How do I make a wooden centerband?
Here is how to make fixed (glued on, as opposed to lose) centerbands. The important thing is that the band has to be jointed to the main body, and that the interface is square to the axis of the pen. If you glue 2 pieces of wood together, then drill them, chances are that you hole is not 100% perpendicular to the joint. It’s amazing how little it has to be off to be noticeable! Here is the way I work around that problem. Mount and turn the barrel the way you normally do. Do not turn quite to the final diameter! Now remove the wood down to the brass tube using a cutoff tool, for the length of the desired centerband. The diameter of the rough turned barrel at the centerband end must be smaller than the diameter of your barrel trimmer, if that’s what you use to square your faces. Now you can drill your (contrasting) wood for the centerband. Use a barrel trimmer to square off 1 side. Then cut off a piece a tad longer than the desired band width on the band saw. When you slide the square-of
