Posted by Rick Denney on June 20, 2002 at 10:13:16:
In Reply to: retapering branches posted by Scott Norberg on June 20, 2002 at 08:28:01:
There are clues in the various descriptions you might see of different instruments, and in conversations with the fellows to do this well. They include:
One method uses dent balls to enlarge a branch. Use a tapered mandrel to stretch the opening on it by repeatedly inserting the mandrel and turning the bow under pressure. Anneal often to avoid cracks. Once the opening is enlarged, work dent balls into it to spread out the taper.
You can make a special mandrel of very hard wood, like rock maple, for basic shaping. You can use draw rings. You can insert the end of a branch into a tapered hole and reduce its size, the same as enlarging using a tapered mandrel, and then use dent balls to smooth out the taper.
All of this requires skills and patience, of course, and lots of experience. Progress is made slowly through a series of tiny moves. Part of the skill is understanding how to adapt or fabricate the required tools. I'm no good at any of this, and few hobbyists will be able to produce professional results, though they can still have fun trying.
Carl Kleinsteuber made a tapered dog-leg from a flat sheet, cutting it so that its width was the circumference of the tube, hammering it into a tube, and then silver-soldering the length-wise joint. He then annealed it and shaped it. Leadpipes are made by drawing a straight tube through a mandrel.
Rick "who learned even greater respect for repair technicians with his own projects" Denney