That's a roger Houston...3rd launch in less than 24 hours But this is my first...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

bowl launch! ........Wow!........Roughed out the outside of my maple/purpleheart/maple blank. Cut a external tenon on the bottom. Chucked it up....sharpened the bowl gouge...started at it and.......WOW!

Check this it out! The 99% of the tenon remained in the chuck and was still tight.....must have been a structural problem with the wood.....it broke where the tenon met the shoulder of the bowl........

Here's photos .....what do you think?

[Jim Becker]

Ken, be sure that your tenon has a shoulder for the jaws of the chuck to rest up against. It adds significantly to the strength and provides support for the tenon as it's gripped in the jaws. This really is important! I "think" you had this on your project, but am not positive. If you did and it still broke off, you either had a piece of wood that was "wishing for a launch" or really had a nasty catch or something!

[Greg Savage]

It is hard to tell from the photo, but I think you had the grain of the tenon running perpendicular to the lathe axis...that is that the tenon was cut from flat stock.......A tenon is much stronger when the grain is oriented parallel with the axis.

[Chris Barton]

Ken,

The bowl looks pretty good, a little rough on the bottom. The poker chip you are trying to turn in the chuck jaws might be a little hard to true up using a gouge. Be really careful when you get close to the metal jaws of the chuck;) .

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Well Ken, having done that of a flat grain bowl, CA it back together, Turn down the speed and take REAL light cuts and it should be saveable.

Bruce

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Chris......just shaking my head!:D

[George Conklin]

Oh yeah.... Been there, done that.;)

[Pete Jordan]

Ken,
I am new at this but I hope you are taking all the safety precautions you can.
Be careful out there!
Pete

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Pete.....safety glasses...that's the ones I wear daily and a full face shield...start a slow speed.....increase when adviseable....step to the side when I start the lathe......sharp tools....light cuts.....dust mask when sanding.....plenty of light.....quit when tired....or making dumb decisions....:confused:

[Chris Barton]

Pete,

Part of the reason we turn is for the opportunities to test our "cat like" reflexes. You would be surprised how fast this old fat man can move when the lathe spits somthing out at me...

[Robert E Lee]

I have read where tighting the chuck to tight might cause this. How tight is to tight I do not know, never had it happen. Ya right.
Bob

[David Fried]

Good, good, good, Ken - I figure five or six more launches and your wife will gladly let you buy that Trend AirShield to protect your noggin.:D

[Corey Hallagan]

WOW!! that thing really got ripped out of there! I can see you had a shoulder on the tennon, must of been the catch of all catches!!

Corey

[Andy Hoyt]

Ken - I agree with Robert Lee. Chuck reefed too tight. Grain looks like she just snapped. You might have a had a catch and not even known it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ken I had a small dry bowl that I had glued up launch on me. When I took the tenon out of the chuck I could see where the serated jaws had cut into the tenon and that is exactly where it cracked and broke. I lighten up on tightening my chuck. I can't explain how much but I kinda just know now when to stop. Haven't thrown one since.

[Ron Ainge]

Ken

I don't know if you put a dove tail on the piece before you chucked it up but that may help also. When I first started I put straight tennions on my tunings and I found out that when I tightened the chuck down I was cutting into the wood and causing the tennion to fail like your did.

[Pete Jordan]

I don't think we could tell if it was broken unless it had a sling on it.

Pete