Thread: Interesting comment I heard today at Timbercon

The basic statement is probably correct. You can use a faceplate to mount a block of wood which you would turn into a jam chuck to hold a workpiece as you would with a scroll chuck.

Alternatively, you could screw a blank to the faceplate, turn a bowl inside and out and part it off clear of the mounting screws albeit leaving a large piece of essentially waste timber behind.

You don't actually need such luxuries as an electric motor either, pole lathes did a good job for many years. Carbon steel tools cut timber as well (maybe better) than HSS tools and modern specialist tools such as hollowing tools don't do anything that hasn't been done in days gone by.

Whether you would want to do this on a permanent basis is a different issue. A scroll chuck is much quicker, much more secure and wastes less timber than using the faceplate alone. Scroll chucks have a wide range of add on jaws which allow more specialised work to be undertaken and can be used for both face work (grain across the axis) and centre work (grain along the axis). The can be bought pretty cheaply (Bonham or basic Nova) or you can go up market to the Vicmark or top of the range Nova.

I don't know any turner who doesn't own a mechanical chuck of some kind. The faceplate is still an essential accessory for securing a blank until a chuck tenon is made although you could do this between centres if you like and not use the faceplate at all.

It's a question of whether you want to make life more difficult by ignoring modern developments or whether you want to use accessories available as a tool to producing better and more varied work. I don't believe that not using scroll chucks, HSS tools, specialist hollowing tools etc will make you a better turner, probably the opposite because you will be concentrating on cutting timber properly rather than worring about security of the workpiece.

There's also an issue of safety.

Think I'd be more confident of the scroll chuck hanging on a little better than a jam chuck when I manage to get a dig-in. And as a learner we've all had some of those.

Get a good scroll chuck to start - it's worth it in my bruised view.(one of those dig-in's came out & hit me fair between the eyes)!!

the very reason I went out and bought a full face shield
her indors was laughin reel hard watching me using a fullface helmet after the first bruise

Hi Wild Dingo if your only a newbie like me try and get along to the local woodturners in Mandurah High School on the second and fourth tuesday of each month,They are really a great bunch and are only too happy to pass on there knowledge,,Regards Jockmac

Jock! Wow just up the road... small world eh?... I will check them out first chance I get! Thanks! and yep new as to turning in fact sooooo new I still havent ever used one!! but its a skill and something Ive wanted to learn for many years so will do!