Keith's lattice insert box
The idea with this box is to have a lattice insert in the top that contrasts with the rest of the box. This is again inspired by Hans Weissflog.
Not much idea what I'm doing here so any suggestions welcome!!
Chose to use a bit of beech for the insert as I think it is close grained and hopefully will take the detail. It's 3mm thick as the rings will be 1.5mm since I have a 1/16" parting tool to use for making the grooves.
Making the offset chuck - turned to round on a faceplate then marked the offset (15.5mm in this case). Remounted on the face plate and turned an inset for a jam chuck for the beech plus a hole to eject it! Also put a 1.5mm deep ring around the inset, far enough out not to affect the jam chuck. This is to help know when the grooves are deep enough.
Remount on the face plate in the original holes and mark out the cut lines. Cut with thin parting tool, measure depth with vernier guage, round edges with skew (as scraper - thanks Ken).
The insert needed to be reinserted with paper as it was getting loose. I used MDF for the jam chuck and don't like it for two reasons - has no give and makes lots of dust. Had the dusty going the whole time but I can feel the dust this evening. The lack of give ironically leads to looseness and that is not good when working with fine detail. The rings are not nearly as well shaped (ie the rounding of the beads) as I'd like for this reason.
That side done, turned round and in a normal jam chuck to start the rings from the other side. First jam chuck had an ejection hole in the middle but the lack of support underneath the beech led to lots of chatter so I made another one. Figured I'll get it out somehow if I ever finish it :U