Thanks Gary, that makes sense to me. Appreciate it.
If you have solid wood the screw has plenty of hold. Often getting the screw out is a challenge.
The screen shot showing the spacer is from a seed jar demo. This is a split hollow form.
Like two bowls glued at the rim. Both parts start on a screw. If you are interested this shows two parts mounted on a worm screw
Turning a seed jar - split hollow form
I turned one of these for after dinner entertainment at SWAT-2017 along with Trent Bosch. Trent turned a traditional hollow form in an informal race and finished first. A fun time. Since then I have done several of these in club demos and also did a club workshop where students turned them...www.aawforum.org
Mark - these pix make it so perfectly clear. Thank you. I didn't pay enough attention to Gary's note about the jaws resting on the bottom flange. Thanks for emphasizing this.
The shaft that fits inside the jaws has 4 flats, but they're not very sharply cut or easy to see in a photo. If, like me, you use it incorrectly, the screw turns in use and the innards of the chuck machine the shaft round.
I've used my woodscrew many times, sometimes doing potentially unwise things by pushing the limits on the size of the blank or by using a spacer between a portion of jaws and blank to tilt the orientation, and NEVER had a problem with security. On a few occasions, I've even put a spacer between the jaw face and a platter blank to shorten the screw. As a new turner, I had more than a few bowls break off at the tenon when held in the jaws, but the worm screw has not launched a blank.
You can often use the tailstock with a questionable screw Mount.
My experience is obviously different. My Vicmarch worm screw protrudes a good 5/8 " longer that my Nova's. Hmm I wonder why they did that? I guess whether the length of the Nova screw is a flaw is a matter of opinion. Mine will stay in the box, safe from causing harm.
. My vicmarc screw stays in the drawer because I have 3 ONEWAY screws and they fit the vicmarc.
I had/have the same feeling that Tom does. I have all Nova chucks and the screw only protrudes 5/8 inch so I've never used it. But there are plenty of other ways to mount wood to the lathe.
Thank you for that, I have not used the Vicmarc woodscrew since mine broke, always start a bowl with a faceplate, and hex head concrete screws and a cordless drill
I have the MT 2 step centers, and use them a lot on spindles, but as soon as you mount a bigger cross grain blank they don't work too good as they will spin in the wood, where a woodworm screw does work better till the blanks get bigger again, then we need the faceplate.
I suppose it is debateable... I call it my "safety center" it isn't a MT2, it chucks in to the 4-jaw chuck just like the above mentioned woodworm screws.. I have had no trouble, though I am limited somewhat by the 12 inch swing on my HF lathe, but have turned 11 inch bowls from roughed out (by chainsaw) blanks as much as 5 to 6 inches thick of green (ash and cherry) wood - Granted the steb center does like to "lose traction" and spin into the wood, but that is usually only when I get too aggressive with the roughing gouges (hence why I call it my safety center, if I get a catch, the wood stops moving) - have never had a blank come off (of course, have to re-tighten tail stock every couple cuts, it becomes habit) I have had to de-mount and clean out the saw teeth on the drive center a couple times when I had bark side against the drive center (learned to alleviate that issue by cutting away the bark or drilling a slight countersink with a forstner bit) I suppose when I finally am able to upgrade to that 1840 Ive decided on, I may find the steb center becomes an issue , I may not, but it's no more difficult than a woodworm screw, and the center has the added benefit that I am not committed to the bowl's center or grain orientation by drilling a hole for woodworm screw, or mounting to face plate.
