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Often, I find myself needing a wheel, plug, or round insert for something and don't have the round stock to make it. Here's the quick way I made a round cap to fit the winch in my small barn using a belt sander.
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Signing UpStep 1Rough-Cut Your Circle
No real need for accuracy here. Just insure the shape you cut is larger than the diameter of the finished piece you want.
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That's an excellent question that made me think. I'll try to explain my logic.
My goal was to make a round object exactly 1.450" in diameter, no center hole, using the least amount of work. By eliminating the nail, the nail hole and the mathematical calculations of where to place them, I could save myself a lot of work, plus eliminate an unsightly hole.
The center of the object, was not important to the goal. By building the circle from the outside-in, the center was allowed to wander as the object was being shaped. As the object became perfectly round, the center found itself at the same place it would have been if it had been turned around a nail, but because it's location wasn't a priority, I didn't care where it was, even though we know where it was... At the exact center.
I achieved the desired result with half the labor.
Now, if I were making a wheel for a toy truck, something that would be mounted to an axle, I'd turn the piece in the traditional way (or use a hole saw as Dr Qui mentions below). The end result would be the same, but the concentricity of the circles would be a priority, so the way I'd build it would be based around that. From the inside-out, with the center solidly located and the outside shaped around it.
Did that make sense?
I hope so. If not, let me know and I'll try again. Thanks for making me think.
I made a nice round deck for my Crokinole board by pivoting a piece of plywood through a radial arm saw. At first you have to keep chopping straight cuts off but once it's almost done you can just spin it through the blade to make it perfect. This game calls for a large hole in the middle of the board so the pivot point gets cut out anyway.
Thanks for giving me such a great outside-the-box idea... I'm headed over to your "follower's" list:)
A cheap set of hole saws is a much faster way to get perfect circles, they would have a 6mm hole in the center but are perfectly round, but can be used in a pillar drill with the center drill removed on some sets.
I could have used a 1.750" saw for the rough circle and sanded the plug to size, but that would have used up a lot of wood for a 1.450 plug.
Larger circles can be quickly cut to any size with a router and real small circles can be made with plug cutters, but custom mid-sized circles need to be turned.
It takes me forever to setup a traditional turning. This is an outside the box solution that isn't complicated at all...
1. Cut a rough circle.
2. Sand one side to size.
3. Spring clamp a couple of stops to the table.
4. and turn your part.
It takes very little time, uses direct measurements and produces a clean part that only needs finish sanding.
Now... Would I use this method if I were making traditional furniture? Probably not... I like tradition. I still use my great grandfather's tools:)
I know it is mentioned that the center of the circle is not important in this instructable. Most of the time, the center is very important, however.
I also would not put my fingers into an "enclosed space" this small with the sander I own. Too dangerous.
Measuring and tooling across the diameter can be twice as accurate as the traditional way of measuring and tooling to the radius (errors are doubled when working to the radius). Plus, no centering, math, holes, pins, or plug-filling needs to be done. Just a parallel surface, spring clamped to the table and a few shims. Very simple, very fast and very satisfying.
Keep your scrap wood stops lower than your workpiece and your fingers will always be behind your work. I grabbed what I had lying around, but I also like to live dangerously:)
I don't exactly understand what you mean by "creating a centre", but if you need to locate the center of a circle, Phil B posted an Instructable at: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Center-Finder/
You can also buy them online, made of plastic and very inexpensive.
That peg fits a hole in the handle on my winch and has nothing to do with the circle making. I could have waited until the job was finished, but that was probably MY dyslexia kicking in:)
If a belt sander isn't available, a drill might still be used, but instead of turning the piece, think about turning a drum sander and shape the piece that way. Thanks for your comment.