Turn a small wooden top between centers, form a chatter-textured band with a simple homemade tool, then add color and finish. WOOD Magazine’s project uses a hard maple blank and provides example lathe speeds; treat those settings as part of that demonstration, not as universal recommendations.
What you’ll need
- Hard maple blank, 2¼ inches square by 2½ inches long
- Lathe and centers; the demonstration uses a ¾-inch spindle roughing gouge, a ⅜-inch spindle gouge, and a skew
- Hardwood dowel, small reciprocating-saw blade (or hacksaw blade), and two hose clamps for the homemade chatter tool
- Felt markers that do not wash off easily, friction polish, and spinning-top hardware: axle, axle ring, and string
These are the materials and tools shown in the WOOD Magazine Staff tutorial, updated June 2, 2025. The tutorial describes the top as made from a kit; its project steps do not specify a kit brand or model. See the WOOD Magazine project tutorial.
Turn the top’s profile
- Mount and round the blank. Secure the maple between centers. The tutorial rounds its example blank with a ¾-inch spindle roughing gouge at about 2,600 RPM.
- Shape the body. Work toward the tailstock with the roughing gouge, then use the ⅜-inch spindle gouge to refine the profile and bring it closer to the mandrel. Check the shape against a template, as in the demonstration.
The dimensions, tools, and speed above describe this particular project. They are not a substitute for choosing a safe speed for your lathe, setup, blank, and turning skill.
Make a chatter tool
The demonstrated tool is a short hardwood dowel with a slot cut to hold a small blade. Grind the blade to a point, fit it into the slot, and secure it with two hose clamps. The tutorial uses a small Sawzall blade and notes that a hacksaw blade can also be used. It handles the tool somewhat like a scraper.
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Cut the chatter band
Reduce the lathe speed before texturing. WOOD Magazine’s example uses about 800 RPM, then tips the chatter tool upward against the turning surface. The demonstrator listens for a squeal as a cue that the tool is chattering: “When we get a squeal we know we’ve gotten some good chatter.” That sound is a cue in this demonstration, not a guaranteed result across different lathes, woods, or tools.
Add color and finish
- Color the texture. Apply adjacent colors with felt markers; the tutorial recommends markers that do not wash off easily.
- Separate the bands. Use a skew to cut a couple of lines between the colors, defining the pattern.
- Polish and assemble. Apply friction polish with a paper towel while the piece is turning, as shown in the tutorial. Fit the axle and axle ring, then add the string to complete the top.
Homemade or ready-made chatter tool?
The tutorial documents a homemade dowel-and-blade tool. A ready-made woodturning chatter tool is an option if you would rather not fabricate one; the tutorial does not compare or rank commercial tools. The practical choice is whether you have the blade, dowel, and clamps available and prefer to make the tool, or want a ready-made alternative.
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