Using paper with glue blocks

[Craig Duncan]

I stumbled across this video about using paper between the glue block and the work piece.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWDeiTaX54c&t=2s


The comments seem favorable about the method.
Does anyone here have any real world experience doing this?

Craig

 

[Webb Willmott]

Using paper in a glue joint is a way to split the joint after you get a shape you want. Last time I did this, it was for quarter round pillars in a corner. Do not use a lot of glue. Just enough to hold the joint together.

 

[R Henrickson]

I stumbled across this video about using paper between the glue block and the work piece.
The comments seem favorable about the method.
Does anyone here have any real world experience doing this?

Craig

Yes. I have used it in both ways that Conover demonstrated (and others). It works well and is convenient. I generally let the glue cure longer than the 2 hours he mentioned. David Springett,, who did many types of complex turnings, used this technique, although he used newspaper. I prefer brown paper (grocery bags).

 

[Larry Copas]

I've been doing it occasionally for years. I gave up getting brown paper bags at the store and bought a roll of heavy brown paper at Lowes.

Another method I sometimes use. On the glue block I cut a 1/8" groove about 3/8" from the outside edge. This acts like a dam to stop the glue from spreading after it is applied only to the outside edge. I end up with a glued 3/8" ring holding the work to the glue block. This makes it very easy to part off and finish. Sometimes easier to do than the paper.

 

[Brian Gustin]

Yep.. and if you happen to go down the "inside out turning" rabbit hole, you'll find them an absolute necessity...

 

[Craig Duncan]

"Yep.. and if you happen to go down the "inside out turning" rabbit hole, you'll find them an absolute necessity..."

Don't tell me about any new "Rabbit Holes" yet.
I've found enough all ready with my new found wood turning hobby.

Although I did try reverse turning when I hollowed out that vase I made

 

[Jim Reynolds]

Yes. I have used it in both ways that Conover demonstrated (and others). It works well and is convenient. I generally let the glue cure longer than the 2 hours he mentioned. David Springett,, who did many types of complex turnings, used this technique, although he used newspaper. I prefer brown paper (grocery bags).

I have made several of the shapes David Springett describes in his book Woodturning Full Circle. It works exactly as described. Obviously not the solution for all problems, but essential for the "turn it, split it apart, glue it back together in a different configuration" use case.

 

[R Henrickson]

I have made several of the shapes David Springett describes in his book Woodturning Full Circle. It works exactly as described. Obviously not the solution for all problems, but essential for the "turn it, split it apart, glue it back together in a different configuration" use case.

Indeed. I did a number of his stretohedra

 

[Roger Wiegand]

Great for inside out turnings and making split decorations for furniture. A good way to end up with a flying object in the shop if you try to use it for holding a bowl blank to a glue block as used to be recommended years ago. You don't want the joint between your blank and the block to be a weak point! Yes, I know this from personal experience.

 

[R Henrickson]

Great for inside out turnings and making split decorations for furniture. A good way to end up with a flying object in the shop if you try to use it for holding a bowl blank to a glue block as used to be recommended years ago. You don't want the joint between your blank and the block to be a weak point! Yes, I know this from personal experience.

Never used it for bowls for that reason. In addition to split turnings, I've used it for lost wood turning.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

@Odie uses glue blocks. Wonder what he does.

 

[hockenbery]

The comments seem favorable about the method.
Does anyone here have any real world experience doing this?

For smaller bowls less than 10” diameter I have used thick CA glue with glue blocks quite a bit.
Faster than the paper when done a flat chisel fractures the glue. CA is one of the few glues that is not stronger than wood.
One advantage is that CA will bond to wet wood.

Note: the CA or paper glue joints with bowls will not hold up from the force of a catch. I’ve done the CA glue blocks a few times with students with pretty good success. As chucks became more ubiquitous I dropped this technique. And a few students worked too slowly and the CA would fail when the wet wood moved.

I’ve use paper joints with spindles quite a bit on various spindles. Great for gettin decorative 1/2 rounds or quarter rounds

A good technique for anyone turners repertoire

 

[Alan Weinberg]

For smaller bowls less than 10” diameter I have used thick CA glue with glue blocks quite a bit.
Faster than the paper when done a flat chisel fractures the glue. CA is one of the few glues that is not stronger than wood.
One advantage is that CA will bond to wet wood.

Note: the CA or paper glue joints with bowls will not hold up from the force of a catch. I’ve done the CA glue blocks a few times with students with pretty good success. As chucks became more ubiquitous I dropped this technique. And a few students worked too slowly and the CA would fail when the wet wood moved.

I’ve use paper joints with spindles quite a bit on various spindles. Great for gettin decorative 1/2 rounds or quarter rounds

A good technique for anyone turners repertoire

What about Titebond instead of CA?

 

[Craig Duncan]

I appreciate all the feedback.

I did make a half dozen red oak glue blocks of various sizes a while back.
I glued them directly to whatever I was turning with Titebond 1 using the tailstock as a clamp, and had no unscheduled dis assemblies doing so.
Getting them off was another story, hence my curiosity about using paper.
Using a parting tool left some of the block resulting in prolonged sanding.
Using a sharp chisel with the flat against the work resulted in tear out on the piece.
I've never tried hot melt glue or CA glue to secure the blocks to the work.
I only ever had one sudden departure of work from my old lathe, but that was enough.
Thankfully it didn't hit the Harley or my reloading equipment.
It hit me, square in the chest.
It didn't hurt - much -

 

[R Henrickson]

I've never tried hot melt glue or CA glue to secure the blocks to the work.

I've used hot melt glue doing some large turnings (16" diameter, up to 4" thick) -- not attaching bowls to a waste block but gluing various pieces into a disk. It worked well, although a bit of clean up afterward. I don't use CA for anything, partially due to the fumes.

 

[Odie]

@Odie uses glue blocks. Wonder what he does.

l have used paper between the glue block joint in the past, but have settled on gluing the glue block directly to the bowl block.

For removing the glue block, I use a parting tool to bring the union down to silver dollar size.....and then use a drum brake adjusting tool to break it loose.

=o=