turning bowls

[Sam Starr]

Hi everyone I have been turning a few pens and would like to try my hand at a bowl or two however I only have a face plate. can you tell me how to mount my blank. this is my first time not turning between centers:rolleyes:

thank you all in advance:D

[Jude Kingery]

Hi Sam, yes, I did that for a couple of years before I bought a good chuck so I could reverse chuck bowls and have feet on the bottoms. But with only a face plate you can do a nice bowl with a flat bottom instead of a foot. I use a waste block glued to your blank that you want to turn. (Craft Supplies sells them pretty cheaply). Then screw your face plate into the waste block and so the bottom of your bowl is glued to the waste block and then you do it all at once, turn your outside contour, hollow, and part it off the waste block. Then sand the bottom of your bowl on your table sander. If you decide to get a chuck, you can do it just the opposite. Screw your face plate into what will be the top of your bowl, turn the bottom, put a tenon or foot on it, then reverse chuck it on the tenon and hollow it out that way. Either way is fine. Best of luck, let us know! Jude

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sam.......Jude gives some pretty sage advice but I'll add a twist to it.

You can make a donut chuck to use on your face plate and turn the "flat" bottom to any shape you want.

Good luck!

[Jude Kingery]

Ken! See? I learn something new every day. Thanks, I never thought of doing it that way! I'll have to give it a whirl! Jude

[joe greiner]

Before I got a 4-jaw chuck and made a Longworth (later), I used a faceplate with a waste block to hold the screws without putting tiny holes in the bottom of the bowl (done that, too; had to add button feet). To finish the bottom, I mounted a plywood disk on the faceplate and turned a groove to mate with the bowl's rim. I secured the bowl with duct tape or filament tape wrapped around to the back of the faceplate. The technique is shown in "Lathes and Turning Techniques; The Best of Fine Woodworking," from Taunton Press - ISBN 1-56158-021-X. The article is on page 111, by Betty Scarpino; original issue not cited. I've seen it in another book, but can't find it at the moment.

A flat bottom isn't best for a bowl, because it's likely to wobble with changes in moisture content. Better to turn a shallow ring with a depressed center.

Joe

[Sam Starr]

Ken
Donut Chuck??

Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sam....I made mine from scrap 1/2" plywood. Take a jig saw and roughly cut a couple of circles out of wood to the max diameter your lathe will handle...In my case 9 1/2". Bolt one to your face plate. Spin it up and with your tools turn it to a perfect circle. Then you can screw a 2nd piece to the first or use doublesided tape and turn it round also. Mark those the mounting holes and the "some index marks" so you can always get them back to the same alignment. Then turn a hole in the outer one. You clamp the bowl between the two.

Here's a photo:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=36311&d=1144815020

[Keith Christopher]

Or you could make a 'jam chuck' out of a larger piece of wood, then hollow out a recess that the bowl fits snugly into. Friction will hold it in place. This will allow you to turn the foot safely and accurately.

http://www.cumberlandwoodturners.com/tips/Methods%20and%20Jigs%20for%20Reverse%20Turning%20B owls.pdf



for face plate turning try this (much repeat from Jude's post)

cut a block about 4" long (thick) , get it as round as possible, then screw the faceplate to it and 'turn it true' this will make the lathe turn more smoothly. Then true up the bottom of the block with a scraper or sharp parting tool so it's flat.

then unmount the block with the faceplate still attached.

Make sure you mark center on the bowl blank and the mounting block. You need this to be centered. round your turning blank as much as possible to also prevent wobble. even if it's cut as a octagon.



If I'm turning a bowl 8" diameter or less I take a piece of paper bag (from local grocer) and cut a circle out of it to match the mounting block, using CA glue I put CA on the mounting block and on the blank, lay the paper on the blank and put the mounting block on top centered by the lines and then using some accelerator make sure it's firmly attached. and mount it up and start turning. As long as you don't get to aggresive with the tools this will work fine, and to remove it when done, simply put a chisel where the mounting block meets the bowl and give it a light tap, it will fall right off. (make sure the lathe is not on when removing it from the lathe in this manner) :cool:

For larger than 8" I use the same setup, minus the paper and in lieu of CA I use 5 min epoxy. for removal w/ the epoxy I use the parting tool.

I'll see if I can get some pics of what I'm talking about in case it's clear a mud.


Keith