Not sure what the first phrase means. What I meant was reversing from an outside cut to make the inside. The screw center would make for a fairly thick bottom, I would think, though if you bored the hole and flattened prior to reversing it might be as fast as stuffing the tenon in the jaws or the jaws into the mortise. Just have to keep those threads from leading into the softer part of the grain and sliding it off center.
Re-mounting is something I don't think a faceplate can do well at all. Certainly not as well as grabbing outside or wedging inside. Even if you leave a waste block, marked for register, the dumb threads never seem to line up perfectly for me.
I learned to turn when chucks were pretty scarce, so I did a lot of faceplate stuff. Not going back, that's for sure. Chucks are just too handy.
Howdy again, MM......
I think we're on the same page when discussing "reverse chucking"....but, it should be noted that with a screw center faceplate, you are not required to reverse chuck at all. The entire bowl can be done from the same mounting point.....and if the moisture content is low enough to begin with, the entire bowl can be done with a single mounting (with the exception of the foot)......I'm sure you can visualize some advantages to that! If the bowl needs further seasoning, it can be done with a single remount......instead of multiple times!
With a waste block, the screw center faceplate screw doesn't penetrate the bowl blank. You can make the bowl as thin as you dare to!
Remounting with a screw center faceplate is at least as accurately repeatable as with a chuck, if not more so.....check it out! It's also quicker.....check that out, too! I understand the lack of repeatability with old style faceplates that use multiple screws, but with screw center faceplates, there is only a single screw in the center. Since there are no opposing alignment forces like in an old style faceplate, the single screw tends to follow the same thread grip when rechucking. It's easy and works extremely well......this style of faceplate is every bit as accurately repeatable as when using my chucks.
I, too, started with the old style faceplates......some 25+ years ago. I would hate to go back to those, too. I bought my first screw center faceplate about 20yrs ago, and bought a Nova chuck soon after that....followed by a Stronghold chuck and both sized Vicmarcs. I am not without experience with chucks......and it's my opinion, after having tried both, that screw center faceplates, for MY purposes, are the better lathe mounting option for bowls.
I sold the two Vicmarc chucks, and kept the Nova and Stronghold. I recently purchased a second Stronghold.
I realize woodturning is full of turners that have widely varying experiences, techniques, and preferences.....and, since I spent nearly all my turning in the complete absence of input from other turners, I'm probably the "oddball" here!.....I say that, because I'm well aware that most turners prefer chucks of one kind or another. Me? I don't see why, but each to their own!
otis of cologne