Shifting from spindle/ between centers turning to plate /bowl turning
takes a little change in thinking, aside from the obvious grain
direction/ rotation axis orientation.

The first leveling pass a sawyer makes on a fresh cut log creates is an
off cut whose “top side” is all bark - and sometimes some interesting
knobs, bumps and bolls. I was fortunate enough to pick through the off
cuts of five black walnut logs, from which I rescued a half dozen
promising pieces that had grain running every which way and thick enough
to possibly turn into a platter or shallow bowl.

Never having done a face plate turning, relatively new to the chuck
turning, still with the mindset of “Don’t waste wood!” and working with
a piece that was flat on one side and roundish and covered in a thick
layer of rough bark, I deduced that the face plate would go on the flat
face. The outside of the tree would be the bottom of the plate I was
going to turn. All that nice heartwood on the flat face would be the
inside of the plate. Rough off all that bark, shape the bottom of the
plate, turn a step for the SuperNova2 chuck. Remove the face plate,
turn the blank around, chuck it up and turn the inside of the plate.

Seemed obvious enough right?

WRRRONG!

Heartwood doesn’t make it to the outside of the tree - the sapwood
does. And the sapwood is almost white and the grain pattern is very
very subtle. The contrast between light white and dark white just looks
white.

So I’m turning the inside of the plate and shearing down through all
that swirling, beautiful black walnut heartwood. - down into all that
characterless white sapwood. I guess I could’ve settled for a 3/4”
thick plate.

Lots to learn with this turning thing. In addition to using the right
tool, with the right orientation, for the right task, the fun and games
of catches, and all the drive centers, tail stock centers, face plates
and chucks, I’m going to have to get better at thinking things through a
bit more.

I’m sure most of you knew better than to make this newbie mistake -
right?

If you’re a newbie, maybe this tale will save you some nice wood.
Better to learn from the mistakes of others than to ...

charlie b