BOOK-Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning

[Dave Lehnert]

Any opinion on this book for a turner who has limited knowledge on how to mount projects to the lathe.

[John Keeton]

Dave, I love books, but in woodturning it seems that video is so much more helpful. For that reason, I have not researched the books on turning. And, I really don't recall much "how to mount" information on the several DVDs I watched early on. YouTube may have some video that would be helpful, but honestly, it is pretty straight forward and spending 30 minutes with an experienced turner would show you most everything you need. The rest will come as you find yourself thinking about how to mount something and coming up with ideas unique to each situation.

Basically, if you have a chuck, you need a tenon (preferably) or a recess, that will be very close to the minimum opening of your chuck jaws. For a Nova chuck, the tenon should be approximately 1/4" long, and straight (no dovetail shape). You also want a square shoulder on the body of the turning for the chuck jaws to rest against.

You can probably get a lot of information by reviewing the chuck manual for Nova (or the manufacturer of your chuck.) Sorry, I can't be of more help.

[Greg Just]

A book that I highly recommend is Ernie Conover's "The Frugal Woodturner". I picked up a copy last year on Amazon. There is a chapter on ways to hold wood on the lathe.

[Dan Hintz]

Yeah, I found the OneWay chuck manuals to have a surprising amount of useful info in them (and they're downloadable). Faceplates don't get much simpler... lay it down and drill in a few screws. Collet chucks are essentially the same as your Dremel tool, so...

[Dale Miner]

I have that book, and will say that I think it is a very good book for someone that is getting started in woodturning. The book offers ways to mount pieces without the use of chucks as well as with chucks. There are examples and projects in the book that would be beneficial to beginners, and some mounting methods that more experienced turners might have forgotten.

Most turners that have been turning a while have a chuck, but for someone that is just getting their feet wet, a $200+ outlay for a chuck might be an obstacle to trying a project. The book offers ways to tackle the mounting of blanks without a chuck. The book also goes into more advanced methods for projects that don't lend themselves to simple chuck mounting.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I started with Keith Rowley's book and DVD "Woodturning a Foundation Course." Great book and DVD.

[Jim Underwood]

I haven't seen the book you refer to, but if it's anything like Fred Holder's (http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Work-Holding-Lathe-Fred-Holder/dp/1861083955/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3)A Guide to Workholding on the Lathe (http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Work-Holding-Lathe-Fred-Holder/dp/1861083955/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3), I think it's worth it. There are a lot of things you can do to hold workpieces without a chuck, and Fred covers it all pretty well. If you can afford it, get a chuck, but if not, there's plenty of other ways to skin that cat...

[David Dockstader]

You should also check Amazon and their reviews. They have 4 reviews on this book, all of which gave it 5 stars and glowing comments.

[Dan Hintz]

But read Amazon reviews with a grain of salt... I've caught more than one author shilling reviews.

[Al Wasser]

OK, I have the book in question. For me it is excellent and I have been turning 5-6 years. We all quickly learn that if we can hold something safely on the lathe a big part of the turning equation is solved. This book does that and I know of no video that iis its equal.

[Neil Longhenry]

Dave, if you are referring to Doc Green's book I find it to be excellent. When I first heard about it I checked it out from the local library and found it to be so good that I ordered a personal copy a few days later. I have used the library on many occasions to check out a book before I buy. I have found this book to be very helpful.

[Jon McElwain]

Don't forget to search the Creek for chucks, chuck plate, wood holding, turning fixtures, turning jigs, etc. There are a lot of really good ideas on here. I just posted on another thread a chuck by Jerry Mercantel (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content.php?129-Building-a-Chuck-Plate) that is excellent.

[Don Nicholas]

Don't forget to search the Creek for chucks, chuck plate, wood holding, turning fixtures, turning jigs, etc. There are a lot of really good ideas on here. I just posted on another thread a chuck by Jerry Mercantel (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content.php?129-Building-a-Chuck-Plate) that is excellent.


Yeah, I found the OneWay chuck manuals to have a surprising amount of useful info in them (and they're downloadable). Faceplates don't get much simpler... lay it down and drill in a few screws. Collet chucks are essentially the same as your Dremel tool, so...

Dan
Don't forget to use the largest diameter screws in the faceplate screw holes will allow. Smaller diameter screws will allow the faceplate to shift in case of a catch.