Thread: Red Gum Bowl from offcut

Nice job.

A safer way to hold it would have been with a small faceplate.

Originally Posted by

Nice job.

A safer way to hold it would have been with a small faceplate.

I agree .

You just can't beat a couple or more good screws.

Just make sure they are long enough for maximum effect.

Cheers

Tim

Gorgeous!!

Still got all your knuckles????

Originally Posted by artme

Gorgeous!!

Still got all your knuckles????

Thanks artme, no damage this time. , Tim, I'd use a faceplate but those screws keep breaking off.

Originally Posted by torchwood

Thanks artme, no damage this time. , Tim, I'd use a faceplate but those screws keep breaking off.

What type of screws were you using?

The reason I ask is I use timber roofing screws and have never lost a blank off the lathe due to screw failure.

Many hundreds of bowls over many years of turning, some up to 80+kg.

There simply is no safer method of holding an out of balance piece of wood on the lathe than using a faceplate, with a suitable number and length of roofing screws.

Make sure you use timber roofing screws; the ones designed for steel have little holding strength in timber.

In hard timbers pre drilling may be required to prevent the screw stripping out in the timber.

One major advantage of using a faceplate is the ability to reposition the blank if you want to make a small adjustment to avoid a defect.

With a natural edge blank you can even kick the blank over a bit by undoing the screws a bit, inserting a small wedge and retightening.

Neither of the previous adjustments are easy or safe to do using a chuck as with your method.

I use a 10v impact screwdriver to fix the screws taking care not to strip the thread in the timber.

Finally, yes I have snapped screws with the impact driver but only when removing them.

When this happens it tells me I should have predrilled the holes.

Cheers

Tim

Originally Posted by Tim the Timber Turner

What type of screws were you using?

The reason I ask is I use timber roofing screws and have never lost a blank off the lathe due to screw failure.

Many hundreds of bowls over many years of turning, some up to 80+kg.

There simply is no safer method of holding an out of balance piece of wood on the lathe than using a faceplate, with a suitable number and length of roofing screws.

Make sure you use timber roofing screws; the ones designed for steel have little holding strength in timber.

In hard timbers pre drilling may be required to prevent the screw stripping out in the timber.

One major advantage of using a faceplate is the ability to reposition the blank if you want to make a small adjustment to avoid a defect.

With a natural edge blank you can even kick the blank over a bit by undoing the screws a bit, inserting a small wedge and retightening.

Neither of the previous adjustments are easy or safe to do using a chuck as with your method.

I use a 10v impact screwdriver to fix the screws taking care not to strip the thread in the timber.

Finally, yes I have snapped screws with the impact driver but only when removing them.

When this happens it tells me I should have predrilled the holes.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Tim, I'll try the timber roofing screws.

Torchwood,

Beautiful, I love the contrast of rough and smooth.

Tim, Are the below the timber roofing screws to which you refer?



I have had a chunk of locust stump break two and pull out two #10 screws and fling itself 7 meters out in the yard when I went just a bit too deep on an interrupted cut.

That's the ones Paul.

Remove the rubber seal to get a firm solid mounting.

Insert carefully to avoid stripping the thread in the timber.

If you do over tighten and strip the thread, rotate the faceplate to a new position.

If you you feel you need a bit more security in green timber you can insert more screws around the outside of the faceplate using the head of the screw on the corner of the faceplate

Originally Posted by Tim the Timber Turner

I agree .

You just can't beat a couple or more good screws.

Just make sure they are long enough for maximum effect.

Cheers

Tim

Strewth Tim, No need for filthy talk on a woodturning post mate!