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remounting stripped WoodWork Screw

Cliff De Witt

Cliff De Witt

Joined
Aug 5, 2010
Messages
14
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Location
Dallas, TX
Okay, it is easy to see who is new around here.

Yesterday I was turning some of the very green wood I got from the next door neighbor who had a tree cut down. The log was cut with the chainsaw to fit on my lathe but it is too thick for my band saw to make it round. As I was turning it round (insert head slap here, because I just figured what I did wrong) it came off the Woodworm Screw, stripping out the hole so I cannot remount it.

How much danger will I be in if I mount a ½†lag screw in my chuck and use that as a replacement for the Woodwork screw,(this time bringing up the tailstock to help hold it.)?

I am not so much worried about turning the wood as I am about the wood turning me.
 
Why not mount it between centers. Turn the outside and leave a tenon or rebate on the bottom to fit your chuck. that's how I start every bowls. I have 4 of the screws that came with my chucks and except for the occasional platter I never use use them.
 
Re-mount it on a Face plate

You could re-mount it using a face plate.

I usually just mount them between centers and turn a tennon like John suggested.
 
If you do decide to use the spur drive to turn between centers, I suggest you make a counterbore about 3/8 deep to seat it in. That will keep it from flinging easily if you screw up and hook it with your tool.

Safe alternatives for starting include faceplates, as suggested, or, for smaller pieces, pin jaws on your scroll chuck. I have a dedicated pin chuck which gives me a way to turn green and dry with no danger of dismount. Never could get the woodworm to work the way I wanted it to.
 
I'm with John and MM on this. I'd just put it between centers, and if it's particularly big or out of balance, I'd bore a hole the same size as my spur center (1") about 3/8" to 1/2" deep as a recess for the spur center to sit in.

The screws that came with my chucks are sitting in a drawer virtually untouched. I tried using them when I first got them, but had problems with the holes stripping out like you did. (And it looks like you also learned that the tailstock helps when using a screw mount.)
 
My experience has been that drive centers make great drill bits on wet logs. I've tried the 4 prong, 2 prong, steb...
So, I now believe in face plates and use masonry screws. The 3 inch long blue ones.
Then I make a 2 step tenon. I turn a 4 inch diameter tenon, then reduce 1/2 inch of it to 3 inches. This allows the chuck to sit against it and provide a strong contact.
Doing a one step seemed to help contribute to tenon failure. Not fun having 20 lbs of wood heading your way...
 
I'm sure you already know this, but using a screw chuck on end grain is not a good idea. It's like putting a spiral knife down through a bunch of straws. You are cutting the straws as you are going so the structual hold is from the conntection between the sides of the straws. Mounting it between centers is the best way or face plate with at least 4 screws. I usually put a tenon on and mount with a chuck and live center until it time to hollow out the vessel.
 
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