Treen is a term used to describe any of a number of small,
utilitarian items made from wood. Treen, literally means "from a
tree" and can cover anything from carved kitchen ware such as spoons
and porringers, to turned boxes and bowls. Though the word has been
out of general use for some time, it is returning and is
particularly apt for the many small hand turned objects now being
made.
 The
first step in making a small container like the ones shown, is to
bore a hole in a wood blank. Our mandrels require a 1-1/4" hole
which can be bored with a multi-spur, brad point or Forstner bit.
The depth can be anything up to 4" for a two inch turning blank. It
is wise to use a drill press vice or clamp, as shown to prevent the
blank from spinning and hurting your hand. Of course the drill press
should be set at its slowest possible speed. |
 The
blank is then slid onto the large mandrel and secured by bringing
the tailstock up to clamp it. Note that a pointless (no pun
intended) live center is used to avoid marking the bottom of the
vessel. The sharp edge of the mandrel will grip the bottom of the
hole and hold it firmly for turning. Both mandrels have tapped holes
in the small end so that a draw bar may be fitted to prevent them
from working out of the spindle hole. |
 The
container can then be turned. Since it is fully supported within, it
can be made very thin without danger of coming apart or collapsing
in the lathe. In addition, it can be removed from the mandrel and
reinstalled without concentricity problems and the cavity will
always be centered since the part is turned around the hole. The
only problem that can arise is if the blank, having been bored, is
not turned for some time, allowing the wood to shrink or distort so
that it will not fit over the mandrel. It is best to not bore the
cavity until you are ready to turn the part. The smaller mandrel is
for turning the lid and stopper. The lid being the decorative
exterior part and the stopper being the fitted part that goes into
the top of the vessel. These two parts are made separately to make
them easier to turn and fit. |
 Drill
the blanks for the lid and stopper with a 1/2" drill, slightly more
than 3/8" deep, and use super glue to install the female fittings.
Both parts may be turned on the small mandrel without the use of the
tail stock. It will be safer and more secure if a draw bar is fitted
for this operation. You can make the draw bar yourself from a piece
of 1/4-20 threaded rod, a nut and washer. |
 A
brass gauge ring is supplied which can be slipped over the small
mandrel. It is 1-1/4" OD and serves to help turn the stopper to its
proper size. Though the stopper may be made to fit very well
initially, humidity and age will probably change the shape of both
the vessel and the stopper so that they no longer fit as well. Using
wood from the same stock with the grain oriented the same way will
help prevent these problems, but it is also possible to fashion a
more forgiving plug by making a "corked" stopper. |
 A
shallow groove can be cut in the stopper and a cork band glued in.
The cork, sands very easily and is springy enough to allow for the
wood to expand and contract without spoiling the fit. We supply the
1/16" cork sheet for this purpose. Ordinary wood glue will work well
for this, but it must be allowed to dry overnight since it will
cause the cork to expand if sanded to shape before thoroughly dry,
it will shrink back causing the joint to be loose. |
 A
rubber band is a handy way to hold the cork on the stopper while the
glue dries. The upper, decorative part of the lid is turned on the
lid mandrel and is simplified since the tail stock is not used and
end treatments, such as the ball, are easy to perform. |
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It
too can be removed from the mandrel at anytime to test its fit and
appearance against the vessel. Once the lid and stopper have both
been finished they can be assembled by using the 3/8" threaded stud
to connect them. If a permanent connection is desired, a drop of
super glue on the stud will lock it in.
- Jerry Beal, 2001
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