Little help from the burly ones?

[Carole Valentine]

My Secret Santa sent me this pretty 7 1/2" x 1 1/2" piece of maple burl. Problem is I have never even held burl before much less turned it! :eek: I am not sure what to do with it. In order to put it in my chuck I have to turn the tenon on the smooth side because the burly bark part extends into where the tenon would be. That leaves me with the dilema of how to mount it to turn the tenon? Faceplate or glue block would only be in partial contact on the rough side. I think it is too shallow for a woodworm. Would appreciate some advice from those of you who turn burl.:confused:

[Bill Stevener]

I dunno Carole, I think I would brown bag glue it up with a waist block. However someone else may have some other thoughts on how they would approach it.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

I am in no way an experienced turner but could you friction drive it? I just joined the local AAW club and went to the Christmas party this weekend. Many of the guys there swear by simple friction driving. The have their chuck installed on the lathe with the jaws open all the way. They then mark the center on the tailstock side and hold the piece up with one hand while advancing the tailstock to meet the center mark. They then tighten up the tailstock to put pressure on the piece, holding it betweent the chuck and the tailstock. Turn it at a slow speed and make your tennon. They swear by it and claim to never have a piece come off. I tried it once and it worked just as they said.

You probably already know about this method and it may not work in your situation. I just thought I would pass it along in case you didn't.

[Carole Valentine]

Curtis, it occured to me after I posted that I could maybe mount it between centers. Don't really understand why they aould use a friction drive intead of a spur center? I must be missing someting.

[Travis Stinson]

Just saves the step of removing the spur drive and mounting the chuck;) . Plus a little added support with the jaws spread out.

[Andy Hoyt]

Nows your chance for that vacuum chuck you've been fantasizing about.

Or.... Who says you have to chuck it up on the flat side.

Put it between centers on edge and turn a tenon. Chuck the tenon and hold on for dear life to get an uber vahhhhsse

[Bill Stevener]

I dunoo, I may be a little old fashioned, but I think that friction approach on an open Chuck is an accident waiting to happen. Just sounds rather primitive. Not really worth the chance in my way of thinking. But as I get older the thinking part is beginning to go.:confused:

[Bayard Murphy]

Hi all. My first posting in the turning section, so not sure I am qualified to put in my two cents. The size of this piece is fairly small in dia. and in thickness. I will assume you are making a small dish, shallow bowl? Why go to the trouble of adding a tenon? What I do is just cut an area towards the tail stock so the expandable chuck has a place to get a bite, doesn’t have to be pretty. I have a small dove tail shaped tool for just this reason, but many tools could do this. Just place it between the spur and tail stock, turn you tool rest to the face and very close to the tail stock. I generally have the chosen bottom facing the head stock. After the cut is made place on a chuck, turn/finish what is now the bottom to completion (I include in the finish bottom a recess for rechucking). Then rotate rechuck and finish the other side. Because of the burl spikes and void, I would select that as my bottom. I like leaving that natural effect, with it as the bottom I can achieve more of a bowl lip. A chuck with 4 expandable jaws should get plenty of bite on such a piece. If you hate the recess for the jaw chucks (some do) then finish with a vacuum chuck. well hope that helps if not confuses you.
Bayard

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[Barbara Gill]

Carol, be careful, it appears that the bark goes through near the center. I have turned pieces like this. First I used CA glue to harden the bark where it seems to go through. On small pieces like this I turn the tenon with the piece between centers. I have found also if you are careful you can get away with the tenon not being complete as long as the missing are is not too large. Use your tailstock as long as you can when you are turning the topside and don't have the lathe going too fast. Another possibility is to use some epoxy and filler to fill in enough to make the tenon area complete.

[John Bailey]

Bill,

As you get older, it's the thinking part that becomes better.

John

[Chris Barton]

Hi Carole,

Lots of good suggestions here. If it were me I would use a sacrifical tennon and mount it to a face plate using some white glue and paper. It could have a little more depth that way.

Now Andy,

As your doctor I must say this particular avatar looks like you were in a plane crash. I advise you to turn two HFs and post them in the morning...:)

[John Hart]

Carole...my first thought was a good tenon...That way, it has a good breakaway point so the piece will fly across the room better! I believe in a good takeoff and aerodynamics. :D

[Carole Valentine]

Carol, be careful, it appears that the bark goes through near the center. I have turned pieces like this. First I used CA glue to harden the bark where it seems to go through. On small pieces like this I turn the tenon with the piece between centers. I have found also if you are careful you can get away with the tenon not being complete as long as the missing are is not too large. Use your tailstock as long as you can when you are turning the topside and don't have the lathe going too fast. Another possibility is to use some epoxy and filler to fill in enough to make the tenon area complete.
Thanks, Barbara. I am still not sure what to do with it.:confused: The inclusion is about 5/8" deep, so if I put that on the bottom, it doesn't leave me much room to hollow the inside plus as you say, it will give me a partial tenon which makes me nervous. If I put the bark on the inside, then I end up turning away an interesting feature. Is burl pretty strong? I wouldn't dare turn something in normal wood with a partial tenon.

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Carole,
Good morning, I see your on board. I put your piece on the big screen and looked over what I could see. Not having the piece in hand, it is often hard to suggest an approach. However, with what I can see, I will stay with my first suggestion and use a glue up waist block, one of about 2" thick. First turn it to fit the blank so it will have a good purchase, as well as, being a size acceptable for your chuck. Then form the outside, thinking you wish to make a bowl of sorts, at the head stock end and then approach the interior from the tail stock end. As noted above use the tail stock as long as possible.
If all avenues are at a loss, you can always cut it up and make wonderful "Mini es". :D

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Ron Ainge]

Hi Carole
I think that while you are trying to decide what to do with that piece of wood you could package it up and send it to me and I will try to give you my best advise after I get a chance to study it for a while.

Or on the other hand I would use a glue block to turn it with. I would use lots of thick CA and let it set for a few minutes before turning it. I have used this system on wood that has more flaws in it than your does.

[Jim Becker]

Glue block, Carole, or a shallow recess with a chuck (not a tenon). These will make wonderful small platter-type turnings or shallow bowls.

[Bill Stevener]

Carole, you have 4 up for the glue up, what have you decided, if any thing??
Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Carole Valentine]

Carole, you have 4 up for the glue up, what have you decided, if any thing??
Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

Bill,
I just have it sitting here where I can study it now and then. I have found that if I do that long enough, the right thing to do with it will eventually come to me. No rush.:)

[Bill Stevener]

Well, that's one way of lookin at it.:D
Bill.>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Andy Hoyt]

Carole - Here's yet another from the pistacchio gallery.

How about a small off center bowl on the "included side" (is that a word in this context?). Might provide a nice opportunity to really showcase some of the "more unique" aspects of the piece.

[Brad Schmid]

Carole,

This would be my approach:
I'd put the blank between centers and true up the face that will be the top of the platter (If there is visible danger of splitting the blank with a spur drive, a large Stebcenter is a better option) . I'd then hotmelt the trued face to a glue block that has been trued and screwed to a faceplate. The best method for hotmelt gluing that I've found is 3 spots of glue equally spaced (120 deg apart), near the outer edge of the blank or glue block if possible. I'd then bring the tailstock up and turn the bottom of the platter and a tennon or recess to reverse chuck the platter if you can. Then, I'd separate the glue joint with a thin flexible putty knife and mallet, replace the faceplate with chuck, chuck the tennon or recess and finish turn the top of the platter. Then flip it around and use cole jaws, friction chuck, vacuum chuck, or "donut chuck" to turn away the tenon/recess. If the platter is real shallow, and you don't want to turn a tenon or recess, you could skip that step and just use cole jaws although you may need to come up with custom made extended "buttons" to hold the piece when turning the top since the rim won't be flat against the jaws. This will also force you to turn at least the outer edge while it's between centers or on the glue block (from the chuck side) so the buttons don't interfere. You could also put it back on the glue block if the bottom surface will allow.

For the record, there are several strengths of hotmelt sticks (i think i have 3 or 4). Depending on size/weight, I'll use different ones (ie. hot melt super for large/heavy, regular for lighter, etc.). Always using the tailstock when possible of course. I have never had one come loose and I've used this method up to 18" platters.

Good luck with whatever you end up trying.
Cheers,
Brad

[Andy Hoyt]

..... Now Andy, As your doctor I must say this particular avatar looks like you were in a plane crash....
You have no idea how close you actually are. Seeing that pic creeped me out big time, so once again vanity strikes. This one was taken tomorrow.

[John Hart]

I liked the avatar you had before Andy...you know...the sorta silhouette one.....The shadowy figure. But this one is very nice...I think I like it better....even though I can't actually see it till tomorrow......:confused:

This is what it reminds me of
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000K3CK.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Andy Hoyt]

Hey! We just watched that movie last night. Just one of many obligatory holiday flicks. Next up ---- "You'll put your eye out!"

John - The old one was taken when I was deep into a reading a book so I must have wanted to portray my intellectual side. Hey Spiderman is too a book, my daughter calls it a graphic novel.:D

[Chris Barton]

Andy,

I like the current avatar, sophisticated tempter of exotic babes with hopes of gutting fish! Now, Jim B's avatar has me worried, because as a physician I have noticed some out of controll hair growth issues which probably underlying a much more serious endocrine disorder along with the much expected subsequent personality deviance.

[Ken Robb]

Carol,

Although I don't turn much any more I would recommend a waste block & also use the tailstock as much as possible. You could also visit my friend Edric's website at www.healing-arts.org/edric/main.htm . He used to describe turning burls. His speciality is thin walled hollow burl spheres. He sometimes turns these to 1/16 in thick.

Ken

[ROBERT SCHUMAN]

Try going backwards .screw the blank to your face plate.turn the outside as you want put on a foot, I make mine the same size of my face plate ,sand remove.screw a waste block to the plate turn down till the same size as plate then super glue the project to the waste block (the foot will line up with the block if you turn them the same size makes centering easy ) , you can use your tailstock as a suport if you want turn the inside down sand and pop off your finished bowl...
good luck

[Andy Hoyt]

Andy,

I like the current avatar, sophisticated tempter of exotic babes with hopes of gutting fish! Now, Jim B's avatar has me worried, because as a physician I have noticed some out of controll hair growth issues which probably underlying a much more serious endocrine disorder along with the much expected subsequent personality deviance.

Chris - When I actually take that picure tomorrow I'll be going for the God Looking Down on the Masses look.

Yup, I'm worried about Jim too. I guess he's waiting for something to germinate underneath that thing.

[David Fried]

Carol,

7 1/2" x 1 1/2" !!! You could cut that into more managable sized pieces and turn a complete set of tableware for eight! I know you could ;)

Dave Fried

Has anyone watered the Chia Becker recently?

[John Hart]

....Has anyone watered the Chia Becker recently?

Best laugh I've had in a while!! Thanks!!:D

[Carole Valentine]

Carol,

Has anyone watered the Chia Becker recently?

:D:D:D:D

David, you mentioned tableware...a guy in the local Artisans Guild is furnishing a doll house with miniature pieces made by the various artists in the guild. I made a tiny cherry salad bowl. Even had little dyed shavings for salad. Was going to try and make the salad serving utinsils but I finally gave up and filled the bowl with tiny apples (dyed tapioca) instead.:D

[Jim Becker]

You folks are brutal. Comparing a bunch of poor, dead bunnies to a Chia pet...sheesh!