How would you mount this bowl?

[Brian Kent]

I am looking for confirmation or contradiction on my mounting method.

This is a nice piece of Avocado, fairly light and soft.
It is 7" tall and 9.5" wide.
I like it and want to be able to see it through to finish.

I see 3 options for mounting:
1) Turn a tenon and put in my Nova G3 chuck.
2) Round off the bottom a bit more for width and chuck it on a recess.
3) Screw to a faceplate

I am a little concerned with the tenon because of the softness of the wood. I don't want it to break off.
I have broken a recess with a catch on another avocado piece but usually have success.
With a faceplate I will lose a bit of the depth, but the wood is very dry and uneven wall thickness should not cause breakage.

So I am leaning towards a faceplate. Any confirmation or contradiction?

Thanks all.

[charlie knighton]

Kent, i would turn the tendon, but use a oneway bowl steady, yeah i know, its a hollow form you have pictured, the bowl steady works fine, if you turn anticlockwize put the steady on your side of lathe, if you turn clockwize, put the steady on the other side, sort of take small cuts til you are hollowing even with the steady, the steady should be placed as high as possible under your lip .....should help your tendon

i occasional lose a tendon, just respect the unsupported first part of the turning and take small cuts, like your shape, although you will alter it for the tendon
i use a steady and pull up the tailstock as much as possible

[Dennis Ford]

I would consider a glue block on a faceplate to avoid loss of depth but perhaps you have plenty of wood. If you turn a shallow tenon or recess on the piece and then turn a matching recess or tenon on the glue block, should be able to get it mounted accurately. Since the wood is dry, I would use Titebond glue (other glues would also work).

[Bob Bergstrom]

I would make the tenon and just treat it with water quality super glue. The glue will soak in and make the tenon plenty hard enough. Then reverse chuck it and adjust the tenon to your liking removing the soaked in glue.

[robert baccus]

Roger that on the glueblock.

[Brian Kent]

Thanks folks. Glue block it is. I had not thought of that. I also just don't happen to have a Oneway bowl steady in my back pocket today.

[John Beaver]

A glue block would work fine, but I think you have enough wood there to add a nice tenon. I would think a dovetail tenon would work fine here.

p.s. Charlie... Would you be using a "tendon" from your arm or leg?

[robert baccus]

A nice GB for your set up there would be proper sized hardwood block turned true and flat with a small hole in the center. Flatten your bowl bottom to a good flat fit and use your tailstock cone to clamp/line up with. A dose of thick CA gives you a couple of minutes to line everything up. Your GB hole can also be your single screw pilot hole when after dismounting & reversed. A standard setup with me and very strong. It will hold 100# vases --use a good strong heavy wood for the GB. Takes about three minutes and is self centering as well. Hollow, sand, finish and part off. Ps the bowl is really fine and nice wood as well.

[Reed Gray]

I had a black locust burl piece about that size that I was trying to core. Broke it off a few times. Did the glue block thing. A tenon about 1/16 inch deep into a recess with a glue block that matched perfectly. Tight bond glue. It held fine. I did let the glue cure over night. Part it off and reverse chuck to clean up the bottom.

robo hippy

[Brian Kent]

Thank you all. I am letting the glue dry overnight.

[charlie knighton]

p.s. Charlie... Would you be using a "tendon" from your arm or leg? mainly i just use one from my earlobes , good one John

[robert baccus]

A thought on the glues available for this application. Only2 glues are recommended for strength in gaps and do not require clamping pressure. Epoxy and CA. If you are gluing green/damp wood CA is the only choice. All these glues are roughly the same strength. Easier and just as accurate is to use a turned and drilled GB which is automatically aligned by the tailstock. Maybe 5 minutes to turnaround. Dam details.