Platters class 201

[Tom Jones III]

Quite a while ago I was looking at some beautiful walnut off-cuts left over from a flat work project and I wondered if it was even possible to use them for something. I asked about the feasibility of making platters from 4/4 stock. Many people responded with comments and ideas, then Andy was kind enough to try it out and give us a detailed report.

To show my appreciation for your efforts, here is the first platter that I tried based on Andy's Platter 101 class. However, Andy did it way too easy. Here is a much more difficult way of making platters, so call this Platter 201 class or "Platters the hard way"

Instructions:
1. Find a woman.
2. Marry her.
3. Make it 12 years without her killing you no matter how much you deserve it.

.. The pace of the project speeds up from here ...

4. Make the 3 door cabinet that she has been wanting for her 12 year anniversary present. Just because you're that kind of guy, make her put the finish on her own present.

5. From here, take the offcuts from step #4 and follow Andy's Platters 101 class.

Now that I know that I can do it, I'll take the better looking offcuts and we'll use these platters as housewarming gifts for new neighbors. Thanks for all the help.

[Joe Melton]

Beautiful Work, Tom. Was it a full 4/4 or 3/4 or 13/16? Do you vacuum chuck for both sides, or use a glue block on one side?
Joe

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a nice job Tom. I just finished 7 plates out of walnut. Was yours 4/4?

[Tom Jones III]

It was 4/4 rough and probably the full 1" thick. There was plenty of material. I edge jointed so that I could glue it together but that is all. Yellow glue held on a pine block that I screwed onto a face plate. After that I turned a 3/16" tenon just like Andy's tutorial.

LOML says she is going to take that sample above and stain it so both sides match. Now I'm going to have to finish sanding it.

[George Conklin]

That 3 door cabinet is beautiful, Tom. Your wife had to be pleased with that. Way to go on having her do the finish;) . Finishing is my weakest and least desired part of wood working. Ahh, who am I kidding. All of woodworking is my weakest part:o .

The platter looks good too:D .

Nicely done, Tom

[Barry Stratton]

Beautiful platter Tom! Those will be well received for sure.

[Cecil Arnold]

Nice looking work Tom.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Tom, and others chime in

First of all I'm thinking of a plate 9" to 12" max, Instead of glueing on a waste block, screw a flat heavy waste disk to the face plate and double face taped the blank to that, support always with tail stock. Then shape the back and form about a 4" dia by 3/16 tendon. Flip into chuck with big jaws to turn the top side. Now flip back to cole jaws, vac chuck or jam chuck to clean-up or face off tendon.

I have a pile of wide rough cut 1" walnut planks. I need to make 6 nice picnic plates, walnut, which means once I get going, Nita my beuatiful, talented and generous wife will think of more people I should make them for and the order will go to 12 or 15 maybe more. So I am resisiting the the whole glue block thing.

Just get over it or try it?

Frank

[Tom Jones III]

Should work just fine.

If you glue block, it doesn't have to be anything nice, any piece of junk preferably soft wood off the floor. No need to turn the glue block round or anything. You might spend an evening edge gluing your platters and you may as well stick a glue block on at the same time.

[Richard Allen]

When working 4/4 stock for platters I find that it is important to have the driving part running true. This is to say:

Mount the waste block on the faceplate. Turn round and true up the face of the waste block. 1/8" out of true on the face of the 6 waste block will be 1/4" out at the rim. That means instead of working with 4/4 stock your are working 3/4 stock. You can still make a plate but it won't be as dramatic as 4/4 stock would have been.

I usualy mount the blank between my #3 jaws (which are mounted on the chuck which is mounted on the spindle) and my live center. The live center side will become the hollow of the plate.

Turn round and true. Cut a 1/4" to 3/8" tennon at the tailstock side of the platter to fit the #3 jaws.

Flip the platter over and mount in the jaws. Work both isdes of the rim and most of the back side of the plate. Cut in a 1/8" to 3/16" tennon on the back side of the plate to fit the #3 jaws.

Sand the platter to your likeing.

Remount the platter onto the back tennon. and bring up the tailstock.

Work the hollow of the plate as best you can with the tailstock in place. Leave the hollow of the plate 1/8" thicker than finial thickness.

Move the tailstock out of the way and finsih up the hollow of the platter. sand and finish as much of the plate as you can.

Reverse the plate into cole jaws or whatever and finish the foot of the plate.

This has worked for me on platters up to 21".

BTW double face tape (like the kind they use for golf club grips) has a very tight grip. Two strips running with the grainwill hold a large piece of wood. The tape wood should be at least 1/2 the diameter of the plate stock.

Use the tailstock as much as you can. Don't leave the sock with the lathe off where only the tape is holding the plate. The stock will slide on the tape if given time at rest.

With the tape running with the grain you will know where the tape is locate as you try to remove the turned stock. also with the grain is less likely to break a thin plate.

A steady pull will remove the taped on plate. You can pull for well over a minute without anything appearing to happen. Give the pull time and it will eventualy come free. You can use a long dull kitchen knife to help pate the turned platter from the tape.

You can use tape to work the foot of the platter. The tape need clamping presure of a couple of minutes to reach full holding power.

Good Luck

[Corey Hallagan]

Nice platter Tom. Excellent job.

corey

[Andy Hoyt]

Looks great Tom. Glad it worked out for you and Holly.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Way to go Tom. Nice looking plater.

[John Hart]

Nice work Tom. Yep..you did it the hard way. Nice cabinet!!!!!:)

[Scott Donley]

Nice looking platter Tom, good use of your cutoffs. No critique of numbers 1,2, or 3 :D

[Tom Sherman]

Nice work Tom, glad to see the steps you laidout are working