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Thread: Glue Block or Chuck?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Boise, Idaho
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    1,186

    Glue Block or Chuck?

    Just finished watching "Bowl Basics The Easy Way," by Lyle Jamieson. This is, perhaps, the most comprehensive and thorough instructional DVD on wood turning I've seen to date. However, Lyle uses some techniques that seem to go against convention.

    The most strident one was the use of glue blocks over chucks. He makes a convincing argument that the glue block supplies more support then a chuck but this is the only DVD I've watched that uses a glue block.

    The problems I've had with chucks were due to my own ineptness. When I make a good properly formed tenon (I've recently switched to dovetails), I do not experience failure.

    I'm curious if any members use glue blocks as their main mechanism for holding wood on the lathe. For that matter, do you use none of the above?

    Thanks,
    Burt

  2. #2
    Burt,

    Not that I am any kind of expert, but I do use a lot of glue blocks in conjunction with my chuck. I use a 2" hard wood glue block that I will glue to my blank and then use my spigot jaws on my chuck. I have found that this is a very secure method to hold much of my work. I get a deep spigot this way and waste very little of the blank.

    Good Luck

    Alan

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Paradise PA
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    3,098
    depends on the wood and your turning style. if its a soft wood like spaulted or something, i glue a waste block oon, but find it is a lot quicker to just put a chuck on it instead of trying to screw a face plate on. i have a peice of maple i turned round that is the right size for my chuck jaws. when i need a waste block i just chop a 1 inch peice off, then glue it to the bowl..
    ive found that with soft wood a tight chuck digs in unevenly to the wood and can pop off the tenon, and that with some really hard woods they are to hard for some chucks to realy grip well. my chuck doesnt grip well on osage so i put a waste block on it. it goes by what every you feel works for you
    14x48 custom 2hp 9gear lathe
    9 inch pre 1940 craftsman lathe
    36 inch 1914 Sydney bandsaw (BEAST)
    Wood in every shelf and nook and cranny,,, seriously too much wood!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Wimberley, Texas
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    2,828
    Burt,
    To make it more confusing, I use glue blocks held in a chuck. When making multiple "bowls" for a ribbon form I make the glue blocks from kiln dried SYP construction lumber (2x4 and 2x6). Cut the blocks square. Then cut a square tenon 3/8" deep on one side (8 cuts on the TS). The eight corners of 4 chuck jaws will make indentions in the tenon and provide a very secure grip. Bandsaw the blocks round, turn and sand the glue surface flat, and mark the #1 jaw position on the tenon so it will go back in the chuck in the same position. Note this procedure is for relatively small, light weight pieces. For roughing larger bowls from logs I start them between centers, turn the outside and a tenon on the bottom, reverse to the chuck. Have not used a faceplate for a long time.
    Richard in Wimberley

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Mesa, Arizona
    Posts
    1,798

    Lyle's right and wrong.

    Burt,

    I'm glad you liked Lyle's DVD; it's one of my favorites.

    With regard to glue blocks, Lyle's right. Glue blocks in combination w/ a face plate provide a stronger hold than a scroll chuck. However, I think most production turners use chucks for their greater speed. In most cases, chucks provide a "good enough" hold; if you're turning dozens of bowls a day, I suspect the few seconds difference in speed matters. Since most of the popular bowl turning videos -- for example, those by Bill Grumbine and Mike Mahoney -- are made by production turners, many of us learned to use a chuck.

    Since watching Lyle's video, I use glue blocks far more often than I did before. They've become my primary chucking method. I still use my chuck, but not as often.

  6. #6
    i use both chucks and glue blocks, as well as faceplates. i watched one gentleman make a hollow form at the Richmond symposium - i forget his name, sorry - and he stated he doesn't turn much of anything without using a faceplate - wouldn't trust glue blocks or chucks on anything with any size to speak of. when i use a glue block, it is a hardwood, and usually tapped with my Beall so it is sort of a combo faceplate glue block that is screwed directly onto my spindle.
    Last edited by Mike Minto; 06-01-2009 at 10:41 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Plymouth, Wisconsin
    Posts
    248
    I'm a big fan of glue blocks. On and off the lathe as many times as you want without losing exact center.
    Trying to eliminate sandpaper - one curly shaving at a time.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Green Valley, Az.
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    1,202
    I started using glue blocks a long time ago. I had a great source for a lot of very highly figured wood. A small sawmill not far from where I lived sold wood to musical instrument makers. They were very particular about the wood they wanted. No spalting, no redheart, So I got all of that. He cut the wood to 3 inch thickness then kiln dried it. So now it's near 2 3/4 inches thick. There was no wood to waste so a glue block allowed me to use it all. That was so long ago that the 4-jaw chuck that's so popular today hadn't yet been invented. (The first Nova came out around 1990). I used a screw chuck on most pieces. If it was a large piece I used a faceplate (Still the most secure way to fasten a blank to the lathe)

    Today, I still use a screw chuck or sometimes a 4-jaw along with a glue block.

    Wally

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Boise, Idaho
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    1,186
    I'm surprised at the number of people using glue blocks. I guess I should try this out. I've had only bad luck with screw chucks. Each time I use one it doesn't snug up. The piece keeps turning and turning and turning so fearing a face bomb, I take it off the screw.

    I've used the Oneway and Vicmarc screws all with the same lack of success.

    Learn something new every day!
    Burt

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Abilene, TX
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    223
    Burt,

    Like you, I tried a screw chuck and did not meet with much success. Spose it all depends on what you're doing, but I do both faceplates and glue-up waste blocks all the time. Most often the glue-up waste block with my jawed chuck, that's the ticket. Never had a problem going that route at all. Waste blocks are cheap, reusuable over and over until you finally turn them down to not usuable. Cheap effecient and firm anchor for your turning pieces. Hope you like it!

    Best regards,

    Jude

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Plymouth, Wisconsin
    Posts
    248
    I never use a screw chuck with the glue block.

    I make up 20 or 30 glue blocks, tap the hole and then have them ready when I need them.

    When the roughed out blank is dry enough to go back on the lathe I clean up the foot enough to accept the block by sandwiching it between standard chuck and the tail stock. Then simply glue the block on and thread the assembly on your spindle.

    You now have center on and off.
    Trying to eliminate sandpaper - one curly shaving at a time.

  12. #12
    I probably use every technique out there, but for large segmented work where the piece is constantly being taken off and then returned to the lathe, there's nothing better than a hardwood waste block screwed onto a faceplate.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Wimberley, Texas
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    Agreed. Forgot that one, having not done a large piece for a long time.
    Richard in Wimberley

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Marquette Heights, Illinois
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    2,945
    The only time I use glue blocks is when I'm making minatures. Rather than waste a lot of wood, figuratuvely speaking, I have some rounds about 1 to 1-1/2" long that I glue 3/4" and smaller pieces to to make them.

    Bruce
    "The great thing about Wood Turning is that all you have to do is remove what's not needed to have something beautiful. Nature does tha Hard work."

    M.H. Woodturning, Etc.
    Peoria, Illinois 61554

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Detroit, MI
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    There are a number of places where a glue block is appropriate and effective, some of which have already been mentioned. But as far as security is concerned, no way will I choose a glue block over an appropriately selected chuck mount (and that does not mean using 2" jaws for every job). If the chuck isn't secure enough for the job, you need to screw it right onto a faceplate. For many jobs, any of the above will do just fine.

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