How do you finish the bottom of a bowl?

[GeekMom]

I just finished turning and finishing my first bowl - EEE and Shellawax cream. Used a chisel to take it off the waste block, so now I have an unfinished bottom to take care of. I'm guessing, sand as I did the rest of the bowl, but how do you apply friction polish off the lathe? Sorry, don't know much about any of this, yet! I'll post pictures when I get finished with it.

[Jim Boyd]

I have done it a few ways. After sanding the bottom use your friction polish in several coats buffing by hand between. I have also used lacquer on just the bottom, wipe on a light coat, sand and repeat. Now I have a set of cole jaws and finish turn and coat the bottom on the lathe. If you do a search there are a couple of easy shop made jigs the can take the place of cole jaws.

[kwgeorge]

Karen, if you do not have a chuck I would suggest you make a friction chuck and turn the bottom. This will allow you to also finish and decorate the bottom on the lathe. To make a friction chuck, mount a waste block in your faceplate larger than the diameter of the bottom of your bowl. Go ahead and turn that so it is a mirror to the shape of the bottom of your bowl. Place some soft thin material like a shop paper towel over it and then place your bowl on it. Remove the point from your live center and bring the center up until it touches the bottom of your bowl. This will support the bowl while you are cleaning up, sanding and finishing. You will be able to do a vast majority of the bottom with the exception of the small area that is left between the live center and the bottom. That you will finish by hand.

[mudder]

You can mount a bigger waste block on the faceplate and make a friction fit chuck. It's hard for me to explian. you just cut a channel in the waste block that the rim of the bowl fits tightly into. pop it in and turn and finish the bottom.

Mudder

[kwgeorge]

Less than a minute apart, not bad Scott

[Mort]

Alternatively
Get a piece of blue foam 2" thick – BORG has it – and a dense foam sanding block, cut the foam in a square or rectangle to be over large in the inside of the bowl – the corners of the foam will hold it in the bowl functioning as a "spur center", place the foam in the hollow of the bowl – a very snug pressure fit – open the chuck jaws, place the sanding foam against the foot of the bowl between the live center in the tail stock. Apply pressure on the tailstock driving the chuck jaws into the blue foam. Viola the piece will spin and the bottom may be finished with out all of the fiddling associated with turning a jam chuck. Take light cuts!!!
A dab late for this technique now but for future reference - When turning the outside of the bowl - between centers – turn the foot – concave the foot so the piece if not sitting level at least will not rock around - allowing for a waste tenon that extends toward the tail stock from the foot of the bowl equal to the diameter and depth of the hole in the center of the chuck – ½" by ½" works for me. Use the blue foam trick to reverse turn and finish the bottom – don't need the foam sanding pad to protect the bottom – when complete, nearly or completely part off the tenon and as Ken says finish the bottom by hand.
Hope this is understandable and helps

[GeekMom]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm going to have to wait to try any of them, though. Jess has an engine torn apart in the garage (doesn't want dust in it????) and it's raining again. Can't move the lathe outside today

[Ken Massingale]

quote:Originally posted by GeekMom

Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm going to have to wait to try any of them, though. Jess has an engine torn apart in the garage (doesn't want dust in it????) and it's raining again. Can't move the lathe outside today

Ain't that what a Living Room is for[?][?]

[mudder]

quote:Originally posted by kwgeorge

Less than a minute apart, not bad Scott

I would have beat you Kenneth but I went searching for a picture and could not find one.

Mudder

[sdmaker]

Finish the bottom? Thats what i keep forgeting to do

[Doug Jones]

Either a compression chuck or a jam chuck