Thread: Index Plate

Bearcraft I have made up an index plate by wrapping a bandsaw blade with the requisite number of teeth required around a piece of MDF and holding it behind the chuck. Just don't turn the lathe on .... it would make an awful mess of fingers.

Rhys H

Originally Posted by bearcraft

Does anyone have plans for marking out an index plate for ornamental turning

..

Welcome to the forum.

There is a US company that makes a plastic index wheel that you could use and if it serves your needs copy into metal.

http://www.ironfirellc.com/shop/

Or step up to an aluminium one instead of plastic.

http://alisam.com/page/14g9e/Woodwor...urning_OT.html

If you haven't already found it Ornamental Turners International has a lot of info to look at, and there are downloads for index layouts in the Resource section of the site.

http://www.ornamentalturners.org/index.php

Pete

Personally I have not found the OTI forum very helpfull (not like the membership here....), I posted a simple question about rose engines and after 69 views of the post, no replies - so either I've offended someone, nobody knows the answer, or it's a secret!. Also you need need to pay your $35 to be a full member. (BTW the link to the 'make your index wheel' link doesn't work).
I have a division wheel to make but it's not a problem as I have a dividing head and metalworking lathe, it's just time consuming with a top row of 360 1mm holes.
For a simple MDF division plate of fairly low numbers, the bandsaw blade option mentioned by hobbyhorse works well as does a marked out strip of paper glued on prior to drilling.
Mark
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What you say & what people hear are not always the same thing.

Originally Posted by Old-Biker-UK

Personally I have not found the OTI forum very helpfull (not like the membership here....), I posted a simple question about rose engines and after 69 views of the post, no replies - so either I've offended someone, nobody knows the answer, or it's a secret!. Also you need need to pay your $35 to be a full member. (BTW the link to the 'make your index wheel' link doesn't work).
I have a division wheel to make but it's not a problem as I have a dividing head and metalworking lathe, it's just time consuming with a top row of 360 1mm holes.
For a simple MDF division plate of fairly low numbers, the bandsaw blade option mentioned by hobbyhorse works well as does a marked out strip of paper glued on prior to drilling.
Mark
------------------------
What you say & what people hear are not always the same thing.

Sorry that you don't feel there is good info at the OTI site. I can't completely explain the lack of response to your question, but you need to realize that all the views are recorded by the software including all the lurkers not part of the forum, as well as someone like myself that have now looked 4 or 5 times. (In part due to this thread.) You may not know but there are only a couple of hundred full members in total and they don't all post on the forum so sometimes it may take awhile before a response comes. Kind of hard to match the many thousands on this forum in anyway shape or form. Few can!

I haven't responded because I don't have a definitive answer since I haven't gotten to the point of making my machine yet. I am still getting used to the mill and lathe I bought to make mine with. I don't plan on incorporating pumping until a later version.

From what I have seen of a few pieces of swash plate / pumped work the movement was much less than an inch. About 1cm give or take. If you look at the Lindow-White machine they have introduced pumping ability to their machine and they show a picture of the shaft end with the spring and collar on it. The shaft is an inch in diameter if my memory serves so the stroke on it will be at most an inch and their pumping rossets much less. The ability to travel further might prove useful if you were to want to do spirals on a piece but you would need to move the shaft with something other than a rosette.

Being in the UK you might be better served getting in touch with the SOT since they have been around since well before the second war, and there could well be a member within range of you to visit. Be forewarned they are also a small group too. Just as bearcraft and Hobbyhorse might benifit by getting in touch with the Ornamental Turners Group of Austrailia. OT work is a very small offshoot of turning unfortunately.

When I click on the link in the Resource section of OTI, I get to the guy's site and again click on any of the PDF files for the division you want and it opens. You scale and print it and stick it on the division plate you want to make to do the layout. I have an 8" rotary table and will be using it to make my plate and look forward to a lot of holes too. There are many ways to make a division plate including scrounged gears or chain sprockets. What ever works is good and I was only offering some alternatives.

All the best
Pete

Google is your friend. Search using keywords such as ["index wheel"] and/or [woodturning "index wheel"]. The number of divisions can be selected judiciously, to take advantage of odd combinations. Usual practice is to print a pattern, and affix it to the wheel material with spray adhesive. Then drill holes for the index pin. For small angular divisions, a second pin can engage holes on a different radius. Start with something simple, and make second and third (etc.) wheels as needed.

The perfect is the enemy of the good. Angular imperfections preserve the DIY appearance.

Cheers,
Joe

Pete -
My particular gripe was about the forum, I agree there is a fair bit of info available in earlier threads but even my first thread only had 1 significant reply (Thanks Ray), not much encouragement for a newbie.
The resources section of the the site is pretty thin apart from the Bill Smith link (now working) mostly links to stuff to purchase & a couple of 'Turner's Bibles' (available through Google, although not if you are in the UK, have to use a proxy server to see them) compared to say the downloads at ornamentalroseengine.com. (I'm a poor old pensioner and like free stuff)
With regard to the SOT, I am fortunate to have an SOT member as my mentor in all things OT who calls by from time to time. He turned up yesterday for a cuppa and gave me chapter & verse on pumping dimensions (anything from 1mm to 15mm not including spirals) so that has sorted my dilema so I can carry on with the mandrel knowing it's long enough!
I guess the trouble is in trying to get into something where the practioners are thin on the ground, perhaps I should try pen making
Mark
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What you say and what people hear are not always the same thing.

Originally Posted by Old-Biker-UK

Pete -
My particular gripe was about the forum, I agree there is a fair bit of info available in earlier threads but even my first thread only had 1 significant reply (Thanks Ray), not much encouragement for a newbie.
The resources section of the the site is pretty thin apart from the Bill Smith link (now working) mostly links to stuff to purchase & a couple of 'Turner's Bibles' (available through Google, although not if you are in the UK, have to use a proxy server to see them) compared to say the downloads at ornamentalroseengine.com. (I'm a poor old pensioner and like free stuff)
With regard to the SOT, I am fortunate to have an SOT member as my mentor in all things OT who calls by from time to time. He turned up yesterday for a cuppa and gave me chapter & verse on pumping dimensions (anything from 1mm to 15mm not including spirals) so that has sorted my dilema so I can carry on with the mandrel knowing it's long enough!
I guess the trouble is in trying to get into something where the practioners are thin on the ground,
Mark
----------------------------------
What you say and what people hear are not always the same thing.

No worries Mark

You have answered much re source of specific info you have obtained he (your SOT mate) is doing what its all about passing it on/forward encouraging and fostering just as I get here from OTGA members.

perhaps I should try pen making

don't do it Mark please what a waste of tallent you got a screw loose or what

Ok Hobbyhorse & Bearcraft NZ has a member of the OTGA and I believe he could help we make index plates at the club here in Sydney. Shame you didn't come to the Sydney wood show you could have picked one up from us there.
I'll get our NZ members details and pass them on with his permission of course.

Originally Posted by bearcraft

Does anyone have plans for marking out an index plate for ornamental turning

Hi Bearcraft,
I might have just what your looking for so just give me a call to arrange.
It has 120 divisions. Every 3 degrees and has a great marking system for quick reference and less chance for errors.

Cheers
Edwards

Thanks for your suggestions. The request was for a friend and he has got it sorted.