reversing options... need some opinions

[Brian Greb]

I just turned a bowl to big for my Cole jaws so I was thinking about using the "blue tape and hot glue method" in the spring issue of wood turning designs... but I would like a second or third opinion first.

oh and I'm tring to get the botom... aka no flat spot.

[Dennis Puskar]

How about a Longworth chuck.

Dennis

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I just turned a bowl to big for my Cole jaws so I was thinking about using the "blue tape and hot glue method" in the spring issue of wood turning designs... but I would like a second or third opinion first.

oh and I'm tring to get the botom... aka no flat spot.

Brian you don't need to glue your bowl onto anything.
There are a couple of ways to hold that bowl on your lathe safely and remove the foot, tenon etc.
I'll show a picture of one way I use with very large bowls, (this one is about 26") but there are other ways, another good and simple way is like this,
The same basic idea, saw a round disk bigger than your bowl, and screw it to a faceplate, then mount it on the lathe and cut a groove in it, say 1/4" deep and wide enough so the top of your bowl fits into, you can tape some thin soft material in that groove (thin foam, or soft material) so the bowl will not get damaged, you then place the bowl into the groove and bring your tailstock up to hold the bowl in place with a bit of pressure, so it wont slip when cutting or come loose.
Than you take your time and cut away everything but the very center of the foot, that last bit you can cut with a saw or chisel and then sand smooth.
Hope this is clear enough ??

[George Guadiane]

For this bowl, a simple jamb chuck should be a cinch.


I would mount a piece of 3/4 plywood, cut round and larger than your bowl, on your largest faceplate.
Turn the plywood down to SLIGHTLY larger than the diameter of your bowl.
True up the edge so that the bowl will turn true.
Using your tailstock, hold the bowl against the jamb chuck and check the centering and balance by turning on the lathe. You can use some kind of cloth or foam between the face plate and the bowl to protect your finish.
If everything is in balance, use pallet/stretch wrap to strap the bowl to the faceplate.
Turn off as much of the bottom as possible before removing tailstock.
If you have finished everything down to your final foot, you can finish turning and sanding the bottom, then apply finish.
(this is important) Put the tailstock (with some protection from the point) back against the bowl bottom BEFORE you take off the stretch wrap... It will keep you from dropping a beautifully finished piece.

I hope this helps -G

[Wally Dickerman]

The jam fit chuck as described by Leo was used by most bowl turners before so called Jumbo jaws came along. Skilled turners took pride in making the groove on the plywood or MDF so accurately that when the bowl was popped in there was no need for the tailstock. Just hold one hand lightly on the spinning bowl and use the tool in the other hand. A suction was created, and in order to remove the bowl it was usually necessary to hold the bowl and plywood backing upside down and rap the plywood against a workbench to separate them.

The plywood or MDF was saved and could be used many times on different sized bowls by cutting a new groove.

Jam fit chucks were used a lot in many ways before the more modern methods came along. Vacuum chucks, for instance.

Hey....you young guys are just spoiled rotten.

Wally