This project, although relatively simple, is vital to my woodturning career. Why you ask? Because it is on the “honey do” list. You know the list of things your wife or partner asks you to do. The result of letting this list get to long is a not healthy. I am of course joking about the health risks but there are consequences to not supporting your partner.
I have been happily married for 25 years and my wife has been very supportive of my hobby for many years. Now that my hobby is morphing into a real business, I cannot lose sight of the fact that she is still supporting me, literally. So I have always tried to ensure there is headway made on the ‘honey-do” list.
My wife has been a little obsessed with hydroponic gardening. I know the first thing you may think about but it is not that. A couple of Christmas’s ago she got two small Aerogardens which are LED based hydroponic gardens systems. My wife now has nine systems and grows tomatoes, chives, arugula, basil, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, jalapenos, and probably something else I am forgetting. These are great systems and produce lots of edible veggies and herbs for us. Since we live in Texas with unbearably hot summers these systems make it easy and comfortable for growing a small amount of plants.
So for this project I am turning some pod covers. Each system has ports for each pod or plant. Not all ports get used so covers are needed on these pod openings so nothing falls in. My wife bought a few covers but has run out so she asked me if I could make some. “Of course, honey” I said … and here we are.
To hold the work, I will be using the newly introduced Elio-DR. This is an improved version of the Elio Safe Drive that is Drawbar Ready. I have taken some time to do some research and prototyping for the process to convert the Elio drive to the Elio-DR by installing a ¼”-20tpi threaded insert into the end of the device.
The use of the drawbar with the Elio-DR Safe Drive allows for safer operation as a faceplate without tailstock support.
The cone helps center the rod in the spindle to reduce rotational whipping. The two wing knobs are used for locking together to screw the threaded rod in and out of the Elio-DR threads.
A note about woodturning safety: Be sure to follow all safety guidelines. You are responsible for your actions just as I am responsible for mine. Turn what and how you feel comfortable and safe.
Once mounted the methodology of how to create these pod covers is reviewed. First is to true up the spindle blank to a cylinder. Then the diameter of the cylinder is reduced to the 1.5” as dictated by the required outer diameter of the pod covers. The following steps are followed for each pod cover.
- Using a beading/parting tool, cut the tenon to size of 1&5/16” in diameter by 3/16” wide.
- Use the beading/parting tool like a skew and shear cut the tenon to make a finish cut.
- Repeat this step for a fine finish cut on the outer diameter of the lid.
- Still with the beading/parting tool, complete a shoulder cut to clean up the underside of the lid.
- Using the skew, face of the end of the tenon. Use scraping action if needed to get a clean smooth surface.
- Using a thin (1/16”) parting tool, part of the pod cover (lid) leaving a 1/16” – 3/32” thick top part of the lid. Be sure to catch it or let it fall into a small box below the turning.
- Repeat the above for each pod cover.
This process is pretty standard for any other small spindle project such as disk style jewelry, buttons, knobs, project inlays (such as pill boxes, keychains, and many others) and cabochons.
I am using the skew in this project. I am getting more and more comfortable using the skew.
So here are the six steps in pictures.
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Remember that the spindle blank is screwed to the Elio-DR so be sure to account for the screw length in the headstock end of the blank. Mark with a pencil or a skew v-cut where the screws should be. This will remind you not to cut in this area.
Once all the pod covers are parted off from the blank then it is time to reverse chuck them so that the top side can be cleaned up.
I then used the skew like a negative rake scraper to smooth out the top. Perhaps with more skew practice I won’t have to so this but for now this is what I did. To dress up the top side I used the long point of the skew to create three concentric grooves. It was quick and easy and I think it makes the top side look a lot more interesting. From here it is just a bit of sanding on the top and them remove it and chuck up the next one and repeat the process. I completed all seven pod covers this way.
I then painted each with black acrylic paint and then sprayed them with water based Polycrylic (Minwax product, I think). I choose the use water based finish products since these will be covering a hydroponic garden and they will be exposed to water. Mostly I didn’t want to contaminate the water with any other finish. I am no expert in the field of wood finishing so this is just a common sense guess. I hope they last a while but they are going to be exposed to a high humidity environment on the bottom and a hotter dryer environment on the top side. We’ll see.
It is important to keep your wife, husband, partner and/or family involved in your hobby in some way. It keeps us connected to them and without their support us turners would be a scarce breed. “Happy wife happy life” as they say. I know my wife, Shelly, like these little pod covers. I have promised her a small foot stool – another project for the future.
I hope you all enjoyed the article. See the YouTube video of this project.

