Turned Spindles
Made to the drawing: the part itself, cut to your profile in the species you choose, by Mennonite and Amish workshops whose families have been at the trade for generations. One replacement or a whole staircase. We work directly with the people who cut them, so what we quote you is what they charge us plus our margin, and nothing else.
Turn it yourself
These are three real parts, not illustrations. Each one was measured off a spindle and drawn to scale, and the model you’re looking at is built from those same measurements, so what you turn on the page is exactly the shape that would come off a lathe. Drag it around. Change the species. Pick a different one.
- Measured fromreal spindles
- Drawn totrue scale
- Same numbers asthe shop drawing
That is the whole idea. Every plate below was drawn from a measurement of a real part, not cropped out of somebody else’s catalogue.
The three specimens
Each plate is rendered from the same measured profile as the drawing, so the picture, the model and the sheet are the same shape. Dimensions are as measured off the originals.
No. 101
Rope-Twist Spindle
A single-start rope twist cut between two square blocks. The pattern people mean when they say a staircase is Victorian.
- Diameter2.000 in
- Overall21.000 in
- Twist runs4.580 – 15.468 in
- HandSingle-start, right
- Lead1.000 in
No. 102
Turned Post
A plain turned post with a long taper. The workhorse: porch rails, newels, and anything structural that still has to look made.
- Diameter1.750 in
- Overall35.125 in
- Bottom block7.873 in
- Top block6.187 in
No. 103
Fluted Taper Baluster
A fluted, tapered baluster. Flutes are cut lengthwise and are the reason this one catches light down its whole length.
- Diameter2.375 in
- Overall39.375 in
- Bottom block7.275 in
- Top block7.193 in
| No. | Part | Diameter | Overall | Further detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Rope-Twist Spindle | 2.000 in | 21.000 in | Twist runs 4.580 – 15.468 in · Hand Single-start, right · Lead 1.000 in |
| 102 | Turned Post | 1.750 in | 35.125 in | Bottom block 7.873 in · Top block 6.187 in |
| 103 | Fluted Taper Baluster | 2.375 in | 39.375 in | Bottom block 7.275 in · Top block 7.193 in |
| What | When |
|---|---|
| The drawing | End of the next business day, by email |
| The price per piece | With the drawing, not after it |
| Lead time on turned work | Stated with the price. It starts when you approve the drawing |
| A photograph we can’t read | We tell you the same day, and what would work instead |
Species
Anything that grows here, and most things that do not. Name the ones you know, and write anything else in the margin.
- Black WalnutDark, warm, close-grained.
- Hard MaplePale, hard, takes a stain.
- Red OakOpen grain, the traditional choice.
- White AshTough and pale, strong figure.
- CherryDarkens with age.
- BeechEven grain, hard wearing.
- Ambrosia MapleStreaked with beetle figure.
- PineSoft, cheap, knots and all.
Exotics, just ask. If it doesn't grow in Canada we'll tell you straight whether we can get it, what it costs and how long it takes. Better a straight no than a promise on a timber we can't land.
How it goes
- 1
You send the part, or a photograph of it
Bring it in, post it, or email a square-on photograph with one known dimension. If the photograph is enough to measure, that’s enough, and you never have to mail anything.
- 2
We draw it and price it
You get the drawing and a price per piece, with a lead time. The drawing and the price arrive together, because the drawing is what makes the price possible. Nothing is charged to get this far.
- 3
You approve both
This is the last moment to change anything, and the right moment to be fussy. Check the profile, the lengths, the species, the count.
- 4
They turn them
The workshops cut your parts to the drawing, in the species you chose, and they ship. Anywhere in North America, white-glove on request.
Bring your spindle
The original, or a piece of it, brought to 107 Colonnade Road. We measure it in front of you and tell you what it is. This is the Ottawa way in.
Or send the job in
Photographs, roughly how many you need, and the species if you have a preference. We will come back with a drawing and a price.