Openwork Twist Baluster Spindle

An airy spindle where the middle opens right up into a cage of woven strands. Square mounting blocks top the piece and finish its base, but between them the turning breaks open into a loose, interlaced twist — several ribbon-like strands spiralling around empty air, an open barley- or cage-twist that lets light through the whole centre. Near the foot the strands gather and resolve into a single carved scroll volute over turned collars. It is a showy, slightly art-nouveau alternative to a plain solid spindle, all movement and negative space. Drop it into a bespoke staircase or railing, a room divider, decorative furniture, or stand it as the column of a table lamp where the open weave really shows off. Making notes: • The open twist is the crux: it wants either a multi-axis CNC with a rotary indexer, or a 3D print — a flat router cannot reach inside the voids. • For resin/FDM, print vertically and support inside the gaps between strands, then pare the supports out carefully. • The square blocks are left solid for jointing and clamping; keep them true. • If you scale it down, thicken the strands a touch so the delicate weave survives handling.