How Many Single Mount?

[MichaelMouse]

Odie's reminder that people use faceplates for a single mount even on bowls makes me wonder how many people are still doing the outside outward from the headstock and then cutting toward it to hollow? I was happy to see that method go when I got my first (Masterchuck) faceplate alternative. Of course I had faceplates, including those with an optional center screw, but I begrudged the space I had to reserve on the shop floor to stand behind it, and hated having to reach around the headstock, finding myself prone to long overhangs and their consequences back when I had the Delta with the weird banjo, and cylindrical gouges were just making their debut. Couldn't get all the way around initially without a toolrest extension, and then had to take off the tailstock to get the banjo on the rear ... well, a lot of people know what I'm talking about, I'm sure.

The Masterchuck, which was a nightmare in the grip department, came with a pin chuck alternative that set me free. It was a greater time and effort saver than even the first scroll chuck I got - and still use - a Tommy-bar Nova.

So, how many still work from behind, and if you do, do you own a chuck?

 

[Don O. Jr.]

I don't but...

...I just saw an episode of "Woodworks" with David Marks on the DIY network where he did it the "old" way. He glued a piece of poplar to his blank and screwed a faceplate to that. He turned the outside and inside from that single mount. It worked but he uses a lot of scraping techniques instead of cutting. It would be very awkward, as you describe, to get a modern bowl gouge in position for a pushing cut with bevel contact with this type of mounting.

 

[Walt]

I primarily use my Oneway chuck for just about everything I do. I do use some Don Pencil face plates for jigs and things.

Walt

 

[jimbob91577]

Done it both ways, but I prefer mounting to a faceplate, doing the outside of the bowl, chucking, truing up the outside again, then starting on the inside.

It took me about 3 tries doing the "Single Mount" method before I got tired of worrying about the glue holding to the waste block.

 

[Ken Grunke]

I started out with the single-mount method, ending with a slightly concave parting cut for the foot. Don't understand why you had to go around to the back of the lathe, though. Did you run the lathe in reverse at the end?

I still use the faceplate for bowls over 7" or so, as my 3 1/2" Vicmarc isn't always trustworthy for larger bowls. Now I use the triple-mount method: 1) between centers, 2) faceplate- or chuck- mounted for hollowing; 3) jam-chucked with tailstock for turning the foot.

 

[john lucas]

Well I started turning bowls that way. That's all I knew and all I saw in the magazines. Eventually I saw someone else start bowls between centers and I've been doing that ever since. I tried starting bowls using a screw center and that works as long as you never want to change anything but if you decide after turning a little that you would like to shift it one way or the other you can't.
When I first started turning between centers I would turn a tenon on the bottom and then counter sink an area for the waste block. The wasteblock was then turned to fit the counter sink area and I would glue it in place. This would center it perfectly. To get rid of the foot I would reverse turn them using a large wooden faceplate. I would turn a groove to fit the bowl and then use the tailstock to hold it in place.
Now I start them between centers with the open side toward the headstock. I turn a tenon for the chuck and leave a very small tenon with the tailstock dimple in it. Then reverse it and mount it in the chuck. Turn the inside. Then I put a piece of rubber over the chuck and put the open side of the bowl over that. I still have the small tenon on the bottom and can bring the tailstock up to center it and hold it in place. The little tenon still has the original tailstock dimple.
I have a vacuum chuck and do use it but often the bowls have worm holes or other bark inclusions or holes and won't work with the vacuum chuck.

 

[odie]

Hello MM and all.......

It's probably not necessary to poll the turners on which method they use the most.....screw center faceplates, or chucks. I'd be the first one to speculate that probably 95% of turners, these days, are not using screw center faceplates.....just chucks of one flavor, or another. I think this is because the current general consensus and thinking among turners is that chucks are better.

I won't argue the point that there are distinct advantages to chucks......the primary advantage being the bowl exterior is certainly better suited to shearing cuts of the fingernail gouge (going uphill), which decidedly produces a surface that is more readily sandable for most turners.

When doing a single mount with a faceplate, the outside of the bowl is unquestionably more difficult to get a surface, directly from the tools, that has fewer tearout and other flaws. Certainly, this is more difficult to sand. However, learning to get that finely cut surface from a combination of fingernail gouges (both directions) and scrapers isn't impossible to get......just requires good sharpening techniques and tool control.

At one time, Rude Osolnik (RIP) did his entire bowls with a 1/2" round nose scraper....he was well known for that! Knowing that, it's not a big leap of faith to understand that proper use of scrapers can produce good sandable surfaces when doing faceplate work. I've found that good sharpening techniques and a delicate touch is what it takes......but, the beginner probably isn't going to master this on the first try!

Most turners, these days, skip over the need for learning these things, by going right to using chucks......and doing the exterior of bowls facing away from the headstock. This is all well and good, but there are advantages to not having the need for repeated chuckings......mainly, trueness of the bowl to the lathe axis. The more chuckings, the further out of alignment that error can become.....especially when warping is a major factor.

Now, it's far from my intent to say screw center faceplates are superior to chucks. To the contrary. Both have their advantages, and disadvantages. What my real intent to do, is offer the notion that faceplates offer turning opportunities that seem to be obscured by time......and the fact that most turners don't consider faceplates as a viable option anymore.

I am mainly discussing the use of "screw center" faceplates. I have other faceplates that require multiple screws, but don't use those as much. I still think those are best for mounting a block of wood that don't have much of an even surface to attach to.......

I use both.....screw center faceplates, and chucks. I don't think I'll be neglecting either mounting method in favor of the other anytime soon, but I use the screw center faceplates in the majority of my turnings.

I mount waste blocks using either two sided tape, or glue......never had a glued waste block come apart, but have had the two sided tape fail on me. The two sided tape is better suited to smaller bowls.

otis of cologne

 

[odie]

While I was writing my post above this one, I see both Kengrunke and John Lucas chimed in, too! Great......!

There are many methods and ways to skin a cat.....can't deny it!!!! All of us develop our own special techniques and ways of accomplishing our goals.

Thanks....

otis of cologne

 

[Gordon Seto]

Size does matter. I hate to imagine the consequence of mounting a heavy blank initially other than heavy duty face plate with lots of strong screws.

Gordon

 

[Jake Debski]

I'm in the three mounting camp. Faceplate to rough out(especially out of balance blank) and cut tenon or innie. Re-mount in chuck, hollow and sand. Jamb chuck to finish bottom.

 

[john lucas]

Jake and Gordon nailed it. A faceplate with lots of screws is still the safest way to turn something, especially large pieces. Also the most rigid if it sits flat. I had to turn 4 hollow vessels over 12" deep so out if interest I did 2 with a chuck and 2 with a 3" faceplate. I got noticeably less chatter with the faceplates.
I look back at some of my early turnings and wonder how I did them. I haven't had a chuck for more than about 10 years. Obviously I did it with a faceplate.

 

[John Altberg]

I have been doing all of my small bowls with faceplates and a chuck. Completely shape, sand and finish the outside with a dovetailed recess, then chuck to do the inside. Usually end up doing a bit of resanding on the upper outside portion due to completeing the rim along with the inside. Guess if I want footed bowls I would have to add jamb chucking into the mix.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Jake and Gordon nailed it. A faceplate with lots of screws is still the safest way to turn something, especially large pieces.

Do you know what a pin chuck is? A 1" cylinder is pretty rugged. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/Chuck-Sheet.jpg
I love the ease and precision of mounting on a simple 1" hole. I use it later, too.

http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/?action=view&current=TrueBottom.flv

 

[Gordon Seto]

Do you know what a pin chuck is? A 1" cylinder is pretty rugged.

I love the ease and precision of mounting on a simple 1" hole. I use it later, too.

Large is a relative term. Hard to convince those that are up to the capacity of the larger lathes with blanks weighting hundreds of pounds. Especially those with bowl lathes that can't use the tail stock. There are more than one method of doing the same thing.

Gordon

 

[MichaelMouse]

Large is a relative term. Hard to convince those that are up to the capacity of the larger lathes with blanks weighting hundreds of pounds. Especially those with bowl lathes that can't use the tail stock. There are more than one method of doing the same thing.

Gordon

I suppose we should never assume some things as too obvious for comment, should we?

Of course, bowl lathes can use pin chucks, even larger and longer varieties. Those of us blessed with the safety and utility of tailstocks are merely taking advantage of what we have. The pin chuck is really just a way of extending the spindle, isn't it? Just using one wedge versus an inclined plane for attachment.

 

[Fog Tanner]

My prefernce for starting a bowl is on a single screw faceplate. For really large blanks, I bring up the tailstock for safety. After doing the outside, I use a chuck for doing the inside. Depending in the size and shape, it will either be a 3 1/2" or 5 1/2" Vic. If I am coring the blank, I have some 8" jaws and make a large tennon.

These days I am doing very few "conventional" bowls, with most of my work being offcenter. For this I use a single screw in the center of the blank, and several more to keep the blank from moving about. For these pieces, the tail stock is brought up for all the turning except the very bottom of the foot. By then the off balance has been reduced and it safe to finish.

I have tried truning a bowl from a single mounting, but was just never comfortable working the outside down on large bowls. I do go back and retrue the outside when doing the inside, but those are light cuts or shear scrape. Which is strange as I do small endgrian bowls which are totally shaped from a single mount (except for the base). But those are with differnent tools and smaller in scale.