Pincushion archive
Wednesday 5 November 2008
Sue Harker makes this simple pincushion out of off cuts
Gallery
The finished pincushion
Use a 48mm (1 7/8in) Forstner bit to drill a chucking recess in one end of the timber. Mount it on the lathe and turn to round using a spindle roughing gouge. Use a 10mm (3/8in) standard grind bowl gouge or spindle to true up the end
Cut beads at both ends of the timber using a 10mm (3/8in) spindle gouge
Turn a cove between the beads and refine with a 13mm (1/2in) spindle gouge
Using a 10mm (3/8in) bedan, cut a recess 60mm (2 3/8in) diameter x 10mm (3/8in) deep. Cut the centre 25mm (1in) diameter approximately 10mm (3/8in) deeper than the rest. Gentle cuts are required as this is end grain timber
Cut the sides of the recess parallel using a skew chisel laid flat on its side
Sand the pin cushion, working through the grades. Start with 120 grit and finish with 400 grit
Apply two coats of sanding sealer then apply a friction polish to finish
Reverse mount the pin cushion using the recess cut earlier. Take care not to over tighten the chuck. Use a 6mm (1/4in) standard grind bowl gouge to remove the chucking recess. Then sand, seal and apply friction polish to the underneath
For the pin cushion top, use a piece of material 200mm (8in) x 200mm (8in) and a length of wadding approx 38mm (1 1/2in) x 1220mm (48in). Roll the wadding up tightly and place in the centre of the material. Pull the corners together and tightly wrap the material round the wadding. Use elastic bands to secure them and trim any excess material
Coat the recess in the timber with Titebond glue, making sure to coat up to the edges
Secure the material ball in place with a clamp and leave to dry
This simple pin cushion is an adaptation of one I was shown when I first started turning.
For the cushion top, I used a polystyrene ball available at most haberdashery shops. The ball was cut in half and I glued material to it before gluing it into the wooden base. I found that the glue made the material a bit too stiff, and combined with the firm polystyrene, it was too hard to insert the dressmaking pins. I substituted the polystyrene ball for tightly rolled up wadding and found this produced a far softer and more user-friendly surface.
This project is a way of using up small off cuts of timber and also scraps of material. I have used all sorts of material as a covering but prefer to use plain velour as its stretchy properties lends itself well to stretching round the wadding.
A small circular magnet can be added to the underside of the pin cushion by cutting a recess the size of the magnet and gluing it in place. This is a useful addition for picking up any dropped pins or needles.
The turning is quite basic but produces an effective pin cushion which I am sure your family and friends will love to receive as a gift this Christmas.
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