Turning some pucks- a better way?

[Charlie Schultz]

I needed 30 2" diameter x 1/2" thick pucks, with slight concaves on both faces. Below is how I did it, but is there a better way?
1. Cut 2 1/4" x 1/2" square blanks for the stock (maple)
2. Mount a chunk o' wood to a faceplate and turn (taper) the free end down to a 2" diameter.
3. Sandwich the blank between the taper and the tailstock (the tailstock leaves a small indent on the face, but I take that out later when doing the concave).
4. Turn the blanks down to the 2" diameter
5. Replace the faceplate with a 4 jaw chuck and chuck in the blanks (I used a spacer so the blank is proud of the jaws by about 1/4"). Also used some plastic to keep the jaws from damaging the edges.
6. Make the face concave, flip the piece over and make the other face concave.

So what do you think? I'd still like to BLO the pieces and then friction wax them, so I suppose I can repeat the above steps...

[Kenneth Hertzog]

Charlie
If I were to try this job I would put a piece of wood in the chuck
long enough to get a few pieces from.
turn it round.
and start parting them off the size and concave I wanted
then when I have the quanity wanted I would start working on the finish
I would not do them one at a time
ken
Just my thought:D

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Turn your stock to dimension. At the tablesaw with stops cut the disks. Pad the chuck jaws and concave each side. Then, finish as desired, done!!!Max

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'd chuck up the blank. Turn it to a cylinder. Use a parting tool to lay out the 1/2" thick pucks. Turn the one on the tailstock end of the blank leaving it attached. Blo it....friction it. Part it off with a 1/2 area on the inside edge to finish. Continue the process.

[Robert McGowen]

Turn your stock to dimension. At the tablesaw with stops cut the disks. Pad the chuck jaws and concave each side. Then, finish as desired, done!!!Max

What he said!

[Rob Bourgeois]

Turn your stock to dimension. At the tablesaw with stops cut the disks. Pad the chuck jaws and concave each side. Then, finish as desired, done!!!Max

Cutting round stock on a table saw.....:eek:

I would use a band saw and attach the round to a guide block thats square. Just slice it like your slicing bread.


Or just part it off at the lathe..then you wouldnt have to clean off blanks off your other tools.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Clamp the round stock to a miter jig set at 90 degrees and cut away. Beats parting a 2 in. round off 30 times. Of course the clamp has to be pretty tight.Just to add to above post. Max disguised as dustpan.

[Robert McGowen]

Also keep in mind, if your stock is long enough to part off several pucks, then you will probably need to use some type of steady rest to hold it in place when parting off.

I cut plastic pipe up to 2" in diameter on a table saw everyday. I use a sled with a high back to pin it against and a stop on the fence that the pipe moves past before it hits the blade so that it does not get pinched between the fence and the blade. No problems at all.

[John Fricke]

lot of ways to skin that cat