Turning plate or platter question

michael james

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312
Location
Abq, NM
OK 2trick here is going to try and branch out a little. I have a couple of nice planks for a plate or platter, and they are bigger than my current cole jaws on the 460. What do I need to hold it to turn the back side?
Im looking for cheap and/or not time consuming as I have a box to build this month!:D:wave:
Thanks in advance!
Michael
 
Although I've never turned anything I would call a platter, I'd probably just use a jam chuck... Of course, that's how I finish the bottom of everything I turn.
 
2 words.... glue block

Not to turn the back side. ;) I guess you could, if you used hot melt glue and were sure you could remove the glue when done. I wouldn't risk it myself, though, especially if the wood's porous.

Michael, I'm assuming the platters will be close to the max capacity of your lathe. If that's the case, two approaches that might work to finish off the bottom:

1. Attach a disk of plywood (say 11 1/2" or so in diameter) to a faceplate. As an option, you can glue some 1/4" thick closed cell foam ("Fun Foam", it comes in sheets at Michael's) to the face of the disk. Using the tailstock and the dimple in the center of the tenon, push the platter face firmly onto the disk and get it centered. Then use mover's stretch wrap to cinch the platter even more tightly to the disk. Finish the bottom, keeping the tailstock in place until the very last minute, preferably until you're done cutting. The stretch wrap should hold things firmly enough to make any light finishing cuts (if necessary). I've done this on platters and bowls that were too big for my donut chuck, or couldn't be held with the vacuum chuck.

2. You might be able to do the same stretch wrap approach with your cole jaws. Just hold it on place over the face of the jaws, and use stretch wrap to hold it onto the lathe (primarily for sanding.).
 
I have done it using Vaughn's suggestion number 1. Although, I used masking tape to hold the platter against the plywood disk. It worked surprisingly well. I think shrink wrap should work even better.
 
I done 2 and finished them in about the same fashion. I turn the platter between centers, making a tenon and foot. Turn back to shape and sand to finish. Yup...still a tenon. Chuck up the tenon and turn face and finish. I had a chunk of something 4" wide and put a tenon on it and then turned a gentle curve to the front...call it a "pressure chuck". A 60 degree live center works good here. Hold the face of the platter to the pressure chuck adding foam or a couple pieces of foamy shelf liner between the 2 and bring the tail up stock. You already have the dimple in the tenon for center, so take a minute to get the wobble out. Start cutting down the tenon with light cuts!! Get it down to a nib, take it off the lathe and with a sharp hand chisel, just take it down. Hand or power sand, finish with whatever. :wave:
 
There be gremlins in here... I swear I wrote a "thanks" note....but hmmm, dont seem to remember hitting send..... so thanks.
Vaughn, thats helpful for sure...and Jim - Vaughn demo'd that flip, and use the live ctr which is a great help... a few more helpful things, and prolly stuff I already forgot!:rofl:
David, I could not visualize a jamchuck that would work - I think I can now.

Again, thanks everbody that took the time to repsond to this request.:wave:
Michael
 
I'd hope he show you that because he taught me!!! :wave::rolleyes::thumb:

And if you keep practicing it (and have a nice pointed detail gouge), you'll get where you can cut the nub off all the way while the lathe is still running. Saves the hand chisel step. :D

You mentioned the 60º center...I prefer to use the cup center with the pointy thing in the middle. It's less likely to split the nub when you start whittling it down.

This bowl is round-bottomed, so it has no foot, but this shows the stretch wrap in action. My friction chuck was a rough-turned bowl (with the rim trued up) over which I attached a natural edge bowl.

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Here's the nub on that bowl, about one or two light cuts from being all the way off...

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And here it is cut all the way through. In this pic I had turned off the lathe and moved the tailstock back a bit. I didn't move the tailstock until after I'd cut all the way through the nub, though. The shrink wrap was simply insurance, and a handy way to hold the bowl while I finished sanding the bottom. (Which I did with the lathe turned off.)

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OK 2trick here is going to try and branch out a little. I have a couple of nice planks for a plate or platter, and they are bigger than my current cole jaws on the 460. What do I need to hold it to turn the back side?
Im looking for cheap and/or not time consuming as I have a box to build this month!:D:wave:
Thanks in advance!
Michael

Michael,
I've only turned one or two "platters"... don't think I did so good with them, but will improve as I try more... to reverse chuck, don't think a Jam chuck will work if the platter is very shallow... you might make a fairly flat jam chuck, use lots of strapping tape and the tail stock until your down to just a nub...
or I have a "Longworth" chuck that I made from a piece of plywood, a glue block and some rubber chair leg bumpers... it works okay, but you have to be sure you're in there tight... if you remember my incident with the flying saucer (bowl) that clipped my cheek bone.... and blacked my eye.... :eek:
or a final solution if you have one or want to knock one out.... a vacuum chuck. You can use your shop vac as long as you have a big enough vacuum chamber in your chuck... I've watched a couple of videos on YouTube where the guys have used their shop vac and have used them for years... I think Bob Hamm up in Toronto (or somewhere in Canada.. it's a pretty small country so I'm sure all the Canadian turners know him :rofl::rofl:) has a tutorial on putting one together..... also Brian Higgins down in South Carolina has a video on Woodturners Resources.

Also, I recently bought a cole jaws extension from PSI that will open to almost 16 inches... the extensions can be cut down on the band saw to fit over your ways, but it doesn't seem practical to buy them and then cut them up... I have to swing my headstock out board to use it, but it fits my Barracuda II with the Jumbo Cole jaws from PSI....
 
I believe that I would use a faceplate and double stick tape. You could use the tailstock to help. I think that would be the easiest way.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.... an easy way. Thanks Fred!:thumb:
I remember many moons ago arguing with one of my college profs on learning "common practice" musical structure and theory vs self taught and his response was, well you can go sit in a cave for 50yrs, or study what's already been done. The older I get, the more sense that makes, and why I appreciate all the wisdom you guys/gals share so unselfishly. Thanks.
 
You may also want to try youtube. Bob Hamilton just posted a three-part video on the way he makes a platter. Just search youtube for..... bobham5 platter ....
The total length of the three videos is about 40 minutes and I have only watched but the first one so far. It may give you some other ideas not covered yet.

In a session with Jimmy Clewes we turned a small plate. First it was mounted between centers and a tenon cut into top to mount the chuck to and the top partly shaped. Then it was reversed and the bottom was turned with a recess for the chuck and the bottom finished.
Then reversed again and the top/face and tenon finished off.
This is different from what Bob shows in his video.
 
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The video that Mike M. is talking about is excellent for platter turning. I do like Bob does and use a donut chuck to hold mine to finish the bottom. Watch video #3 and you will see him using it.
 
The video that Mike M. is talking about is excellent for platter turning. I do like Bob does and use a donut chuck to hold mine to finish the bottom. Watch video #3 and you will see him using it.

Just watched all 3.... no doubt I'm going to need one some day for a hollowform or something. Im getting some great ideas here. Thanks all!
 
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