Thread: disaster recovery or up grade

Nice bit of work Hughie

Hi, Hughie,
I watched Vic Wood many years ago, prepare a blank for a bowl.
Found a centre point, then jammed it up against the opened jaws of his chuck, with the T/Stock.
I've done this on occasions, & it works really well.
It is a bit hard to get at the wood, as the T/Stock gets in the way a bit.
This is only a temporary measure, so as you can make a decent hole or spigot, to fit the chuck.
Don't forget to turn the speed down, or you will have another flying bowl.
Worth a try.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Just an observation on my part, but it seems that the blank face that is mating to the screw chuck plane is the curved natural surface of the blank. Perhaps this is allowing the screw to flex in use as you make cuts and is slowly working and fatiguing the metal until eventually it fails over time.

If you are turning inboard you can bring the tailstock up against the foot to counter that flex in the screw. (I see since posting that issatree has made a related point)

If you are turning outboard without tailstock support then a flat against which to seat the face of the screw chuck is necessary on the natural edge end.

As I do most of my turning outboard, I have to add the flat on NE pieces, but find holding the blank while creating the flat a bit of pain. I make the flat with either a chain saw (tidy up with a chisel if necessary) or with a large Forstner bit on the drill press.

Originally Posted by issatree

Hi, Hughie,
I watched Vic Wood many years ago, prepare a blank for a bowl.
Found a centre point, then jammed it up against the opened jaws of his chuck, with the T/Stock.
I've done this on occasions, & it works really well.
It is a bit hard to get at the wood, as the T/Stock gets in the way a bit.
This is only a temporary measure, so as you can make a decent hole or spigot, to fit the chuck.
Don't forget to turn the speed down, or you will have another flying bowl.
Worth a try.

I do the above with almost all my bowl blanks. I also have a kluge that is a piece of hard oak with a spigot on the back to grab in the chuck and a piece of 80 grit sandpaper glued to the flat front.

I have another one for the 20 inch swing Woodfast. It is another piece of oak with a spigot to fit the #3 jaws on the big chuck with 3 sharpened masonry nails set into holes to stick into the blank on the front side.

I use a cup center with a point. I'll put the blank or hacked out log against the chuck or kluge and bring up the tailstock, turn 90 degrees and eyeball center, turn 90 degrees and eyeball again, moving if needed.

I then rough the outside, sometimes moving the center to get better looking figure where I want it, and make a spigot or recess.

I then grab the bottom with the chuck and finish the bowl.

If I have an odd shaped piece or out of balance one, I can mount it, give it a spin by hand, adjust for balance, turn the bottom flat and knock off some of the high spots on the side.

I then take the blank out and knock off the bit that was under the center and recenter and / or readjust for balance.