Al Stirt Bowl Driver?

[Mike Peace]

I watched Al Stirt at Turning Souther Style Symposium recently. Al has plans on his web site for what he calls an Al Stirt Bowl driver. He uses this to adjust the grain pattern when turning a bowl. He indicated that a drive center on a large blank can lead to spindle galling. Bill Grumbine indicated the same.

Here is a picture of one that someone made but the two side bolts do not look adjustable. Al's plans allow the two bolts on the sides to be adjusted to secure against an uneven surface.

Anyone have any experience with these to provide some input on usefulness or suggestions?

[Dave Ogren]

Mike,

I might have this all wrong, but I think that it is similar to a face plate. Except the two bolts just push into the wood. Leo Van Der Loo has shown pictures of several of these in the past, I believe even with 4 or more larger sheet metel screws sticking through to drive the blank. If I am correct you would still have to use a tail stock to push the blank onto this driver.

Dave

[Mike Minto]

so are the 'side bolts' screwed into the wood, or just pressure/biting into it witha tailstock? Leo, could you talk about your similar implement, possibly showing pics? mike

[Mike Peace]

Mike,

I might have this all wrong, but I think that it is similar to a face plate.

Definitely not like a face plate which does not require a TS. It is a drive center which must be used with the TS. Al said the outer screws only need to penetrate about 1/8" inch to hold the blank securely.

The one shown in my post was tapped. Al's had a concentric ring on the back to hold with your chuck jaws.

[Jim Kountz]

In your picture, we're looking at the headstock side of the gizmo not the side that faces the blank right?

[Mike Peace]

In your picture, we're looking at the headstock side of the gizmo not the side that faces the blank right?

Correct, Jim.

[alex carey]

I haven't seen it like this but I believe this is the same principle as a 2 prong driver. Basically you use it to align the grain how you want it or the sides/walls of the bowl how you want it. With 4 sides you can't really change the grain, with 2 sides you can move the piece while the tailstockside doesn't move and this will change the direction of the grain, or if perhaps the bowl is a NE you can change the sides so they are even and so on.

I'm guessing the bolts are adjustable, like someone else said you are looking at the lathe side, the plate is probably threaded, thats how you'd adjust the wood.


Just a guess.

[Jim Silva]

If I recall correctly from seeing his at a demo, the 2 bolts do not adjust (at least they're not meant to be adjusted per piece but could be) and just act like a 2 prong spur enabling easy movement of the piece when trying to balance out the grain. He'd ground the ends of the bolts to points to better hang on to the work.

He was using positioning of the piece on the bowl driver AND changing the tailstock end positioning to achieve this. He wasn't using a point on the tailstock as this would create a hole that would stymie micro adjusting of that end. Just used a cup-type center that held the piece with tailstock pressure. His bowl driver was held in a 4-jaw chuck.

[Mike Peace]

Thanks, Jim. That was what I needed to know. I have a Beall tap so I think I will make one that threads on to the spindle similar to the one in the picture.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Mike, the driver that's shown is just another incarnation of the old faceplate driver, just like I have said before there's nothing new in turning, just rehash of the old.
The use of the two pin driver is very handy when going to turn a blank with the bark still left on, where you would want to get the best orientation for the balance of the piece and centering and the grain, placing the blank between a driver like that and the tailstock center you can move the piece around without restriction, both on the head and tailstock side, even after partial turning you can reorient the piece.
All you need is a spare faceplate with two sharpened bolds sticking out and away you go, of course you can drill and tap thread in the faceplate and then can screw the bolds in and out at will, and lock them with just a locking nut, easy ;-)).
Hope that made it clearer, Have fun and take care .

[Ron Crosby]

Isn't that thing just a revamped faceplate driver? :confused: