Argh!!!! Camphor platter disaster

[bassmansimon]

I made a 10" Camphor Laurel platter for a friend's birthday coming up. It looked so good, I thought I would give it a go on my Nova cole jaws to remove the foot tonight (first time for doing this).

Removed the foot, and then only noticed the (lack of) thickness when sanding it. Right in the centre, it is paper thin, and has a tiny crack running through the centre. With any pressure whatsoever, it will no doubt punch a hole right through the bowl.

Oh well - I guess this is one to keep for myself as a platter to hold a large candle (large enough diameter candle and it will mean nothing will be in the centre of the bowl) or something. I just hate to throw something like this in the bin because of such nice grain, although I was so annoyed at myself for ruining it (and a present), I almost did exactly that! :((:((

Then in an attempt to quickly make a new replacement platter for the present (8" Blackheart Sassafras blank), I tore a chunk off the edge and gave up and returned to the couch. I guess you should never woodturn when you're angry...
I might give it another go tomorrow and turn it into a 7" platter...

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[chambezio]

Mate all is not lost!!!!!!
What if you turn a "base" for the platter? Just some thing that will get you out of trouble and give the platter "that individual look"
Say a base to finish 10mm thick and big enough to look right

[bassmansimon]

It crossed my mind but I've never done anything like that before so wouldn't know where to start

[wheelinround]

I agree with Rod too good to toss base/foot of smaller dia and simple glue up

Turn the smaller dia piece face it off, mount the platter using the cole jaws to centre it by putting the platter in the jaws. Mount the added foot glue not to much pressure leave it overnight and it'll look brilliant.

[Paul39]

I agree with the above. Too nice a piece to waste.

If the bottom gives when you press on it, when you put glue in the center area, don't put too much as it may make the bottom pooch toward the inside and make a bump.

Put a light coat on both sides and rub around with your finger.

Even if the repair is a failure, it gives you practice on how to extricate yourself from unplanned events.

A method by Dale Nish to find the bottom of the bowl, is to drill a hole stopping one inch from the bottom of the blank, then hollow down to end of hole.

When I am hollowing, I stick the gouge into the bottom, holding it parallel to the bed and sight rim to rim, put my thumb on that line, remove gouge, keeping thumb in place and place gouge outside, thumb on rim of bowl. Tip of gouge shows bottom of bowl.

You had an inconvenience, not a disaster. A disaster is when a big blank leaps out of the lathe, hits the bed, bounces up and smashes two florescent tubes, showering you with glass, and comes down and hits your hand, causing a big bruise and multiple cuts.

The bowl was not badly damaged, I bled like a stuck pig so I did not get infected, I did not have to be sewn up. Two years later I'm still finding broken glass in strange places.

[bassmansimon]

A method by Dale Nish to find the bottom of the bowl, is to drill a hole stopping one inch from the bottom of the blank, then hollow down to end of hole.

I do the same thing when hollowing. The problem here was when I was removing the foot, which doesn't lend itself to this method. It just didn't occur to me that the inside of the bowl was that concave in the centre.


You had an inconvenience, not a disaster. A disaster is when a big blank leaps out of the lathe, hits the bed, bounces up and smashes two florescent tubes, showering you with glass, and comes down and hits your hand, causing a big bruise and multiple cuts.

The bowl was not badly damaged, I bled like a stuck pig so I did not get infected, I did not have to be sewn up. Two years later I'm still finding broken glass in strange places.

Wow - ok bad choice of my adjective! That definitely sounds like an adventure ;)

I have taken your advice and made a new base for it, from a piece of Blackwood. It's currently drying. Question for everyone - should it sit on the new foot, or should I turn the new foot down so that the platter sits on its outside rim? The base of the platter is slightly concave (part of the original problem with the thickness) so it has a nice edge it could sit on at the rim. That was the original plan.

However I'm now thinking more towards sitting on the foot, since it will otherwise appear to have no purpose.

[Paul39]

If the center is stiff enough not to move, or you could glue a couple or three layers of brown paper over the thin area to stiffen, then you could glue the rim of the bottom to the foot.

If you stick a piece of sandpaper larger than the bottom of the platter on a flat surface, then scooted the platter around on it to make about a 25mm wide area around the rim that should give enough surface to make a good joint.

I would make the foot on the order of the sketch below.

[dr4g0nfly]

Definitely go for the foot add-on, the quilting in that is too good to throw away.

[bassmansimon]

I added a Blackwood foot, but the proportions just didn't look right to me. So I used the new foot to mount it in the chuck again, and re-turn the inside of the bowl to cut a big hole in the centre.

re-sanded and polished the inside, then turned it over in the cole jaws and removed the foot, re-sanded and polished the base.

Now it has a new purpose - a chip & dip bowl. Put crackers around the outside, and some dip in the ceramic bowl. I haven't secured the bowl (for ease of cleaning), but it sits well in the centre of the platter when sitting on a table.

Thoughts?

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[ian thorn]

When i had that happen i turned a contrasting centre with a clock in it lokks good a good trades man is one that can fix it when it gose wrong not one that gets it right most of the time

Ian