She put on a SQUARE waste block...now what?

[dirk martin]

ok, a friend of mine glued on a square waste block to round bowl blank she was going to turn. She screwed the 4" face plate to the waste block, then mounted the face plate on the lathe.

The square waste block os about 7" x 7". The blank is 14" in diameter.

Now, as I look at that, eventually the plan is to part the waste block off the blank....but it's square. As she reached in with her EZ-Rouger to try and round the waste block, she got a heck of a tool bounce, resulting in a nicely pinched thumb (and signifacant blood blister).

Looks like it's pretty important that waste blocks be round...is that right?

Any suggestions how to proceed now?
The waste block was secured with CA glue, to the green maple blank.
Tailstock is engaged.

[Gary Conklin]

Go in from the back side and round it out towards the corners.

[John Keeton]

Dirk, Gary has it - take your gouge, and do a push cut from the chuck side - tapering out to the edge. Three or four passes should round out the waste block easy enough. But, yes, it is much easier if they start out round!! And, they only need to be as large as the faceplate if that is the method being used.

[dirk martin]

So, we need to unmount the faceplate, flip the blank, remount, and then work on the waste block, from the tailstock side?

[Gary Conklin]

Nope just cut it out from the headstock side.

[dirk martin]

It's a 14" diameter blank, and that's a long reach in. Are you sure?
Are you saying to reach way in there with the tool, and touch the waste block near the face plate, and then pull back as it cuts?

[Gary Conklin]

See 4:46 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N723tG1tzSI

[Gary Conklin]

Another option would be to reverse it with a spur center in the headstock and a cone on the live center, into the face plate.

[Fred Perreault]

I think that normally one can get behind the turning after it has been shaped some, making room for the banjo and tool rest. But it sounds like maybe it is a tough, possibly long reach behind the blank at this time. If the finished item isn't gonna' be smaller than the square waste block, is there any harm leaving the silly looking square thingy on till he reverses it and parts it off?? Dirk, will it be in your way or cause imbalance if you leave it there as is? By the way, take a pic to show us, will ya' ? :) :)

.....or, just reverse it as you mentioned and reshape the square block to round, if you have enough courage to do all this flipping, jam chucking and so on.Then re-mount it with new screw holes on the faceplate.

[John Keeton]

If you don't have clearance to slide the banjo past the turning, take off the faceplate and turning, slide the banjo and rest far left, then screw on the faceplate/turning again.