After finishing a bowl I mark the center of the bottom while it is still
on the chuck (I use an inside gripping chuck). I found a length of metal
tubing that is the same diameter as the through hole of the headstock
and installed a pencil inside the tubing (using masking tape to make it
fit). I stick this through the headstock until the pencil point touches
the underside of the bowl, then turn the bowl 1 turn by hand, while
holding the tubing. If the pencil is centered it makes a dot, if not it
will be a circle.
To mount the bowl on the vacuum chuck for finishing the bottom, I bring
up the tailstock and hold the bowl against the vacuum chuck with it, the
point of the live center in the dot. As I turn on the pump I crank in
the tailstock so that it remains in contact with the bowl until the
desired vacuum is reached. This achieves a near perfect centering the
first time.

Clear as mud?
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Ambition is a poor excuse for not
having the good sense to be lazy.

"Clear as mud?"

Actually this makes a great deal of sense. I just finished making a
doughnut chuck and it's hard to tell when the piece is centered. This
certainly helps.

Thanks Gerald,

Rick

Instead of using masking tape to make a pencil fit, I turned a piece of wood
to exactly fit the inside of my face plate and drilled the center to fit a
brad. I put the brad in the center, clipped the head off about 1/4" from the
end of the rod and sharpened it.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

wrote in message
ups.com...


"Clear as mud?"

Actually this makes a great deal of sense. I just finished making a
doughnut chuck and it's hard to tell when the piece is centered. This
certainly helps.

Thanks Gerald,

Rick

Hi Gerald

Yes that's Oneway of doing it, (pun intended) I have the centering pin
build in on my faceplate, and then there's also this Oneway way of
doing it, have a look.
http://www.oneway.on.ca/spindle/live_center.htm

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo
http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum25.html

Gerald Ross wrote:
After finishing a bowl I mark the center of the bottom while it is still
on the chuck (I use an inside gripping chuck). I found a length of metal
tubing that is the same diameter as the through hole of the headstock
and installed a pencil inside the tubing (using masking tape to make it
fit). I stick this through the headstock until the pencil point touches
the underside of the bowl, then turn the bowl 1 turn by hand, while
holding the tubing. If the pencil is centered it makes a dot, if not it
will be a circle.
To mount the bowl on the vacuum chuck for finishing the bottom, I bring
up the tailstock and hold the bowl against the vacuum chuck with it, the
point of the live center in the dot. As I turn on the pump I crank in
the tailstock so that it remains in contact with the bowl until the
desired vacuum is reached. This achieves a near perfect centering the
first time.

Clear as mud?
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Ambition is a poor excuse for not
having the good sense to be lazy.