Wood Turning & Fine Craft Tools by Cynthia D. Haney, Spindle Maker
Gallery of the First Fifty Spindles
A showcase of finished spindles by Cynthia D. Haney.
Enjoy watching how my work has progressed since I started turning in 2011. Get ideas for what you might like to order. Everything pictured here has already sold.
Spindle #50 Maple rim weighted top whorl on 9.5″ x 1/4″ Sycamore shaft hand turned drop spindle 1oz. SOLDSpindle #49 Top whorl drop spindle of Quilted Maple on a 9″ Maple shaft 1 oz. SOLDBranch Size Spindle # 48 Maple rim weighed notched whorl on Maple 12″ x 1/4″ shaft hand turned drop spindle 1.1 oz. 32g SOLDSpindle # 47 Top whorl drop spindle of Brazilian Mahogany rim weighted notched whorl on Mahogany shaft 1.25 oz. SOLDSpindle #46 Top whorl drop spindle with Brazilian Mahogany rim weighted notched whorl on Maple shaft 1 oz. SOLDSpindle #45 Top whorl drop spindle with Sycamore rim weighted notched whorl on a Maple shaft 0.75 oz. SOLDSpindle #44 Top whorl drop spindle with Mahogany whorl on Maple shaft 1 oz. SOLDSpindle #43 Top whorl drop spindle with a Mahogany notched and rim weighted whorl on Maple shaft 1 oz. SOLDSpindle #42 Top whorl drop spindle of Cherry on a Maple shaft 1.5oz. SOLDSpindle # 41 Hand turned rim weighted notched top whorl drop spindle. Whorl is Quilted Maple while shaft is Maple, ~ 10″ x 1/4″. 1oz. SOLDSpindle #40 Quilted Maple top whorl on Maple shaft. Rim weighted with notch and hand bent copper hook. The quilted grain in the whorl allows me to give you a naturally reflective appearance in this hand turned 1oz. drop spindle. SOLDSpindle #38 Ambrosia Maple whorl on 10.5″ Maple shaft top whorl rim weighted notched drop spindle, 0.75oz. The difference between Ambrosia Maple and ordinary Maple is a fungus introduced to the three usually by a beetle that causes the pretty discoloration. You may notice two small round marks in the whorl in the bottom left picture these were holes caused by the beetle now filled. Sold.Spindle #37 Lacewood whorl on Maple 9.5″ shaft top rim weighted whorl with notch drop spindle, 1oz. Lacewood is a very dense South American wood with a high mineral content, I do not plan to turn more of it due to the excess wear it puts on my turning tools. Sold.Spindle #35 Lacewood whorl on Maple 9.5″ shaft, top whorl rim weighted notched drop spindle, 1.25oz. Lacewood is a very dense South American wood with a high mineral content, I do not plan to turn more of it due to the excess wear it puts on my turning tools. Sold.Spindle #32 Walnut shallow shaped whorl on Maple 9″ shaft, top whorl rim weighed notched drop spindle 1 oz. Sold.Spindle #31 Sycamore whorl on Maple 9″ shaft, top whorl rim weighed notched drop spindle 1 oz. I liked it so much it is now in my personal collection Not For Sale.Spindle #30 Tulip Poplar whorl on Maple 9″ shaft, top whorl rim weighed notched drop spindle 1.5oz. Tulip poplar changes color with age the greens will transform to browns of about the same shade. Sold.Spindle #29 Walnut, figured, whorl on Maple 9″ shaft, top whorl rim weighed notched drop spindle 1.25oz. Sold.Spindle #28 Tulip Poplar whorl on Maple 9.5″ shaft, top whorl rim weighted notched drop spindle 1.25oz. Tulip poplar will change color with age with the green tones mellowing to about the color of wildflower honey. Sold.All Walnut whorls on Maple shafts with custom colored shaft ends and extra signing due to being the first spindles starting close family on spinning. Numbers 22-24.
Number 25 similar but with a paste wax final finish to be more forgiving of drops on hard surfaces spinning in public made for myself not pictured. Gifted.Spindle #20 Top whorl drop spindle of Tulip Poplar on a shaft of Walnut 1.25 oz. SOLDSpindle #18 Oak whorl rim weighed and notched on oak shaft custom request 1.25oz. 12″ shaft still hand bent and hammered copper hook. Number 19 was similar trying for a different weight but keeping the oak look.
The grain that makes the whorl so pretty was a lucky result due to how the board was cut from the tree, with the rings creating a pattern along with the rays that are part of oak’s growth habit. However these are the first and only two oak shafts ever as the grain is too porous for my smooth finish preferences, took at least three times the normal number of coats of finish to get an acceptable result. Both Sold.Spindle # 17 Tulip poplar rim weighed whorl on a walnut shaft 1/4″ diameter for the working portion of the shaft and decorative shape above the whorl. Total shaft length 10″ weight 3/4oz. Sold.Spindle # 16 Lacewood (South American exotic wood) rim weighed notched whorl on maple 1/4″ by ~10″ shaft top whorl drop spindle 2.25oz. First use of this exotic wood, made a wide whorl to show off the lacy grain better. This wood is hard on tools due to sand like mineral particles embedded in the wood due to the nature of its growth. Also a very dense wood that lead to the heaver more plying and thick yarn spinning spindle. Sold.Spindle #15 Tulip poplar whorl only slightly rim weighted, notched, on a walnut shaft 1/4″ by 10″ 3/4 oz. An experiment in whorl shape that while pretty was a shorter faster spin time than I would have sold to a beginner. Found a good home with a spinner that understood the spinning characteristics. Sold.Spindle #14 Walnut rim weighted notched whorl on a maple shaft with the portion above the whorl turned to compliment the whorl top whorl drop spindle. ~9″ shaft weighs 1.25oz. already in a good home. SOLDSpindle #12 Zebrawood rim weighed whorl on walnut shaft top whorl drop spindle. The shaft is also 10″ long. 1.25oz. Sold.This is the first and so far only bottom whorl drop spindle I have turned. It has a 12″ tulip poplar shaft and a walnut whorl. Spindle # 4 Needs more spinning time, my making skills and spinning skill has stayed focused on top whorls since. Personal collection Not For Sale.This walnut hand turned whorl is on a cherry dowel shaft that I tapered near the tip. It supported a local hospice program by becoming a raffle prize at a fiber festival, it got notched after the picture as like the first two spindles I made I did not yet appreciate notches for ease of spinning. Does have a hand bent copper hook and a polyurethane finish. 1oz. 12″ shaft Spindle Number 3 will remain the only spindle without a hand turned shaft.Spindle #2. Walnut spindle on poplar shaft, the second spindle I turned. The straight shaft without any change in diameter before or after the whorl was quite a challenge as a new turner. Includes hand bent copper hook works great for plying. 2.5oz. 12″ shaft. Sold.Spindle #1 The first spindle I hand turned. Whorl and shaft are Tulip Poplar 2.25 oz. with a 12″ shaft and hand bent hook. In my personal collection and gets frequent use for plying and occasionally spinning a thick single. Not For Sale.
