail spindles for 54mm figs. Cut slowly and carefully to minimize wood splintering. A hand saw may work better if you can keep it square.

    4. Sand

    5. Using oak stripping (sold to decorate kitchen cupbaord doors) and a hand saw and mitre box cut the strips at the correct length at 45 degrees. Cost for about 12' of stripping is $10.

    6. Using rolled oak veneer, cut an appropriate square for the top of the block. Veneer is very inexpensive in small 10" wide rolls. Cost $10 for roll. It will do dozens of bases.

    7. Attach stripping and veneer to block with contact cement.

    8. Sand edges of veneer and fill any gaps in the stripping.

    9. Stain and varnish

    10 Voila ..... total estimated cost for one base is about $10. Time spent about one and a half hours in total.

    Here is my first effort before varnishing. A hole has been drilled to receive the bust support.

    P1010138.JPG

    Not as good as a professionally rendered base but at 1/5 the cost and immediate delivery that is fine by me.

    Colin
  2. Helm A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Nice one Colin
    Steve
    crf likes this.
  3. ACCOUNT_DELETED A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Thanks Steve....and I should point out that I am most assuredly NOT a wood worker or even handy.

    Colin
  4. Wings5797 A Fixture

    Country:
    France
    Good cash saver Colin.
    Very nice finish, looks very professional.
    Cheers for passing it on.
    Keith
    crf likes this.
  5. Eludia A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Nice one (y)

    Funnily enough, I've been eying up the same thing in B&Q here in the UK and mentally calculating how many bases I could get from a support. You answered my question, many thanks.

    Cheers,
    Billy :)

    p.s. New age hippy shops (the ones that sell incense and dream catchers etc.) are also a good source for bases btw, especially for fantasy pieces. I picked up a nice piece that was masquerading as a tea-light holder for about a fiver, you just have to think outside the box sometimes ;)
    napoleonpeart and crf like this.
  6. RIKARDO Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Very useful post, thanks
  7. TD2802 Active Member

    Country:
    United-States
    crf likes this.
  8. ACCOUNT_DELETED A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
  9. TD2802 Active Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Yes, I made sure I got the solid ones. Worked a treat!
    crf likes this.
  10. Steve Ettinger Active Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Went to the the local lumber yard that has a MILL that makes replacement moulding for older homes. Showed them a completed figure on a base and asked for any scraps they might have. Iam now the proud owner of enough oak and other exotic hardwood scraps to last me forever. Try it
    blaster, Jamie Stokes and crf like this.
  11. Wayneb A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    NIce work Colin,oak is a bitch routing end grain,plus sanding is another bitch.....Wayne
    crf likes this.
  12. ChaosCossack A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I scrounged up a ton (actually about 200lbs) of wood, of different species, after the huge Icestorm in December. All dried out and chopped into rough blocks ready to be fine tuned into bases.
    Now that you've come up with this system... WHAT THE HELL AM I GONNA DO WITH ALL THIS FRIGGIN WOOD???????

    Colin the Woodchuck
    crf and Jamie Stokes like this.
  13. Jamie Stokes Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Australia
    This is a good idea, the local chain hardware store *cough*bunnings*cough* sell furniture legs in pine in various sizes and shapes (I imagine to match various one legged pirates) which can be stained to suit ones taste.

    It always looks like stained pine though.....

    This is much better, although the composite wood isn't that new, as I came across this in the door trade, cheaper, better thermal stability, cheaper, less problems with grain, cheaper, uses offcuts that would otherwise go to waste, and cheaper too, allowing for better mark up.

    I may start shopping upmarket!

    Cheers

    Jamie
    garyhiggins and crf like this.
  14. garyhiggins A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Well done Colin. From the picture it looks just as good as a professionally made one, and it's all your own work. I generally don't make my own, but there's definitely something relaxing about the smoothing and varnishing bit.:)
    Best wishes, Gary.
    crf and ChaosCossack like this.
  15. ACCOUNT_DELETED A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Thanks Gary. The big advantage to me is that i can produce a base quickly at low cost rather than my only other alternative....ordering one from NY and waiting a month.

    Colin
    garyhiggins likes this.
  16. garyhiggins A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Actually I'm lucky, my brother's best mate's dad does wood turning just for fun.
    Best wishes, Gary.
    crf likes this.
  17. smudger1960 PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    That looks really nice Colin,thanks for sharing
    crf likes this.

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