# Ideas for a Rollin Pin



## BassBlaster (Feb 16, 2013)

My wife has been onto me about a rolling pin for awhile now. Kevin was kind enough to send me a chunk of mesquite for this purpose. Right now I plan to make something similar to the other turned rolling pins you see with fixed handles but Ive also been toying with the idea of the handles being able to spin free. My idea for this would be to core the blank and run a dowel through it and then fix handles to the dowel except I dont have the abillity to core anything this long and I'm not willing to risk this beautiful chunk of wood trying some experimental coring technique. Any ideas how to put spinning handles on it without having to core it?


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## Mike1950 (Feb 16, 2013)

Golf epoxy and a metal headed pin in a small hole. My mother used to have one with metal pins- of course it was probably built in the 30's and died an accidental death in the dishwasher 20 yrs ago.


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## DKMD (Feb 16, 2013)

You can halve the blank and route out both sides then glue it back together if you don't have a drill bit long enough... Similar to the ways some folks do lamps.


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## BassBlaster (Feb 16, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> Golf epoxy and a metal headed pin in a small hole. My mother used to have one with metal pins- of course it was probably built in the 30's and died an accidental death in the dishwasher 20 yrs ago.



I'm not sure I follow.


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## BassBlaster (Feb 16, 2013)

DKMD said:


> You can halve the blank and route out both sides then glue it back together if you don't have a drill bit long enough... Similar to the ways some folks do lamps.



I thought about this as Ive seen it done with lamps. I'm not so sure I want to split this piece but its something to consider.


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## AXEMAN58 (Feb 16, 2013)

Simply drill a hole on each end of your blank to your desired depth and epoxy your dowels into the blank. Just waht I would do.


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## Mike1950 (Feb 16, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> Mike1950 said:
> 
> 
> > Golf epoxy and a metal headed pin in a small hole. My mother used to have one with metal pins- of course it was probably built in the 30's and died an accidental death in the dishwasher 20 yrs ago.
> ...



Basically what axeman said. But hers was actually a 5" handle with a hole drilled though it. A screw went though and into pin. I know because she brought it to me and asked if I could fix it, it had swelled up and cracked in the dishwasher- at fifty years old I told her I thought she had gotten her moneys worth- she had her doubts. :dash2::dash2::dash2: She can stretch a nickel into a 2 dollar bill.


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## Mike Mills (Feb 16, 2013)

How about a threaded insert like these.

http://tinyurl.com/c4wupmu
You can drill the main bolt hole deeper so that it will go in deeper and help support the handle.
The problem may be in finding brass bolts in the length you need.

Let us know what you decide. My daughter has asked for one also.


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## Kevin (Feb 16, 2013)

I wish you had thought to tell me and I had thought to ask, because I could have drilled it for you. Be careful about what you do to it though, mesquite has a brittle side to it and will split along the long grain if you put too much side pressure against it. Once the dowels are epoxied in you'll be fine. If it were me I'd drill the dowel holes 1/32" inch larger than the dowels for a good epoxy wall. 

I'm not sure if I follow Mike's suggestion so I might actually be saying the same thing here and if so forgive me Mike. What I would do is avoid any screws because skeet doesn't hold them well due to it's brittle nature. I would drill and turn the handles so that the handle holes are roughly 1/16" larger than the diameter of the dowels. On one end of the dowel of course you want to turn a decorative mushroom shaped head (or whatever shape you want) as the handle keeper. So they dowel obviously needs to be long enough to be pressed into the hole in the end of the pin, plus leave a little room between the keeper end of the dowel and the handle on that end, and also the end of the pin and that end of the handle - enough that it cannot bind but not so much that it's too sloppy when used. . 

Does this make sense? If you want to use this idea I can send you enough mesuite parts to stay with the same pieces. I wouldn't sugest using a different species since skeet is far more stable than most speices that the difference in shrinkage between skeet and 99% of other speices could cause eventual failure of the glue joint where the dowel and dowel mortice are, especially since the pin will almost certainly see huge variations in mositure and temperature. .


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## duncsuss (Feb 16, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> My idea for this would be to core the blank and run a dowel through it and then fix handles to the dowel except I dont have the abillity to core anything this long



How long a hole do you have to bore?

I got a 10" extension rod that I used with Forstner bits when I made a peppermill.

A second way: do you have a router and router table? If so, a round bit (which I see MLCS call a "core box bit") will cut a semi-cylindrical groove.

Slice the blank in half, make one of these grooves in each piece, then glue it back together so the grooves line up ... voila, a circular hole down the middle.


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## Mike Mills (Feb 16, 2013)

Well I have never worked with skeet so I didn’t know its holding properties.
What I was trying to say…

Turn the rolling pin, then on the lathe or drill press drill a 3/8 hole in each end maybe 2” deep. Then use a forstner bit and drill the larger diameter needed to accept the threaded insert usually (1/2-3/4” long).
Turn your handles and drill the hole for the pins (brass bolts). Round off the heads of the bolts for appearance, insert through the handles, and thread into the main rolling pin going through the threaded insert and about 1.5 inches into the skeet. Set with a little epoxy.
The pressure on the handles could split the skeet I suppose or even though threaded inserts have deep course threads they may not hold.


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## Kevin (Feb 16, 2013)

I vote against ripping the blank Dennis. Why would you do it when it is totally unnecessary? You will ruin the grain pattern of the classical looking rolling pin like your grandma used if you rip it because the glue line cannot be hidden with this tight-grained, dark wood on such a small scale. The "mystique" of a solid old-school rolling pin would be lost. No offense to others' suggestions but you have gone through too much effort to take shortcuts for a family heirloom. What I am suggesting is not a difficult path, and will give both the form and function of the end product the best chance. I believe that was the point of your question.


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## Mike1950 (Feb 16, 2013)

Seems to me that this is a special piece of wood. Me I am clueless -never even touched it let alone worked it. Find someone local- drill it and move on. that way there is no guess work or do one of the pins that are solid or you could just buy one of these -Kathie loves it. made out of ancient subtropical Antarctica pink squeitweret wood. really rare


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## Mike1950 (Feb 16, 2013)

PS is it me or the site- I cannot load pictures today????


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## Kevin (Feb 16, 2013)

It's a beautiful rolling pin Mike. But I have the impression Dennis wants to make it himself on his mini wood lathe and not have to buy one. I thought that was his main desire.


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## BassBlaster (Feb 16, 2013)

Wow, this thread sure took off. Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I really appreciate it.

Kevin, I dont plan to rip this blank. The way you describe doing the handles will work perfectly and look exactly the same as the way I was originally thinking. I have no clue why it never crossed my mind to do it this way.

I was staring at the chunk of skeet today since its still laying on the kitchen counter, lol and my wife asked what I was doing. I said trying to figure out how I'm going to core this for the handles. She said, why would you need to core it, arnt the handles part of the rolling part?

It never crossed her mind that the handles would spin free and shes not sure she wants them to spin free. I guess I should have asked her but that never crossed my mind. Anyhow, thanks for all the suggestions and Kevin, thanks for the offer so send more skeet if I need it. I'll be in touch if she decides she wants spinning handles. Thanks again guys!


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## duncsuss (Feb 16, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> It never crossed her mind that the handles would spin free and shes not sure she wants them to spin free. I guess I should have asked her but that never crossed my mind.



:rotflmao3:


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## Mike1950 (Feb 17, 2013)

Kevin said:


> It's a beautiful rolling pin Mike. But I have the impression Dennis wants to make it himself on his mini wood lathe and not have to buy one. I thought that was his main desire.



Sorry- I was joking- I know he wants to turn one.


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## BassBlaster (Feb 17, 2013)

Okay, so this morning she tells me she just didnt know having spinning handles was an option but she still dosnt have a preferance one way or the other so I can make it however I want. Still not sure if I want to attempt it or not.

Kevin, I took some measurements on this chunk you sent me and if I go with spinning handles, I believe theres enough there to get the whole thing out of it. Do you have an idea how fat the dowels should be and how deep you think they should be inset into the pin? Would 1/2" be strong enough if I inset it 1 1/2"? Theres enough material here that I could actually spin 3/4" dowels but that seems like overkill. Maybe not though? My wife has small hands so if I have to go too big on the dowels, that could dictate fixed handles.


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## DKMD (Feb 17, 2013)

I'd go 3/4 or just slightly less on the handles... 1/2" seems a little flimsy to me.


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## Kevin (Feb 17, 2013)

I've never made one but I agree with doc I'd go 3/4 or maybe no less than 5/8". But I don't know how you're going to pull it off without having some separate blanks for the dowels.


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## BassBlaster (Feb 17, 2013)

Kevin said:


> I've never made one but I agree with doc I'd go 3/4 or maybe no less than 5/8". But I don't know how you're going to pull it off without having some separate blanks for the dowels.



The dimension I'm asking about is for the dowel. Obviously the handle itself will be much fatter. Sorry if I wasnt clear in my question.

The blank you sent me is really long. I originally asked for a long blank because I hadnt even considered anything other than fixed handles. If I do loose handles, I can chop this blank depending how long I decide to make the pin portion, the left over piece will be 6"-10" long. I can get two 1 1/2" blanks for the handles and two 1 1/4" blanks for the dowels out of that piece.


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## Kevin (Feb 17, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> Kevin said:
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> 
> > I've never made one but I agree with doc I'd go 3/4 or maybe no less than 5/8". But I don't know how you're going to pull it off without having some separate blanks for the dowels.
> ...



I knew you were asking about the dowel dimension you were clear on that. I just couldn't see how you were going to get 2 blanks for dowels and 2 blanks for handles but I see how you're approaching it now. That might work but I'm thinking fatter for the handles. I've never made one like this either I may go ahead and make one tonight. We could do a dual build. 


Since I still have a lot of skeet, if you want me to plow the field first and see how many big rocks might be in this dirt I'll be happy to make the mistakes first so you don't. :i_dunno:


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## BassBlaster (Feb 17, 2013)

Kevin said:


> BassBlaster said:
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> > Kevin said:
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Lol, works for me!! I'm not gonna be able to start this project this weekend anyhow so I'm trying to get all my questions out of the way.


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## Kevin (Feb 17, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> Kevin said:
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> > BassBlaster said:
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Well that didn't come out right. I wasn't saying you *would* make mistakes. Not everyone is like me in the shop - I make gooofs all the time on new projects. :dash2:


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## BassBlaster (Feb 17, 2013)

Kevin said:


> BassBlaster said:
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It came out right. I understood what you meant. Still though, I make mistakes everytime Im in the shop, lol. Thats why I ask so many questions that may seem elementary to someone that has been doing this forever.

Just last night, I made a handle for a pizza cutter my wife requested after ours fell apart last weekend. I turned a beautiful piece of FBE and filled all the little bugger holes with turquise so it somewhat matched the peppermill I made for her. Was doing the final buff on the wax wheel when I loosened my grip just a little to much and it was ripped from my hands and slamed into the lathe bed. Now it has a nice gash in it that I cant fix so I'm starting over. Those kind of mistakes happen to me on a regular basis, thus my title, "rookie woodturner"!!


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## AXEMAN58 (Feb 17, 2013)

Just a quick observation. All the ladies I've ever watched use a rolling pin RARELY ever touch the handles. They tend to use 1 hand towards the middle of the pin to do the rolling. This from observing my Grandma, my Mom, my M.I.L., and my wife. I amade my Mom a rolling pin for Christmas last year out of spalted pecan, with fixed handles, and she loves it. Now I've got to make my wife one.:teethlaugh::teethlaugh:


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