Making Paper Planting Pots


James Duxbury turns a kit for making paper planting pots

In addition to woodturning my wife and I enjoy growing our own vegetables. Many vegetables can be started weeks earlier from seeds planted in the house, giving them a head start on the summer growing season. Seeing life sprout from a new seed also helps to end the doldrums of the long winter months and add spring hope.

The seeds can be planted in trays of soil and separated after germination but since we do not need large quantities of plants, small individual pots work much better for us. Small pots are readily available in garden shops or wherever seeds are sold, but a good woodturner ‘wouldn’t’ think of such a thing, right? There must be a way to turn little pots – or even better make something to make pots with. Or better still, make a device like a hand press from discarded lumber that makes small pots from old newspapers. Recycling at its best. These eco-friendly pots are fun to make and biodegradable, so they can just be planted in the garden when ready.

The pot maker consists of a mandrel and a socket. Newspaper is wrapped around the mandrel and press formed into the socket to create the pot. It’s amazing, fun to turn and fun to use so let’s get started.


“These eco-friendly pots are fun to make and biodegradable“

Wooden toy with round base and cylinder top.

Plans & equipment

Tools & equipment

  • PPE & RPE as appropriate
  • Compass
  • Callipers
  • Steel ruler
  • 3⁄4 in (19mm) spindle roughing gouge
  • 3⁄8 in (10mm) spindle gouge
  • 1⁄8 in (3mm) parting tool
  • 1⁄16 in (2mm) parting tool
  • 1⁄4 in (6mm) skew chisel
  • 3⁄4 in (19mm) skew chisel
  • 100-180 grit sandpaper
  • Bradawl

Materials

  • 2 pieces 11⁄2 x 21⁄2 x 51⁄2in (38 x 64 x 140mm) straight-grained wood
  • 1 piece 2 x 6 x 31⁄2 in (51 x 152 x 89mm) straight-grained wood
  • Yellow glue
  • Finish of choice – in this case floor wax
PlanDownload
Wooden puzzle pieces on beige surface

The making

Two wooden blocks with marked dimensions.
1. The material used for this seed pot maker consists of two pieces 11⁄2 x 21⁄2 x 51⁄2in (38 x 64 x 140mm) glued together and one piece 2 x 6 x 31⁄2in (51 x 152 x 89mm). Both of these pieces are offcuts of building material retrieved from the scrap pile of a new house being built nearby. This is a tool and not a fine piece of art. Pieces of most any straight-grained wood can be glued together to attain the needed material
Wood pieces with circular and square shapes on ground.
2. On a table saw, band saw or by hand, cut the 3 x 21⁄2in (76 x 64mm) piece to 23⁄8 x 23⁄8in (60 x 60mm), put an x on both ends to locate the centre and bradawl both centres. This piece will be the mandrel. Then on the 2x6in(51x152mm)piece draw a 3in (75mm) circle, bradawl the centre and cut the piece round. This piece will make the socket
Person crafting wood on a lathe machine.
3. On the headstock, place a faceplate with a flat rubber-covered plywood disc or something similar. Place the socket against it on centre and hold it in place with the tailstock pressure. With a 3⁄8in (10mm) spindle gouge, turn the piece round and cut a 1⁄4 in (6mm) long tenon on the end to fit into your chuck jaws
Person using lathe to shape wooden cylinder
4. Mount the socket in a chuck and turn it to a 23⁄4in (70mm) dia. and face off the end
Measuring wood with calipers on a lathe.
5. Set the callipers to 23⁄16 in (56mm) and, wearing your face shield, turn the lathe on slow speed. With the callipers resting on the toolrest, lightly press the left prong into the spinning wood to cut a circle. When this circle lines up with the right prong, press the left prong in to cut a deeper circle. Do not ever touch the right prong into the spinning wood as it could cause the callipers to be thrown at you. Do the same procedure for the 13⁄16in (30mm) centre circle
Person using lathe for woodturning
6. Using a 1⁄2in (13mm) parting tool cut a 1⁄4in (6mm) deep recess between these two circles
Woodturning with caliper measuring wood on lathe
7. One end of the callipers measures ID and OD dimensions. The other end measures depth. Set the callipers to 1⁄4in (6mm) and check the depth often. A narrow ruler will work for this also
Person using lathe to carve wood
8. The next two steps are optional. Using a 1⁄4in (6mm) skew laid flat on the toolrest point forward, cut a couple of grooves in the 23⁄4in (70mm) dia. and for additional trim cut a couple in the socket centre. 8 The next two steps are optional. Using a 1⁄4in (6mm) skew laid flat on the toolrest point forward, cut a couple of grooves in the 23⁄4in (70mm) dia. and for additional trim cut a couple in the socket centre
Woodturning art in progress, creating a pattern.
9. Remove the toolrest, turn the lathe speed up and, with a burning wire, burn two black rings into the socket. Wear proper PPE and use ventilation
Sanding wooden piece on a lathe machine.
10. Sand all surfaces to about 180 grit. Remember this is a tool and not a piece of artwork
Craftsman using lathe to shape wooden piece.
11. Again, this is a tool and requires no finish. However, I usually use a couple of coats of good-grade floor wax, applied with the lathe spinning at a low speed. It is fast, economical and adds a finished quality
Person using wood lathe tool on spinning wood
12. Turn the socket around, mount it in the chuck with spigot jaws and with a 3⁄8 in (10mm) spindle gouge turn the bottom flat. Sand and wax the remaining surfaces to complete the socket
Craftsman woodturning on a lathe
13. Mount the mandrel blank between centres and turn it 21⁄4in (57mm) round with a 3⁄4in (19mm) spindle roughing gouge. With a 1⁄8in (3mm) parting tool, cut a 1⁄4in (6mm) long tenon on the end to fit your chuck
Carpenter measuring wood on lathe with pencil.
14. From the tailstock end make marks at 2in (51mm) and 4in (102mm). Turn the lathe by hand and draw the lines all the way around the piece
Elderly person woodturning with lathe and calipers
15. Set your callipers to 21⁄8in(54mm)and with a 1⁄8 in (3mm) parting tool cut a 1⁄8 in (3mm) recess on the end
Craftsman carving wood on a lathe with chisel.
16. Slightly raise the toolrest and with a 3⁄4 in (19mm) skew cut the slight taper from the first 2in (51mm) mark to the 2 1⁄8 in (54mm) recess. This taper is called ‘drafting’ and allows the tapered paper pot to be easily removed
Person woodturning a wooden spindle on a lathe.
17. Next, with the 3⁄8 in (10mm) spindle gouge, begin to cut the ball-shaped handle in the next 2in (51mm) space
Woodturner shaping spindle on lathe.
18. When the shape is partially formed it is helpful to use the 1⁄8 in (3mm) parting tool to cut and define the top of the ball handle
Woodturner shaping wood on a lathe machine.
19. It is nice to add a trim burn line at the base of the ball handle. Remove the tool rest, turn the lathe speed up and, as in Step 9, burn a black trim line
Hands sanding wooden object on lathe.
20. Turn the lathe speed down and sand all surfaces through 180 grit
Hands carving wood on a lathe machine.
21. Remove the tailstock and with a 3⁄8 in (10mm) spindle gouge true up the end down to about 1in (25mm) dia
Caliper measuring wooden dowel diameter on lathe.
22. Set the callipers to 11⁄4 in (32mm) and, as in Steps 5, 6 & 7, cut a 1⁄4 in (6mm) deep recess. Again the callipers can be used to check the depth
Person woodturning a wooden piece on a lathe.
23. Turn the lathe speed down, sand all surfaces to 180 grit and add the wax finish
Woodturning wooden cylindrical piece on lathe.
24. It is wise to use the tailstock as long as possible for support. A golf ball with a 3⁄4 in (19mm) hole drilled in it works perfectly over the point centre and also in this case fits into the recess on the bottom of the mandrel. Using a 1⁄16 in (2mm) parting tool, shape and trim the top down to about 1⁄4 in (6mm). Sand and wax all surfaces
Person sawing wooden object in workshop.
25. Remove the tailstock and use a handsaw to cut off the remaining 1⁄4 in (6mm) connection. Sand this surface and wax to complete the mandrel

How to use

Hands rolling newspaper around wooden handle.
26. Cut a piece of newspaper 31⁄2 in (90mm) wide and 16in (406mm) long and wrap it tightly on the tapered end of the mandrel
Hands folding a newspaper into a cone shape.
27. With one hand hold the newspaper on the tapered part of the mandrel. Then, starting with the end of the newspaper tightly bend down flat against the end, work small segments at a time until the entire end is fairly flat against the mandrel end
Hands crafting with wooden spool and sandpaper.
28. Press this end of the mandrel into the socket and rotate it back and forth with pressure
Wooden puzzle box with internal components displayed.
29. Once the cup has been pressed into shape, slide it off the mandrel and it is ready for some soil and a seed. All you need now is some sunlight and a little water
Seedlings in newspaper pots on a tray.
30. The pots are definitely not beautiful, but the seeds love them. It is amazing how long these containers last. Once the seed has sprouted the whole paper pot can just be planted in the ground

Further reading

Croxetti Stamp

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