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Would Like to try a small Bowl/Platter

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But I am a little confused and scared about how to snug the wood up to the lathe so it doesn't come flying out....

I have a pretty large chunk of cherry wood - it is cut from a tree that is about 5' long and about 20-23" diameter.. I was planning on preparing the blank like I have seen on a few videos - cut the sides with a chainsaw, then cut around the pith on either side. After I get a "Rough" blank cut, I would put it up on my bandsaw and try to round it out, if the band saw wont work, I could cut it as a octogon with the chainsaw. I would use a screw chuck to mount it on the lathe and put the Tailstock up to the wood - from there I would ROUGH shape the bowl with the bottom of the bowl facing away from the headstock - I would cut a "Recess" where the tailstock comes up and after I'm finished I would turn the bowl around and use my nova chuck THIS is the one I have. I would "Open" the chuck until its really snug in the hole correct? (I have been thinking I would have to do it the other way around - and "Close" the chuck around a tenon of some sort...

I know some of my terms may be incorrect, but - is the basic concept correct?
 

hockenbery

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Steven,

First five bowls should be 8-10 in diameter. No larger!
Once you are not getting any catches ( a proper class you may never have a catch)
Then do a couple 12" bowls. Then a couple 14" bowls then maybe a 16" bowl. There is seldom much use or demand for bowls larger than 14".

I strongly encourage you to get some hands on instruction.
An 8" bowl can still kill you.
Contact local AAW clubs in your area and find someone to give you some hands on instruction.

For the first bowl I have students use a 3-4" thick disc 9-10" diameter with a screw mount.
I have them make a tenon which is much more useful a and less wasteful of wood when turning bowls from half logs.
The tenon also allows for all sorts of foot designs.
The next bowl is turned between centers from a half log 10" diameter using a spur drive
A tenon mount again. This is the most common mount used for bowls and allows for grain alignment.

Also stick with bowls that are a lot wider than high. Hemisphere is great and one of the most attractive of the bowl shapes- width is twice the height. The 3" high disk 9" diameter makes a nice shallow bowl.

Be sure to wear a face sheild and use a properly sharpened bowl gouge.


Al
 
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…is the basic concept correct?

Yeah, that’s the gist of the process. I prefer clamping onto a tenon with the chuck (like Al mentioned) rather than expand out in a recess. Your fear is probably unwarranted given that it sounds as though you are adequately securing it to the lathe with the screw chuck and tailstock. (A faceplate would be perhaps a little more secure than the screw chuck.) During the roughing stages, I almost always bring up the tailstock to limit any failure of my primary attachment method - this stage is where almost all of the greatest forces of turning are exerted on the attachment point.

The one point I’d like to make is regarding lathe speed. Keep it relatively slow and by all means, if the lathe is rocking and rolling, decrease the speed until it settles down. If it “feels too fast†in your gut, it probably is. With experience, you will gain more comfort with faster speeds - but always listen to your gut. Don’t focus on the fear - focus on being cautious.

I also agree with Al that your first bowls should be about 8â€. That will give you experience with roughing, shaping, and hollowing with little risk from the forces encountered while turning a large piece.
 
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Yeah, that’s the gist of the process. I prefer clamping onto a tenon with the chuck (like Al mentioned) rather than expand out in a recess. Your fear is probably unwarranted given that it sounds as though you are adequately securing it to the lathe with the screw chuck and tailstock. (A faceplate would be perhaps a little more secure than the screw chuck.) During the roughing stages, I almost always bring up the tailstock to limit any failure of my primary attachment method - this stage is where almost all of the greatest forces of turning are exerted on the attachment point.

The one point I’d like to make is regarding lathe speed. Keep it relatively slow and by all means, if the lathe is rocking and rolling, decrease the speed until it settles down. If it “feels too fast†in your gut, it probably is. With experience, you will gain more comfort with faster speeds - but always listen to your gut. Don’t focus on the fear - focus on being cautious.

I also agree with Al that your first bowls should be about 8â€. That will give you experience with roughing, shaping, and hollowing with little risk from the forces encountered while turning a large piece.

Thank you both - I have been looking for someone to watch with, or take a class with and the closest I can find is a little more than 1 1/2 hours drive, I still plan on going, but I would like to try to make some progress a little faster. :)

When you say that the Faceplate would be more secure thats the flat chuck that you screw 4 woodscrews into the wood though, correct?

Thank you all... Just need to get some cheap wood and start turning, I did try a few "Mushrooms" on my little harbor freight lathe and managed to make missles (was an exciting day!!) So I am a little nervous about trying anything without the tailstock secure...

I can turn pens and such, but I want to do bigger things, and looking at this forum makes me drool on what you folks are putting together!
 

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Thank you both - I have been looking for someone to watch with, or take a class with and the closest I can find is a little more than 1 1/2 hours drive, I still plan on going, but I would like to try to make some progress a little faster. :)

When you say that the Faceplate would be more secure thats the flat chuck that you screw 4 woodscrews into the wood though, correct?

Thank you all... Just need to get some cheap wood and start turning, I did try a few "Mushrooms" on my little harbor freight lathe and managed to make missles (was an exciting day!!) So I am a little nervous about trying anything without the tailstock secure...

I can turn pens and such, but I want to do bigger things, and looking at this forum makes me drool on what you folks are putting together!

Yes, correct......a faceplate uses multiple screws. I agree that for a first effort, the faceplate would probably be best. It's the most secure, and for someone who has experienced "missiles" recently!

Here is a photo showing some faceplates and screw center chucks.....or screw center faceplates. Only difference is one screw in the center, as opposed to multiple screws around the diameter.

What is the capacity of your Harbor Freight lathe? I'm thinking it may be pretty small swing, and may determine what you can do, at present.

You can also use a revolving center with the tailstock for extra rigidity, and may be a good idea if you're still getting catches.......

Don't use your best figured wood yet......use plain wood to learn on.

ooc
 

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hockenbery

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Steven,
Mounting the bowl on a screw chuck with the tailstock in place is a really strong mount for a small bowl of 10" diameter.
Mounting on a faceplate is a stronger way to hold the bowl for hollowing than mounting in a chuck.
Making a proper faceplate mount is more difficult than turning a tenon.

The tools you use and how you present them to the wood are hard to teach over the internet or even with videos.


These videos will give you an over view of the turning process. They probably won't teach you to use or grind the tools properly.

Glenn Lucas has a good video turning the outside of a bowl.
He is using a type of pin chuck. A screw chuck would work just as well for a small bowl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jalnX5W7VkE

Rex burningham roughing the outside of a bowl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjoSxKQpTd8

This is a video clip of a bowl I hollowed in a demo on gouges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flw8LwQqGQU

One thing I do is hollow the bowl with the tool rest in front of the bowl.
It takes a lot of practice to work more than 2" over the tool rest.
Working on a shallow bowl lets you put the tool rest close.


The Denton woodturners put out a nice video.
I would encourage the presenter to wear a face shield.
He does a nice job covering the basics .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpr5kkPJcjA

Nothing can replace quality hands on instruction.

Hope these help
Al
 
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It really helps to have hands on sessions. If you can contact your closest club, they probably can refer you to some one closer. Mounting with a screw chuck or face plate requires a fairly flat surface, otherwise, they can rock while you are turning. Bowl blanks coming off the lathe can be a lot more exciting than mushrooms. A 4 screw face plate is good for blanks up to maybe 12 inch diameter. Over that size, I want more screws. It is safer and easier to start small, and work your way up. Being able to sharpen is important also, and if you have only one gouge, you would have to sharpen it several times on a 14 inch bowl.

I have a number of bowl turning clips up also if you go to You Tube and type in robo hippy.

robo hippy
 

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One other thing to mention about using a faceplate is the type of screws to use or maybe which kind to NOT use. There a number of wood and sheet metal screws that will work well, but do not use drywall or deck screws ... or other similar hardened screws because they can break. I prefer stainless steel deep thread screws. Make sure that the style of screw is compatible with the faceplate -- some are designed for flat head screws and others are for non-countersunk screw heads. The length depends on the thickness of the faceplate and the size of the wood being held. I've used 2" screws when starting with really large pieces over 50 pounds. For an 8" bowl with four screws holding, I would like the screws to go at least 5/8" into wood and 3/4" would be even better. Pre-drill the screw holes -- otherwise there is a chance of splitting the wood or in other cases, the screw threads tearing up the wood fibers and not getting a solid grip.

Looks like that might have been more than just one other thing. :p
 
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Wow... Again thank everyone for the amazing advice... I have been "turning" for about 3 months, doing nothing but pens and such - A few weeks ago I came into a bit of money and decided although early, it was time to upgrade my lathe (I cant tell you how excited this made my wife!) I ordered a Nova 1624-44 that should be here some time this week, which is why I have been itching to get into something different than pens and the like(I'll still turn them, but want to do other stuff too)...

I agree with hands on, I will ask again at the meeting I go to (which is 4 weeks away) but so far everyone I have found and spoke with is 2+ hours away (Which I will still go and spend some time, if I can find someone willing to have a +1 in the shop for a few hours to jsut watch, if nothing else)..

I have been looking at a lot of youtube, but will definately add the above links to my ipad to watch when I leave work, thank you again for the links.

I do have a decent selection of chucks (including a faceplate and screw chuck).. I was bit by the bug pretty hard and have spent more than I care to admit in my first few months (again, read happy wife)...

For wood to practice on, I was thinking of grabbing some 2x4's(untreated) from my local lowes and glue'ing them up to give it a few shots before I waste anything that would be good or expensive.
 

hockenbery

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I do almost all my face grain hollow forms on faceplates as well as some really large bowls that I core.

The best method I have found is to make the matting surface slightly concave.
This gives solid contact around the perimeter of the faceplate so that it cannot rock.
I use at least six 1.5 #12 sheet metal screws in dry wood I drill a pilot hole in wet wood don't. I'd do almost all wet wood.
The tenon must be A 1/4 inch longer than the screw coming out of the faceplate ( the screw will open a hole ahead of itself )
It must be 3/4 of an inch wider than the faceplate for wet wood.

The concave surface is so much easier to turn than flat. The shallow concave is 1/16 to an 1/8" deeper in the middle. I just hold a straight edge ( gouge bar) across the tenon if I see a little light and no bumps it is good. Flat will work but turning a surface flat and square to the lathe is too hard and if it is wet wood it likely will not be flat in a few minutes.
I use a tail center with a 5/8" tip. I leave the little 5/8" diameter button under the tip to recenter later when I turn off the faceplate tennon. This little tip fits into the morse taper hole.
If it doesn't I take it off with a flat chisel.

I always use a final test of pushing on opposite sides of the faceplate to be sure there is no rocking.
To mount I center the faceplate using the edge of the tenon or you can make some pencil lines.
I put one screw in halfway. Check to be sure it is centered then Put a screw opposite the one that is already in about halfway.
If it is centered put in all the other screws then drive in the two halfway.
If the faceplate is not close to center after the first or second screw I take it out recenter and try another hole.

Using a faceplate adds about 4 minutes to a hollow form to mount the faceplate. And takes off 6 minutes in the hollowing process as I can be more aggressive in the rough hollowing process.

For any advance faceplate users, I should point out that using a large faceplate can position the screws on the outside of the form. The bottom of the form can be down in the faceplate tenon. After the form is turned. The faceplate tenon is turned away shaping the base and foot of the form. Almost no wood is lost from the height.

Al
 
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Steven Johnson;101627 I would turn the bowl around and use my nova chuck . THIS [link to G3/Nova_G3_Chuck on Nova site said:
is the one I have. I would "Open" the chuck until its really snug in the hole correct? (I have been thinking I would have to do it the other way around - and "Close" the chuck around a tenon of some sort...

Lots of good advice.

You were not entirely clear what diameter your bowl/platter would be. The advice of starting no larger than 8" is fundamental. Even smaller would be better for the first ones, especially a bowl but even for a plate.

That brings up one point which has not been raised so far -- the capacity of your chuck. Are you using the stock 50 mm jaws? Note that Nova says that with the G3, which you say you have, the MAXIMUM blank should be no larger than 4 x 10 if you are using the stock 50 mm jaws in expansion mode as you proposed. The Nova jaw manual suggests a maximum blank size of 6" long x 4" diameter for those jaws when using a tenon in compression mode with a tenon.
 
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Lots of good advice.

You were not entirely clear what diameter your bowl/platter would be. The advice of starting no larger than 8" is fundamental. Even smaller would be better for the first ones, especially a bowl but even for a plate.

That brings up one point which has not been raised so far -- the capacity of your chuck. Are you using the stock 50 mm jaws? Note that Nova says that with the G3, which you say you have, the MAXIMUM blank should be no larger than 4 x 10 if you are using the stock 50 mm jaws in expansion mode as you proposed. The Nova jaw manual suggests a maximum blank size of 6" long x 4" diameter for those jaws when using a tenon in compression mode with a tenon.

Thanks! I am using the stock jaws. I think I am going to use the faceplate until I get a better feel for it, it seems like that is much more secure..

I plan on working on small right now until I get the basic steps down, then slowly move up...

Thank you again
 

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. I have been looking at a lot of youtube, but will definately add the above links to my ipad to watch when I leave work, thank you again for the links. I do have a decent selection of chucks (including a faceplate and screw chuck).. .. For wood to practice on, I was thinking of grabbing some 2x4's(untreated) from my local lowes and glue'ing them up to give it a few shots before I waste anything that would be good .

Steven,
Be wary of YouTube videos! There is lot of videos by people who have little experience and others by people using too advanced a technique for beginners.
People who are frequent demonstrators at AAW and regional symposiums will present reliable information.
This forum has a number of contributors who are asked and paid to teach and demonstrate.
I know you can rely on videos by:
Glenn Lucas, Lyle Jamieson, John Lucas, Cindy Drozda, Rex Birmingham, craft supplies, Nick Cook, David Springette, Kip Christiansen,
Alan batty, Stewart batty, Richard Raffan, Curt Theobald, Malcomb Tibbets, Tim Yoder, David Ellsworth, ....

the above is not a complete list. But I just looked at a video on turning spheres by a guy who has a ton of videos out there.
He got 5 catches trying to cut the corners off. Not the person you want to emulate and he use a lot of tricks that seemed to me to be a waste of time.

As far as wood. Use fresh cut logs. The cherry you have would be better than gluing up construction grade material.
You are going to get lots of cherry in your turning life. Wood has a shelf life and the cherry is not going to last until you become an expert.

Any green hardwood is great to practice on Maple, sweet gum, cherry, live oak, poplar, locusts, box elder, hickory, pecan.....

Have fun,
Al
 

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Al mentioned using wood from freshly cut trees for practice and I want to second that recommendation. That is also what many of us use for much of what we turn. Woodturners refer to this type of wood by several names like roadkill, dunno (don't know), FOG (found on ground), FID (found in ditch), drive-by and other such terms where wood is free for the taking. By freshly cut, we mean within the last several weeks -- it doesn't have to be as soon as the tree hits the ground type of fresh. Also, gluing up 2X4's is a bad idea unless you have a jointer to flatten the faces before gluing. Lumber that you buy at the big box stores isn't normally flat enough to glue up reliably. However, 2X4 lumber that has been ripped down to 2X2 pieces are great for practicing spindle turning techniques. It is typical for new turners to want to start off turning bowls, hollow forms and other larger things. From a skills development point of view, I feel that it is better to start by practicing turning spindles. You learn tool control and catches are rather benign whereas catches in bowl turning can cause serious injury.
 
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Why buy wood when you can get it for free? If you already have a chainsaw, and if you have a fire wood pile, there is a lot to start with. If you have a friend who has a wood pile, visit... If you know any one in the tree service business, ask. Chainsaw and hand truck, don't leave home without them. Glue ups work, but you want the surfaces to mate as perfectly as possible.

robo hippy
 
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As far as wood. Use fresh cut logs. The cherry you have would be better than gluing up construction grade material.
You are going to get lots of cherry in your turning life. Wood has a shelf life and the cherry is not going to last until you become an expert.

Any green hardwood is great to practice on Maple, sweet gum, cherry, live oak, poplar, locusts, box elder, hickory, pecan.....

Have fun,
Al

Again, I’m left ditto-ing Al and Bill and Robo Hippy...

If I were looking for something to practice on, even as an experienced turner, I’d avoid construction materials and sheet goods (plywood, mdf, etc.) at all costs. Any freshly cut non-evergreen or broad-leaf shrub or tree from your local area would likely be a much better choice. Even if you are initially limited to 4†or 6â€, it’s still good practice. Cherry is a superb wood for learning with - and you’ve got a whole bunch of bowl blanks in that single 5’ length.

For example, cutting a 10†length of the cherry you should be able to get 4 blanks, each 4†thick:
View attachment 7704
 

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Again, I’m left ditto-ing Al and Bill and Robo Hippy...

If I were looking for something to practice on, even as an experienced turner, I’d avoid construction materials and sheet goods (plywood, mdf, etc.) at all costs. Any freshly cut non-evergreen or broad-leaf shrub or tree from your local area would likely be a much better choice. Even if you are initially limited to 4†or 6â€, it’s still good practice. Cherry is a superb wood for learning with - and you’ve got a whole bunch of bowl blanks in that single 5’ length.

For example, cutting a 10†length of the cherry you should be able to get 4 blanks, each 4†thick:
View attachment 7704

Owen - That diagram is great for a new guy like me, I dont know what I'm doing, but I can follow the lines. :)

Thank you!
 
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Just got a call from UPS my Lathe is at the center and will be delivered tomorrow morning! Cant WAIT!

Of course my adapter for my headstock wont be here until Sunday, so... But... very excited.
 
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Owen - That diagram is great for a new guy like me, I dont know what I'm doing, but I can follow the lines. :)

Thank you!

Keep in mind it’s only a suggestion; you’ll develop your own preferences and requirements for what you need to obtain from a log. You could even cut the wider inside blanks into two pieces, yielding 6 blanks in all, but then you’d end up with unbalanced shrinkage — however they’d still be good for practicing. The innermost “discards” are great for pen blanks and other spindle-type work.
 

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Steven.....I was thumbing through the current AAW journal....American Woodturner today, and there is an article about making a first bowl. Might be something you might want to check out........:D

ooc
 
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Steven,
One good way to get started is with the help of your local turning club. Springdale is your closest Arkansas club, but if you don't mind crossing over into Oklahoma, there's a club in Sallisaw. hcopeland@windstream.net is the contact listed on the AAW site.

Good luck. Be Safe. Stay sharp. Have fun. Repeat.
 

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Going to look now!! thank you for the tip

I may not be seeing it, are you talking about the June 2014 Issue?

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.woodturner.org/resource/resmgr/journals/29-3.pdf

Steven......It's the latest issue. I don't have it with me here because I left it at work. Someone else will probably give you the particulars. I skimmed through the article and it was pretty basic.....just what I think you are looking for. Off hand, I don't remember the author's name, but he was photographing another turner who was apparently a shop teacher. There was an explanation of the procedure and photos keyed to the article. They were using a faceplate for the initial turning......

A little help would be appreciated from those who have this issue at home, and can give more info on the article.......

ooc
 

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Going to look now!! thank you for the tip

I may not be seeing it, are you talking about the June 2014 Issue?

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.woodturner.org/resource/resmgr/journals/29-3.pdf

The current issue is August. For some strange reason, the PDF version is not available. Maybe it is related to the new editor getting up to speed. Normally the new issue is available online as soon as the paper copies are mailed out. It might be a good idea to call the AAW office and mention that the current issue hasn't been posted yet.
 
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I have been turning for a number of years now and still like the face plate to start with. I turn the outer and bottom rough cut first with external, tried internal and it just couldn't get it to work safely. I sometimes will use a spur drive on 4 inch or less bowls or cups. like this one here I started with spur drive. exampleDSC_0366.jpg
 
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Thanks all... And, I just found a guy that needs a tree cut up on craigslist near my house.. I am not sure what type it is, but would it be good to cut up in lots of bowl blanks to practice with?

http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/zip/4592471616.html

Thank you!

The tree looks like it could be an oak and it can be just fine for practice or keepers. A 45’ tree would provide more blanks than you’d know what to do with — and that’s not meant in a thumbs-up way. That quantity of wood can be overwhelming as far as work involved in cutting it into usable/transportable pieces as well as keeping it from degrading beyond uses for turning. Keep in mind that a log degrades as it loses moisture (you can see the checking in the cut end) and you can only slow it down, not stop it. You’d need to get a quantity that you could adequately store and use before it "goes to hell” and is only suitable for firewood.

Now that you’re looking, you’ll see that wood grows on trees in your neck of the woods. ;) If you bypass this oak, another bunch of wood will be available in short order. Don’t forget about that 5’ cherry - it won’t keep as long as the oak will, so you need to get to it. (I hope you have it so that the ends are “sealed” - a taped garbage bag on each end will suffice for the short term.)
 
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Bill Boehme

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Thanks all... And, I just found a guy that needs a tree cut up on craigslist near my house.. I am not sure what type it is, but would it be good to cut up in lots of bowl blanks to practice with?

http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/zip/4592471616.html

Thank you!

It is a red oak and and seems like it has either been dead for a long time or was cut down a long time ago. The sapwood is already decaying and the heartwood has a lot of checking. Dry oak isn't the most fun thing to turn and you might have to deal with lots of splits which means wasted wood. I like gnarly looking white oak and live oak if it is still reasonably green, but I don't care for red oak.

If you do decide to take it, don't cut it into bowl blanks. Leave the wood in as long lengths that you are able to handle.
 
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