hard maple between points giving me problems

allen levine

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new york city burbs
I hate to bother you guys with beginner questions again, but Im hoping I can be steered in the right direction.
I have alot of 3 inch thick 8 inch wide maple pieces. some 6 inches long, some 20 inches, so I cut them square and spin some of them for bowls, just for fun, I gave a few to friends, others I keep for change, keys, etc.
I keep having a similar problem.
I put the big piece between ends and start to spin it round.
alot of pieces dont hold well on the headstock, the 4 teeth, even when I cut out grooves on my bandsaw, eventually strip and make a hole in the stock, where the headstock wont hold the piece. I end up having to glue a block on there and waiting. I want to spin it between centers then cut down a tenon to chuck and turn it around and spin. Not having much luck, the headstock rips through the maple and then spins freely, doesnt grip.
I tried changing speeds, doesnt seem to be the problem eventually, from the chisel pressure, it breaks free then I cant spin it anymore. the teeth just cut through the wood also.
any suggestions, besides glue block or buying a face plate(but Id still need a glue block.)
 
Why not a glue block? Use medium CA on both the block and blank. Then a quick short spritz of accelerator and mate them quickly together. Set aside for just a few minutes.

My mentor is Wally Dickerman and that is how he taught me. There does need to be a dead flat surface on both the block and the blank. He uses a screw chuck on both to face them off and a straight edge to make sure they are flat. You can continue with the screw chuck and block, or round the block and then chuck it. 5 or 6/4 alder, soft maple, or poplar make good blocks and you can cut a bunch ahead of time. Cut around any defects, of course.

Just another way to do things. Wally's been turning for more than 70 years, beginning way before there was such a thing as lathe chucks!
 
Hot glue will do that job, too - and it's REALLY EASY to peel off later. Then you can use a glue block on a faceplate to turn 'em. It won't withstand bludgeoning, but it's plenty strong enough for ordinary turning & sanding.
 
In my opinion from what you said..
Can’t understand how you cut the grooves on a bandsaw?
Have you or do you…
Drive the spur into the wood before you mount it on the lathe (make sure you use a deadblow or non-marring hammer). You can also use a chisel (once you have a small indent from the drive spur) to deepen the four teeth area about 1/8 then drive the spur in.
Most spur drives have one flat side, leave the appropriate side flat if you chisel out a small area.
If the teeth are stripping the wood it must not be tight (or it very soft wood)
When you lock the tailstock and tighten it up are you also locking the quill? For almost all turnings I find play will develop as you turn (especially at the first). Stop fairly often and retighten the tailstock as necessary. If it starts to get loose then each cut will just make it worse.
I agree with what Carol said about a glue block. I just use standard 2X4 and a faceplate.
Here is a link for inexpensive faceplates. http://www.donpencil.com/ Look at the “blems” to see if he has one to fit you spindle. Regardless I would buy one somewhere.

A faceplate is the safest way to turn. From what you say, the wood is loose and that is very dangerous. I almost always use a faceplate. Maybe not the size or speed your are turning at but with a 10” blank at 1,000 rpm the outside edge is coming at you at about 30 mph. That’s pretty fast if that 3 pound chunk of wood comes off. Be safe.

With a faceplate use a very good quality screw (do not use drywall screws). They only need to go through the faceplate ¾ inch or so. With 3” thickness you will not need a glue block to start with since the holes will be turned away when you do the inside.
Sounds like you already have a chuck so you won’t need a glue block when you turn it around either.

Mike
 
I was kinda suprised the jet didnt come with a faceplate.
Mike-I hammer the spur into the wood with a hard rubber mallet.
Driving it home in hard maple that is very dry, to let the teeth have a better grip, I draw lines into center, then hold it to bandsaw and just lightly touch those lines so when I drive the spur into the center, the teeth have a good groove to catch. I didnt bandsaw this piece.
I guess if I want to make my spinning easier, Ill have to get a faceplate.
Ill have to look up what faceplate threads onto the jet.....my first cheap lathe came with one.
(a good item to pickup at the wood show tomorrow I think)

hey, my tool guy said he believes it came with a faceplate, and ya know what, maybe it did, where on earth did I put it? Now IM going to have to buy a cheap face plate and jot down where I hide it so it might lead me to the jet one.
 
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I know hard maple is difficult to seat the spun into and that is why I suggested the chisel. It may not matter but using the bandsaw will result in the loss of that much (height) of the finished item?
If you still have your old faceplate you should be able to get an adapter for $6-8. The jet should have came with one also, hope you find it as it never hurts to have two. If the lathe is new I would complain to Jet...probably send you a new one, they may have forgot to include it.
I used the spur drive for about a year. Then I turned a punky piece of wood and the spur wound up buried in the wood (the wood even over the threads on the spindle). It doesn't take any longer to mount the faceplate and I feel much safer if I want to start at a higher speed.
Mike
 
I put the faceplate away when I unpacked the lathe, in a drawer. I put a bunch of rags in that drawer to keep them out of the dust one day, and never remembered I had put some spare parts in the drawer.
I found the 3 inch faceplate tonight, and knocked the glue block off and screwed the maple onto the plate.
The bowl is almost done, Ill shape it a little better tomorrow.

My problem is Im very new at this and dont think ahead.
I bought the nova chuck for this reason and failed to use it.
I didnt want to put holes into the maple from screws, not realizing Im going to turn a tenon on the other side and hollow out where the screws were anyway. Simple dumb stuff, but all this lathe stuff is so new to me.
I also think my lathe table/base is a bit too light, because when I spin a heavy piece of wood like the maple bowl, I get enough vibration that if I have a pen or pencil on the table, it will roll off.
I might have to think about the metal base, or do something to beef up the table I built.(is it a good idea to add weight to the underside of the table top?IM not sure how to make it more stable, its 2x4s and 2 sheets of plywood for the top, it will hold 1000 lbs easily, but still vibrates and I have it screwed into the studs in the wall:dunno:)
 
How thick a piece of wood are we talking about?

If the wood is thick enough, the quick and dirty way to do it is a worm screw in your chuck, I'm sure your chuck came with one.

You can see me using the worm screw in my Nova chuck >> HERE << in this video.

If your wood is too thin, you can glue a waste block on and do the same thing, turn a tenon to grab with the chuck, and then when you reverse the piece you turn away the waste and turn the rest of the piece.

I dunno how you are with book learning this stuff, but if you want to buy a book that really covers the basics, I'd suggest this one..........

>> Wood Turning A Foundation Course by Keith Rowley <<

This is still my go to reference book.

Cheers!

PS, where are the pics :huh: :D
 
Allen, I am kind of simple minded, but here's my suggestion. Drill a shallow hole about 2" diam with a forstner bit. Then grip the piece with an expanding chuck. The hole can be a feature on the bottom of the bowl.
 
I also think my lathe table/base is a bit too light, because when I spin a heavy piece of wood like the maple bowl, I get enough vibration that if I have a pen or pencil on the table, it will roll off.

Don't fight it Allen, I know you love that mustard color.



Edit: I just checked, Powermatic and Jet are having a 15% off sale Nov 27th to Nov 30. Maybe you need to call your local dealer and ask about it. Just think how well it would go with your jointer.:D
 
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PS, where are the pics :huh: :D[/QUOTE]


IM not sure what I did to anger you, Ive already worn out my welcome on the other places here, and now youre asking me to get myself unwelcomed here, but this will be my last pictures of a mess I made, I will post only again here when I make my first acrylic pen.

I needed to finish off the maple bowl, so after the show today, I grabbed a bowl scraper, well, that was that. As soon as I touched it, boom, I heard a boom, never saw the piece take off. I shut down and searched and searched through the shavings, in back of the table, the floor, my wood pile. Could not find it. Holy moly, 36 feet away, yep, that little jet threw the sharp maple piece 36 feet onto my driveway. I was only wearing safety goggles, my mask was coated filthy, I didnt bother with it, and to be honest, I got a bit shook up, cause I was working on inside, and if I was standing in front of it, I think I would be in the hospital getting stiches in my head.(its an eye opening experience, I thought I have to be careful with moving blades, this is like a canon shooting a sharp projectile,and I know most of you have experienced this, never me, it was a bit scary) I shut down and decided to watch football instead.
Heres the pictures of the bowl I was currently working on.wood stuff 1441 (Medium).jpgwood stuff 1443 (Medium).jpgwood stuff 1444 (Medium).jpg

The piece where it landed, I didnt see until I started to clean up and throw out garbage.

wood stuff 1446 (Medium).jpg

What I purchased at the show today, about a dozen Black Titanium Designer pen kits, 4 gold ones, a sandpaper pack, some exotic blanks, 2 acrylic blanks, a set of bushings.
The show was very small, nothing like the Saratoga show I attended earlier this year.
Some nice pieces, again, very limited. A few vendors,(I purchased some pen kits as mentioned). There was a guy outside with a woodmiser wood slicing machine, cutting up Walnut, and he had some beautiful cherry freshly cut. He wanted 150 bucks for all the cherry, but I figured even though there was some quarter sawn, there was also knots, so maybe 30-40 bf of good stuff. Im sure if I hung around till later, and noone bought it, I might have pursuaded him down, but since Id have to dry it, and all that jazz, eh........Lakeshore (as they did the Saratoga show)had a booth at this show, when Im ready to work on cherry furniture, I think Ill just have him ship it all down.

like I said, Id hate to wear out my welcome in this side of the site, so Ill just read and learn for a bit.
 
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Ouch. That happens.

By any chance... were you working the inside, near (or on) the rim, with the toolrest below center? That can do it. Maybe the wood had cracked a little, but working inside a rim with a scraper below center, the scraper has noplace to go if it catches; it can't swing into free air, it can only bite deeper until something gives - usually the bowl, but I've seen toolrests broken that way, too.
 
Allen,
My stand isn't nearly as pretty and sophisticated as yours, but this is a shot of the stand I built for my little lathe... it's made from 2x4 legs with 1/2 in plywood on the top and the box at the bottom... I filled the box with gravel to add weight to the stand. The box is about 24 x 14 x 12 inches... and I think holds about 75-100 lbs of gravel. Keeps the lathe very stable.

If you have room at the bottom of the stand and the legs are sturdy enough to damp the vibration down into the box, you could add a box at the bottom of your and fill it with sand or gravel.... I use gravel because I have a gravel driveway and also have a 2 or 3 inch gravel base under my shop. I goes down in front of the shop far enough that when my son comes home with his semi tractor he has a parking place on gravel.
 

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Stu said:
PS, where are the pics :huh: :D
like I said, Id hate to wear out my welcome in this side of the site, so Ill just read and learn for a bit.

Wear out your welcome by showing us pictures and telling us what you up to :huh: :dunno:

Me thinks you have us confused with somewhere else :D

Keep the pictures and the stories coming, speaking for myself, I very much enjoy them, and I've been in your shoes with things that go "BANG" off the lathe, and you just about need to go change your clothes, and you are also thinking "Well, how the heck did that happen :huh::huh::huh:".

Don't worry, things will improve and you will get better at it, heck I did, and I thought for a LONG time I'd never turn anything worth putting even your spare change into.

Glad you were not hurt, you might want to think about dusting off that face shield :thumb:

Cheers!
 
I hope I didn’t say anything to offend. Keep posting please. For ballast you could build a shelf near the floor (or higher up near the top). Bags of sand are about $3 here for a 40 lb bag. I would guess you could add 4 across the width and still have storage space.
Mike
 
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