First
I have several sets of jaws for my chuck, and they all seem to have
different diameters

Second
Faceplate rings tend to come in specific sizes, and usually not the one
you want for the chuck jaws currently fitted

Third
I tend to use a small ring so the screw hole pattern is small. Good if I
want a small hole in the top of the object I plan to turn, or if you
want greater options after the initial turning tells you what it wants
to be

Fourth
I am tending to turn Dovetail spigots on the bottoms of my bowls as
external grip on a dovetail seems far better than internal grip in a
dovetail especially when there is not much material to play with

The issue I see is that this normally requires a jaw change - and that
takes time

What I have in mind is a a Faceplate ring that can be clamped on the
outside (like a spigot) rather than the usual inside (it may be possible
to have an inside dovetail too. I can see there may be a need for a
spacer to ensure the ring bottoms out on the chuck, otherwise tightening
the chuck could pull the plate away from the blank.

Has anyone used this method, know of any issues before I make a couple
of these rings ?

--
John

just turn one on your lathe - with HSS tools you can cut steel no problem
(yes, I've done it) - a metal lathe is better, but you can do it by hand


"John" wrote in message
...
First
I have several sets of jaws for my chuck, and they all seem to have
different diameters

Second
Faceplate rings tend to come in specific sizes, and usually not the one
you want for the chuck jaws currently fitted

Third
I tend to use a small ring so the screw hole pattern is small. Good if I
want a small hole in the top of the object I plan to turn, or if you want
greater options after the initial turning tells you what it wants to be

Fourth
I am tending to turn Dovetail spigots on the bottoms of my bowls as
external grip on a dovetail seems far better than internal grip in a
dovetail especially when there is not much material to play with

The issue I see is that this normally requires a jaw change - and that
takes time

What I have in mind is a a Faceplate ring that can be clamped on the
outside (like a spigot) rather than the usual inside (it may be possible
to have an inside dovetail too. I can see there may be a need for a spacer
to ensure the ring bottoms out on the chuck, otherwise tightening the
chuck could pull the plate away from the blank.

Has anyone used this method, know of any issues before I make a couple of
these rings ?

--
John


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In message , William Noble
writes
just turn one on your lathe - with HSS tools you can cut steel no problem
(yes, I've done it) - a metal lathe is better, but you can do it by hand

I'm lucky enough to have a small metal lathe too. So will be a little
easier
--
John

That Bill & John can cut steel freehand on a woodturning lathe with no
problem is not the same as a newbie just starting out doing it. Those
two can turn a spindle on a spur without a tail center while holding the
tool handle against their bellies and many here can also.

IMHO, turning steel freehand is not a safe procedure and I don't think
Bill will mind my butting in. I think that he meant that yes it can be
done, but was only advising it for John, not as general advice to rcw.

Be careful out there. Spinning or using a graver for soft metal is
different, but even that requires expertise and careful attention.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:17:02 -0400, (Arch) wrote:
snip
Be careful out there. Spinning or using a graver for soft metal is
different, but even that requires expertise and careful attention.


And it also adds the fun of sparks and metal shavings in the shop..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Aug 25, 9:04 am, John wrote:
First
I have several sets of jaws for my chuck, and they all seem to have
different diameters

Second
Faceplate rings tend to come in specific sizes, and usually not the one
you want for the chuck jaws currently fitted

Third
I tend to use a small ring so the screw hole pattern is small. Good if I
want a small hole in the top of the object I plan to turn, or if you
want greater options after the initial turning tells you what it wants
to be

Fourth
I am tending to turn Dovetail spigots on the bottoms of my bowls as
external grip on a dovetail seems far better than internal grip in a
dovetail especially when there is not much material to play with

The issue I see is that this normally requires a jaw change - and that
takes time

What I have in mind is a a Faceplate ring that can be clamped on the
outside (like a spigot) rather than the usual inside (it may be possible
to have an inside dovetail too. I can see there may be a need for a
spacer to ensure the ring bottoms out on the chuck, otherwise tightening
the chuck could pull the plate away from the blank.

Has anyone used this method, know of any issues before I make a couple
of these rings ?

--
John

Hello John,

You've had several replies to your post, but I don't believe anyone
answered your question. I think a lot depends on the type of chucks
you use. A faceplate ring should work fine with a clamp down onto the
outside of the ring tenon provided your chuck has a dovetail like the
Nova Chucks have on their jaws. Then if you size the tenon for the
chuck to grip and make the dovetail match the chuck with the jaws
almost closed (this way they are the most round) the outside grip on
the faceplate ring should work just fine. It will run most true if you
have it so the chuck jaws fit against a shoulder on the ring.

Doing it this way you can make up faceplate rings to fit each of your
sets of chuck jaws, then you can choose a ring that fits your jaws
that are currently in the chuck. Incidentally, if you are making rings
to hold bowls, making the rings as large as possible will allow you to
have the screws in an area of the bowl that will be turned away when
you final turn the foot of the bowl. I suppose this would work also
for hollow forms.

I personally use a clamping grip on the tenon of a bowl with my chuck
jaws. I've found that this holds well and it eliminates the
possibility of splitting the bowl (rather suddenly) from the expanding
pressure when you use and expanding pressure in a recess to hold the
bowl.

Incidentally, I don't use faceplate rings, although I have several, I
simply start my bowls between centers (actually between the live
center in the tailstock and the face of the chuck jaws) and turn the
outside to finish shape including a tenon to fit the chuck that is
mounted on the lathe. I reverse the blank and mount it in the chuck
jaws with a compression grip and hollow out the inside. I final sand
the inside and outside and put on the finish. I then reverse bowl
again using one of several mounting devices (a vacuum chuck, a Rim
Chuck, a Longworth chuck, or a jam fit chuck with tailstock support).
All of the reverse chucking methods should use the tailstock support
as long as possible to ensure the bowl doesn't come loose.

Fred Holder
http://www.morewoodturning.net

following up on metal on a wood lathe -

1. if you try this WEAR EYE PROTECTION - a steel sliver in the eye is not at
all a good thing, and a piece of steel hitting you in the teeth is also not
a good thing

2. you need to turn at a very slow speed compared to wood - on my metal
lathe, when I face off a 4 inch faceplate, I'm turning it at about 150 RPM
with carbide tools, slower with HSS

3. It really isn't fun to step on steel shavings and then try to pull the
barbed ******s out of your foot - don't wear sandals (DAMHIKT)

4. I'd suggest trying a softer metal first just to convince yourself you can
do it - Brass and Aluminum come to mind

5. You REALLY don't want a catch

6. NO OVERHANG !!!!!! keep toolrest really really close to the work.

"Arch" wrote in message
...

That Bill & John can cut steel freehand on a woodturning lathe with no
problem is not the same as a newbie just starting out doing it. Those
two can turn a spindle on a spur without a tail center while holding the
tool handle against their bellies and many here can also.

IMHO, turning steel freehand is not a safe procedure and I don't think
Bill will mind my butting in. I think that he meant that yes it can be
done, but was only advising it for John, not as general advice to rcw.

Be careful out there. Spinning or using a graver for soft metal is
different, but even that requires expertise and careful attention.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings





** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In message
, Fred
Holder writes
Hello John,

You've had several replies to your post, but I don't believe anyone
answered your question. I think a lot depends on the type of chucks
you use. A faceplate ring should work fine with a clamp down onto the
outside of the ring tenon provided your chuck has a dovetail like the
Nova Chucks have on their jaws. Then if you size the tenon for the
chuck to grip and make the dovetail match the chuck with the jaws
almost closed (this way they are the most round) the outside grip on
the faceplate ring should work just fine. It will run most true if you
have it so the chuck jaws fit against a shoulder on the ring.


Hi Fred
thanks for the comprehensive reply Interesting you say almost closed.
With the chuck jaws I have , I think the optimum diameter is a little
further out that, but as the manufacturers are so kind to provide
dimensioned drawings , its a big bonus I had assumed external
clamping should work , as we clamp to a turned dovetail in the wood,
though that does have an element of compression


Doing it this way you can make up faceplate rings to fit each of your
sets of chuck jaws, then you can choose a ring that fits your jaws
that are currently in the chuck. Incidentally, if you are making rings
to hold bowls, making the rings as large as possible will allow you to
have the screws in an area of the bowl that will be turned away when
you final turn the foot of the bowl. I suppose this would work also
for hollow forms.

Its interesting you say as large as possible. I have tended to uses the
smallest ring I have, probably because the maximum thickness wood I have
mounted in this manner has been 6 inches thick, so by the time the
screws penetrate into the wood I am starting to encroach on my bowl
material But I see your point the larger ring would definitely
provide a more stable platform. When I get a larger piece of wood I will
give it a try.

But definitely the plan is for several Faceplate rings of different and
the same sizes

I personally use a clamping grip on the tenon of a bowl with my chuck
jaws. I've found that this holds well and it eliminates the
possibility of splitting the bowl (rather suddenly) from the expanding
pressure when you use and expanding pressure in a recess to hold the
bowl.
Yes these expanding pressures can be a pain. Early on I had several
items break the internal dovetail. Sometimes the wall was just not thick
enough, others the wood would just split (very dry oak) The problem was
how much do you turn the chuck key. At what point does it provide
optimum grip, when is it too loose or when it over tight. Its not an
easy one to determine. I have tended to tighten till contact it
established fully then add a part turn to nip it up, but in some cases
its been just a little too much.
With the external clamping the worst I can see is distortion of the
tenon through over tightening, but there is also a limiting factor in
that you can only compress so far


Incidentally, I don't use faceplate rings, although I have several, I
simply start my bowls between centers (actually between the live
center in the tailstock and the face of the chuck jaws) and turn the
outside to finish shape including a tenon to fit the chuck that is
mounted on the lathe. I reverse the blank and mount it in the chuck
jaws with a compression grip and hollow out the inside. I final sand
the inside and outside and put on the finish. I then reverse bowl
again using one of several mounting devices (a vacuum chuck, a Rim
Chuck, a Longworth chuck, or a jam fit chuck with tailstock support).
All of the reverse chucking methods should use the tailstock support
as long as possible to ensure the bowl doesn't come loose.

I think a lot of this section is for next months lesson I have a lot
to learn, but the process is great fun
--
John

"William Noble" wrote in message
...


on my metal
lathe, when I face off a 4 inch faceplate, I'm turning it at about 150 RPM
with carbide tools, slower with HSS

If you are using brazed carbide tools, 400 surface feet would be about
right. 400 surface feet on a 4 inch disk would be 382 RPM. If using
indexable inserts, 600 surface feet will work well.

I think you misunderstood about large faceplates - imagine a bowl shape -
big at the top, small at the bottom - or a hollow form - still small at the
bottom, right? So you use a big faceplate and the screws go near the outer
edge of the wood - you turn to shape down to where hte screws are and then
reverse and turn the bottom to shape - as you do that, you cut away the wood
where the screws were, eliminating all evidence -

bigger faceplates make this easier


stuff snipped
"
Doing it this way you can make up faceplate rings to fit each of your
sets of chuck jaws, then you can choose a ring that fits your jaws
that are currently in the chuck. Incidentally, if you are making rings
to hold bowls, making the rings as large as possible will allow you to
have the screws in an area of the bowl that will be turned away when
you final turn the foot of the bowl. I suppose this would work also
for hollow forms.

Its interesting you say as large as possible. I have tended to uses the
smallest ring I have, probably because the maximum thickness wood I have
mounted in this manner has been 6 inches thick, so by the time the screws
penetrate into the wood I am starting to encroach on my bowl material
But I see your point the larger ring would definitely provide a more
stable platform. When I get a larger piece of wood I will give it a try.




** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"CW" wrote in message
m...

"William Noble" wrote in message
...


on my metal
lathe, when I face off a 4 inch faceplate, I'm turning it at about 150
RPM
with carbide tools, slower with HSS

If you are using brazed carbide tools, 400 surface feet would be about
right. 400 surface feet on a 4 inch disk would be 382 RPM. If using
indexable inserts, 600 surface feet will work well.



you are right, but if I run at full speed without coolant, I get red hot
chips flying all over the shop (well sometimes even orange hot) - and it
turns out the carbide (brazed or inserts) lasts longer if I run a bit
slower - I suppose I ought to double check now, I might actually be running
closer to the 300 to 400 RPM - but it doesn't matter for this forum - my
point was that you need to turn a whole lot slower than you would on a wood
lathe. And take a finer cut


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **