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Woodturning repairs and reproductions - finials
WE HAVE STOPPED MAKING FINIALS. Check the finial guide for alternatives
We get requests for repairs - usually requiring replacement parts to be made - for a variety of turned wooden items: summerhouse finials, clock finials, doorknobs, drawer and cabinet knobs, gearstick knobs, even a lawnmower roller. Basically, if it's round and made of wood, we should be able to make a reproduction.
Globe finial replacement
Globe finial and base
Andrew on the Wirral requested a replacement globe finial as part of the refurbishment of his 6 year old Malvern Clifton summerhouse roof. The old one was 5 and a half inch diameter. He explained: ″Although the building itself including its cedar shingle roof remains in very good condition, the square plate above it was (surprisingly) made from softwood boards glued together and it has rotted badly, with the rot spreading into the base of the finial.″. I created a replacement to the same dimensions, sitting on an 8 inch wide octagonal base. This in turn sits on the 12 inch square base which Andrew had re-made in iroko. The finial was supplied bare; Andrew then coated it with Ronseal exterior varnish
Onion shaped finial on an octagonal base
Another finial and base made from poor quality softwood, with poor quality construction. Ann in Henllan, near Denbigh (Wales), requested a replacement finial and base to replace this sad specimen. The base was made thicker than the original. The replacement is all in larch.
Large ball finial replacement
Lesley from Englefield Green in Surrey asked if I could make a replacement roof finial for her summerhouse. The existing ball was 7 inches in diameter, so I had to glue two blocks of cedar together to turn the replacement. It sits on a 7.5″ diameter octagonal base, which felt a little too small in comparison to the ball, but as it was a replacement I suppose it needed to match the old version so that it would fit with the roof. I think the intention is to leave the finial untreated, to match replacement cedar shingles on the roof.
Replacement summerhouse finial in cedar.
Replacement skittle finials in cedar
Skittle finials
This pair of bespoke skittle shaped finials was requested by Ged in Church Stretton, to replace the originals that had badly decayed. A finial guide and gallery
Replacement summerhouse finials in larch.
Double acorn roof finial
Bryn from Bampton asked if I could make a replacement roof finial for his summerhouse. The kit supplied with the summerhouse had two plywood planks for a base, and two finials that had rotted badly. The replacement acorn finials were turned from larch. The base was made from three planks of pressure treated redwood, recycled from an old door. A groove was cut underneath to allow the base to slot onto the top of the roof.
Bryn painted the finial, along with the summerhouse, which will give it extra protection against the elements.
Replacement summerhouse finials in larch.
Copper cladded roof finial
Iain in Bath requested a finial to top off his copper cladded summerhouse roof. Not really a repair - Iain inherited the summerhouse when he moved house, but the roof was not quite finished. Some checking back and forward revealed the 9″ width of the recess actually needed to be 10.5"″ " - on a hexagon there is a difference between the width side to side, and point to point. The ″circumscribe″ circle needed to accomodate the hexagon needs to be point to point.
We ended up making a 14″ diameter (point to point) hexagon with a 10.5″ diameter recess. The ball finial is 5.5″ diameter.