Dumb Question Number 27.643/6

[Jeff Raymond]

I have been goofing around with wood for a number of years, making furniture, especially beds, including big long turned pieces.

Recently got a nice smaller 63" bed lathe and want to turn some bowls. I tried one with a nice piece of Rosewood. And the results prove than Even a Caveman can make a bowl.

Here's the question: It is my understanding that one should flat-join one side of the work, glue a 'disposable' piece to that, screw it into the plate on the lathe and then turn it.

If I had done that with the rosewood, I am pretty sure the glue wouldn't have held.

Any thoughts on this one?

UGH.

[Paul Engle]

take a look at screw chucks, no need for face plate and screws, I have one that is made for my Teknatool chuck/s and like it very much, screw the wood onto the screw into the face of the bowl( screw mounted in the chuck) bring up the ts turn down to finish size out side, sand to final grit, remove ts, turn recess ( mortice) or if tenon no need to remove ts until ready to finish inside of tenon, size to fit chuck. unscrew from chuck take out screw chuck mount bowl by tenon or recess . I put first coat of finish on bottom before remounting as is just a seal coat. I have done some 60 bowls up to 12 in wet and dry and have had no problems so far , drill the recommended hole for either and you will be ok, out of balance pieces low speed as you can get and make sure ts is good and snug till you get em worked.
Welcome Home Jeff!!!
PHU BAI 71-72

[Jason Christenson]

Recently got a nice smaller 63" bed lathe...

Jeff-
There is no way you'll be able to turn bowls on such a small lathe. Yeesh:D

Jason

[Jude Kingery]

Hey Jeff, Paul's got you covered. I do them both ways, sometimes face plate, reverse chuck and hollow is my favorite way to do bowls. Although sometimes I'll use a waste block, just depends on what I'm making. Waste blocks make throw tops and candle sticks easy, then just turn off the waste block. I like a foot on my bowls so generally use the chuck. Best to you, Jude

[Jeff Raymond]

OK, the deal here is to look for a 'screw chuck?' I did a google search on that and should have changed my viewing preferences...ah..y'know?

I have a General lathe. I kinda did what you were suggesting, but went with the BS on the base wood and it ripped into the Caveman Bowl, actually quite quickly, if you catch my drift.

Got a link on a 'screw chuck?' This lathe is so smooth I think it's ok for bowl turning with a 12" center, maybe too big?

When I do beds, it isn't a pretty picture with the waste throw off, so I now put my pieces through the TS and cut off the edges creating an octagon.

Thanks all in advance!

Bien Hoa 67-68 TET
Welcome home Paul!

[Jude Kingery]

Hey Jeff,

Ha, you made me laugh, yes, I can readily understand as one time I wanted to buy some Cocobolo and honestly and innocently entered "hard woods" into a search and was rather astonished as to what links surfaced. Sure not my intention, ha! Refined my search a bit and did just fine to where I could buy one small piece of Cocobolo for a special project on a bowl.

I personally don't like screw chucks for what I do - as I find the drive or screw - rips out unless I'm doing something really, really small. I prefer a small face plate screwed directly into the blank, do the outside of the bowl first that way, put a tenon or foot on the outside bottom, then I have an axeminster jaw chuck. (I can't recall which one I bought, could look it up for you and PM me if you like) from Craft Supplies. Pricey item, but I have literally used the heck out of it for 5 years now - it's just simply outstanding. Will do anything I need to do and then some. So precise and stable, it's also a fairly versatile chuck with a set of large jaws, then some kinda pincher jaws, interchangable depending on what I'm turning.

Yep, if your throw is up to 12" or so, should handle it. I use a steel 2" face plate, then I have an 8" face plate and a 10" face plate. So just depends on how big or heavy your blank is what you might need? Might look at some kind of jaw chuck iinstead of screw chuck - only my personal preference is all. Best to you, happy hunting! Jude

[EDDIE GLAZE]

Jeff Ther Is No Such Thing As A Dumb Question. I Use A Screw That Is Made For The Chuck 1.250 Long X .500 Dia. I Drill A Hole Inthe Blank Whitch Hase Been Cut Round With A Chain Saw And Screw It On Up To The Chuck Bring Up The Tail Stock, Ruff Turn Outside And Finish Turn A Spigot For A Chuck. Turn It Around Mount In Chuck, Ruff Turn Inside,then Finish Turn Outside And Finish Turn Inside. Then Finish Sand The Bowl.the Reason I Do It This Way Is Incase You Get A Catch Or When The Stres Is Relieved. The Bowl May Change Shape. You End Up Finishing The Outside And Inside At The Same Time. I Have Turned Bowls 19 " Dia. This Way. Works Fore Me. The Stronghold Chucks Are Not That Acurate. All The Best.

[Jim Becker]

Jeff, you can find screw chucks at wood turning suppliers like Packard Woodworks, Woodcraft and Craft Supplies. The one I use is an accessory for my OneWay Talon chuck...but there are dedicated ones, too, such as the Glasser.

But don't give up on using a waste block on turnings, especially when you want to preserve all of an outstanding piece of wood. A glue block will allow you to maximize a blank's potential and, especially for smaller pieces, allow you to turn it start to finish without reversing. But as you seem to understand, there are a few very oily species that don't take to adhesives very well. Some will work if you clean with acetone first. Others will not.

[Richard Madison]

Jeff,
You can also rough turn between centers, though perhaps not the most popular procedure. Forstner drill a 1" hole (or whatever is the size of your spur center) about 1/2" deep in center of what will be top of bowl. Make two perpendicular chisel cuts in bottom of hole for the spurs to engage. Align the spurs with the chisel cuts and drive the center into the hole.

Some use a "soft" hammer for this. A steel hammer will tend to "mushroom" the end of the center, which will eventually interfere with the MT fit in the spindle. One can check the MT with a straight edge and grind off the "mushroom" if it get a little too large.

Mount the assembly in/on the spindle and bring up the tailstock to engage the center (which you have previously marked) on bottom of the piece. Proceed as described above.

Many doubt that the spur center (with 4 spurs) will drive a big piece. If your chisel cuts are aligned w/ spurs and deep enough (maybe 3/32"), it will turn a 14" diameter oak bowl.

Not necessarily the best way. Just another way that can be made to work.

[Jeff Raymond]

Hey I think I found the chuck screw that has been mentioned. And here is the link: http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/supernova.html

So with one of these, a guy can 'grab' on to a smaller portion of the blank, tighten that dude up and keep on turning...? Or you could take a chunk of wood, put it on the head and tail stock and make your own nifty cut, then clamp the screw over the portion you have just made and you are GTG?

Thanks all very much. I think I'm headed in the right direction now. I got my lathe at Western Tool Supply and will check in with them tomorrow; betchya they can fix me up.

You turning people are nicer than the heavy machinery people.

[Paul Engle]

Jeff, couple things, the blank has to be larger than the chuck jaws the screw is clamped in, you need 3/4 of an inch minimum depth for the screw,I use a 5/16th brad point drill for dry and 1/4 inch sometimes for wet and softer woods ( birch, pine,fir if wet ) never use one for spindle work either the spur drive or I have a spigot chuck ( large ) for limbs. I use the spigot chuck as the jaws are longer ( more room behind the blank between the blank and chuck body ) if I need to clean up or go over the bottom as it lets me get in there ok. I used a G3 for a long time and never any problems I got a Super Nova as the jaw spread is wider and provided a more stable base for larger ( over 10 in dia ) bowls. If you want to make a face plate with a screw in it I made one using Illinois tool works hardened concrete screw set in a wood blank turned to fit the larger chucks jaws and as deep a recess as I could , its 7/8 thick and 6 in dia so when doing large platters etc I get at least 50% of blank against the face plate it works well also ( i use the 1/4 drill for the pilot hole in the blank) the screw is 1 1/2 and epoxied in the face plate from the chuck side just for exta security sticks out 7/8 of an inch , and the plate is made from oak with no cracks etc in it.I have done only one project over 12 inches and it was a platter ending up as a lid for a hughe ceramic pot , i used the worm screw to hold on the SN chuck til I could get it round and recess turned for it, no so much as a hiccup. I tried face plates untill I got my first chuck and tried turning bowls between centers and was uncomfortable and hard to get the recess or tennon with the ts in the way and I felt waste plates were a lot of extra work to turn into mulch ....If you have any thoughts ( i get em now and then ) pm me , lets yak, and hey have you done your agent orange physical at the VA ? dont put it off , I was just diagnoised with type II Diabetes, my dad got type 2 and he was at Danang in 65-66 .died from it in 1983. 19 million gallons of the stuff from '61 to '72.
May God Bless you and yours .

[Jeff Raymond]

Paul: Thx for the help.
Will try PM
JR OUT