Faceplate Mounting on an Uneven Surface

Vaughn McMillan

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There's been some discussion recently in another thread about mounting a faceplate on the bark side of a bowl blank. I've described how I do it a few times, but I finally dug up a few photos...

One way I do it is to drill a group of holes - all to the same depth - in the blank using a Forstner bit on the drill press. Here's an example:

It's hard to tell from this shot, but I drilled a starter hole (I'm guessing about 1 1/4" diameter, then nibbled away the edges to enlarge it by drilling other holes around the edge. The depth stop on the drill press ensures the bottoms of holes are all the same depth.

Faceplate%20Mounting%20on%20a%20NE%20Bowl%201.jpg


I think this is a 2 1/2" faceplate, and you can see that the edge of the hole isn't round by any means. It doesn't need to be.

Faceplate%20Mounting%20on%20a%20NE%20Bowl%202.jpg


Another shot...you can see how "accurate" I am when I mark the center of the blank with a lumber crayon. It's all done by eye. No need to get carried away with precision.

Faceplate%20Mounting%20on%20a%20NE%20Bowl%203.jpg


And to give an idea of the size of this blank, here it is mounted on my Powermatic. It's not a small chunk of wood.

Faceplate%20Mounting%20on%20a%20NE%20Bowl%204.jpg


There are other ways to make a relatively flat mounting spot, too. You can use a hammer and chisel:

Scalloped%20Ash%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2001%20-%20800.jpg


Scalloped%20Ash%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2002%20-%20800.jpg


Scalloped%20Ash%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2004%20-%20800.jpg


Or I've even used a handheld power planer to make a flat spot. (The blades were already pretty beat up. Otherwise I wouldn't have used the planer on bark.) This blank started out with a high spot where there had been a limb. I had to plane that down just to make room for the planer in the middle of the blank.

Liquid%20Ambar%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2001%20800.jpg


Liquid%20Ambar%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2002%20800.jpg


Liquid%20Ambar%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2003%20800.jpg


Liquid%20Ambar%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2004%20800.jpg


Liquid%20Ambar%20NE%20Bowl%20Progress%2005%20800.jpg


So that's three different ways to get a relatively flat spot for mounting a faceplate. Notice I said "relatively". It doesn't have to be perfect, just stable enough that the faceplate can't rock. I've even used wooden wedges in key locations to make up for voids under the faceplate. ;)
 
Yep that is exactly what I do, the drill press is the easiest, but you are limited by the throat of your drill press, if a blank is bigger than that, then the planer comes out. I've also used a carriage and router with a dish bit, that too worked well, but was very messy.

Cheers!
 
Ok so you have put the face plat on the bark side. Is that what you do for every turning? Why not face plat the side that has already been sawed flat?
 
Thanks Vaughn, great write up.

Chuck: Speaking out of turn, but there are two reasons I know of for one side or the other:
  • You get more bowl mounting from the bark side (this is why I've ~mostly done it that way unless it wouldn't work)
  • Or as Vaughn explained on the thread about Jim's bowl; grain orientation/quality sometimes trumps size. I suppose I'd lump cracks and faults into this one as well after thinking about it.
 
Not computing for me Ryan. I maybe thinking backwards but screwing a face plate on to means that is the inside of the bowl. That way I can rough to outside size and turn a tenon for my chuck, flip around and hog out the inside. Now that whole system would be different if I had glued a waster block on.
 
Not computing for me Ryan. I maybe thinking backwards but screwing a face plate on to means that is the inside of the bowl. That way I can rough to outside size and turn a tenon for my chuck, flip around and hog out the inside. Now that whole system would be different if I had glued a waster block on.

You're correct, my head is on backwards today. Must be either for grain orientation or he's trying to save the natural edge.
 
Good write up and photos.
I use a power hand plane on the flat side if needed.
For the bark side I finally found a 3-1/8 forstner bit on Amazon for $25. Before that I used a dado blade on my radial arm saw (flat side to the table top); a few of passes and it was done.
 
Chuck, Ryan's right...I'd mount one this way to make a natural edge bowl.

What prompted me to post this is the trials and tribulations Jim Bradley went through to mount a blank he got recently. He used a big Forstner bit and had to go to a lot of work to hold the blank on the drill press table, and even then he stalled the drill press. He posted pics in the General Woodworking Q&A area...in the "Brent vs. Jim challenge" thread. What he went through explains why I'd rather use a smaller bit and just nibble the hole bigger.


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Chuck, Ryan's right...I'd mount one this way to make a natural edge bowl.

What prompted me to post this is the trials and tribulations Jim Bradley went through to mount a blank he got recently. He used a big Forstner bit and had to go to a lot of work to hold the blank on the drill press table, and even then he stalled the drill press. He posted pics in the General Woodworking Q&A area...in the "Brent vs. Jim challenge" thread. What he went through explains why I'd rather use a smaller bit and just nibble the hole bigger.


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You have to remember this is a great big first for me. I have never turned green wood. I have never turned anything that weighed 1/10th of what this did (It is lighter now). I have never turned from the bark side. SO I WAS SLOW, CAUTIOUS, CHICKEN, Etc. I would do it much easier and faster the next time (Thank You Larry Merlau and Paul Gallian for getting me into this. I am learning and having lots of fun.).

I did use a 3-inch Forstner. Now that I have some (one) experience I would use the 3 incher again. I would also be much more casual about where to drill... Thank you Vaughn. However I would be VERY careful about how the bottom of that hole related to the orientation of the bowl (or whatever) to be. I needed some "Fivesight," Foresight just was not enough. I did not realize that I did not like the angle I drilled until I had the crotch mounted onto my lathe. So, I am drilling another 3 inch hole in the same location at a different angle. It will have to be a bid deeper in order to give me the desired plane.

Deeper will not matter. The faceplate is mounted on the "bowl side" of the crotch. It will be used to turn the mortise on the other side of the blank. Then the bark side will be scooped out to be the inside of the bowl. All of this is to get the grain, etc. the way I want it in the finished product (Thanks again Vaughn).

I tossed in one pic of the 3 inch faceplate in its original 3 inch hole.

I am adding a couple pics to the "New Year Challenge---Brent vs Jim" thread started by Larry Merlau.

Enjoy,

JimB

Ain't FWW great!!!
 

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You're learning well, Jim. :thumb: For example, you've learned that you can change your mind and get do-overs on a lot of this stuff. One of the great things about most turning is that you're not constrained by any specific dimensions. If you do something you don't like, you can always step back, regroup, and try again. In most cases, the worst that will happen is the finished piece might be a bit smaller than you'd originally planned. ;)
 
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