Platter

What was your gluing process and type glue.

I generally glue up between 10 and 20 sheets per session, then let it cure for at least a week. I put plastic wrap over it and then a piece of plywood or such. I usually have several glue-ups going at the same time, so I spend an hour or two doing glue, then stack them up with a 5 gallon bucket filled with water on top. Each glue-up ends up with probably at least 100 sheets. After they are set up, I put them on top of the hot air duct for a couple of months. (One of the few upsides of having a long winter!) I use any type of glossy magazine paper. Newsprint gets soggy. I like to put the most colourful side of the paper facing up so the platter ends up having more distinct lines on the inside face.

I use regular woodworkers glue - whatever is on sale by the gallon. Usually yellow, like Titebond, but also Elmer's white. I water it down by about 10% so it soaks into the paper better. Squirt bottle and a 4" foam roller work well. If you wrap the roller in plastic wrap after each session you can use it for months.

Once it is fully cured and dried, it turns almost like wood. The shavings come off in long strands - on heavier cuts, they can be 4 feet long. Although it is technically taboo, I use my spindle roughing gouge to do most of the cutting on the inside face of the platter, It has a wide flute that avoids clogging. I have tried all my various tools, but most bowl gouges (both traditional and swept grinds), clog up too easily. Another situation where you must keep your tools very sharp.

Then sanding to 220, and, typically 5 or 6 coats, but up to 10 coats of water-based poly. I use a paint stripper (you could use a hair dryer) about 6-8" away to speed up drying between coats. That way I can do all the coats in one session.