Platter help?

[Brent Grooms]

My wife mentioned that she would like a bowl or platter to replace one of her baskets on our sideboard in the dining room. Now I have a rather large slab of cherry ~ 15in wide x 8-10/4 that could fit the bill nicely to make an unexpected christmas surprise.

My first question is what would be the recommended workholding method for this? At my disposal are .. Talon chuck, faceplates, sacrificial glueblocks

My next question would be about wall thickness... My recent bowls were getting chatter and I would hate to think of the flex I would get with this (I dont have a steady and it isnt an option until after christmas)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[David E Keller]

I'd probably lean toward a faceplate, but any of the usual methods should work. Other than a steady, you could use a hand behind the rim for a little support after the piece is reversed, but I'd likely avoid it. I'd work the rim to finished thickness with light step cuts and a very sharp gouge before removing any wood from the center.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Brent, I would recommend the glueblock and faceplate approach. A steady should not be an issue as most of the time a steady is used to support the work as it extendends out away from the headstock along the ways. If you use sharp tools and light cuts you should be fine.:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

The last platter I made was 8/4 cherry. I use a faceplate with 1" screws in my delta faceplate. If your faceplate is thicker you may have to go with 1 1/2". I have jaws on my chuck that expand to 5 1/4" which I use in the expansion mode. Get the bottom shaped and a place for your chuck. Reverse and complete the platter.

[John Keeton]

So far, I have done three platters. On all of them, I used a waste block glued with epoxy. I trued up the face, then did the front/top of the rim, and started the cut into the bowl portion to establish the line. Then, I worked the back of the rim to completion to the point where the bowl of the platter started. I came back and finished the bowl/inside of the platter. Finally, the back/bottom. On the first two, I used Cole jaws to finish the foot. On the last, a vacuum chuck.

[Bill Bulloch]

I use a woodworm screw to mount the blank. I turn the bottom and cut an expansion for the chuck, then reverse it and turn the front. If you finish the rim before you move to the middle you will not have any problems with chatter. I just finished a 15 3/4" diameter platter with walls about 1/4".

[Frank Drew]

Face plate with short screws, turn a recess in what will be the bottom to mount an expanding chuck and pretty much finish turn the rest of the bottom (I like to make a low foot, or pedestal, to lift the platter a bit); reverse the blank, mounting it into the chuck and finish turn the face, then use Cole jaw either with or without add-on extending plates -- depending on the platter's diameter -- to finish the bottom, removing the undercut recess, making the foot all nice-nice.

I love the new chucks (Nova, etc.).

[steven carter]

Brent,

I usually just use my chuck the same way I would a regular bowl. I use a tennon, and the length of a tennon doesn't have to be very long. I don't think I waste any more wood than with a woodworm screw or faceplate screws, maybe less. Of course if you need all the wood you have then a glue block would probably be best.

Steve

[Prashun Patel]

I'm a newbie...

I find a faceplate more stable than the screw.
When turning thin on wider bowls, I prefer to work in (roughly) thirds from the outside in. Having the mass in the center helps stabilize considerably.

For the bottom, I find a recess less stable than a spigot, which I remove with a jam chuck.

If you want to make a foot or pedestal, another option is found in a recent issue of Wood magazine. They turn the platter first with a recess, then hollow it. Then they make the 'foot' out of a second, smaller piece that is turned with a spigot that is then glued into the recess from the platter. This avoids having to finish turn the bottoms of either half.

[Brent Grooms]

well it looks like black friday is shaping up to be a shop day so I might be able to give this a try. I am planning on a faceplate mount, do the outside to "finish ready" except for a small foot that I will use a glue block on to reverse and hollow. I can do the final clean up of the foot on the vac chuck. I need to get bigger jaws for the talon (and an additional, bigger chuck and jaws ;))but the LOML has forbidden any personal purchases until after Christmas...:cool: