Turning a 1/4 scale chair leg on the lathe

 

When turning parts for my miniature chairs I use the same lathe and turning tools I use when turning full-sized chair parts, Billets for turning are split out of grren maple. A miniature billet is around 5/8-inch to 3/4-inch square to start with. The act of turning a part is pretty much the same as doing a larger turning, with one exception. On a full-sized leg I can push the tool into the cut. Try this when turning the neck of a leg's baluster down to 3/16-inch or less, and the turning will snap in two. The tools have to be sharp, and you have to let the tool do the cutting, without applying pressure to force the cut. And, as you can see in the picture I use my finger as a steady rest to support the work and dampen any vibration imparted by the tool as it cuts.