Square end for a lathe chuck?

[John Torchick]

My grandson and I had a project- screwdriver kit handle covered on another thread. Here is my question- I cut a piece of purple heart on the TS, 2x2x6. I didn't cut the ends on the TS with the miter. I marked the centers to turn to round. When I put the round piece flat into the SuperNova2 chuck, it was off center so the 60 degree live center point didn't line up with the center mark. In the future, what do you recommend to square one end for a chuck? Square the ends while on the lathe between centers? FWIW, have a 1/4 inch parting tool. Thought of that. Got some turnings I want to attempt and will require the chuck. Thanks as always.

 

[hockenbery]

Anything resting on the flat inside the jaws tends to get pushed off square as the jaws close.
I use the tailstock to keep the work on center as the jaws close

I use the ONEWAY profile jaws they grip squares really well.
I mark the center of the 2x2 and make a mark with a scratch awl, loosely mount the other end in the chuck,
Center the point of the live center in the mark, snug up the tail stock, tighten the chuck.

This will work on a round blank too but then I usually turn a short tenon.

 

[John Torchick]

hb, I was obviously doing it in reverse. Thanks. Now I'll have to turn some wood to try it.
I have a sharp nail that I use with a few light taps to mark the center. FWIW, I mark all four corners with an angle guide. I usually get a tiny square in the middle and aim for the middle of that.
Edit- I like my SN2 chuck. I know there are some more precise and heavier chucks but the price, size of lathe and size of the chuck were the factors for me. If I can get my wife to come out of retirement and get full time job, I could get a real big lathe. Note I said, "If."

 

[Russell Nugent]

hb, I was obviously doing it in reverse. Thanks. Now I'll have to turn some wood to try it.
I have a sharp nail that I use with a few light taps to mark the center. FWIW, I mark all four corners with an angle guide. I usually get a tiny square in the middle and aim for the middle of that.
Edit- I like my SN2 chuck. I know there are some more precise and heavier chucks but the price, size of lathe and size of the chuck were the factors for me. If I can get my wife to come out of retirement and get full time job, I could get a real big lathe. Note I said, "If."

Nothing wrong at all with the super nova 2, I love mine. I think the only real complaint about it from people is the rotation direction for closing the jaws.

 

[Dean Center]

John, one option for square blanks such as you were using is to simply chuck them up square. You can adjust the blank a little to get your marked center lined up with the tail stock center, then tighten the jaws down. (The corners go in the gaps between the chuck jaws, and the end of the blank does not rest on the surface of the chuck, in case you haven't seen this done) You might need to allow an extra half inch of length for the waste that's in the chuck.

Otherwise, you would be best off making a tenon on the end that's going into the chuck so you have some shoulders to mate with the surface of the chuck jaws. The shoulders are critical to having a solid, safe chucking. To do it this way, and maintain my cheapskate card, I mount the blank between centers, turn a 1/4" tenon on one end to put in the chuck, then rough the blank down to a cylinder, EXCEPT for 1/4" length of unrounded blank right ahead of the tenon. The corners then provide the shoulders to mate with the jaws. (Since I'm usually doing this when making boxes, I can reverse the wood later and include the area under the residual corners in the piece. Less waste!)

Hope this makes sense.

 

[John Torchick]

Hi, Dean! Thanks for the tips. Need to turn more wood to get it right. My Cheapskate card number is #1.
Russell, I'm ambidextrous so the direction doesn't bother me. Told someone I was ambidextrous- he replied, Well, you go to your church and I'll go to mine.