Couple of Questions

[mcgrath4u]

1)Is a pen lathe the only way to turn pens?

2)What is the difference and applications of a face plate vs. a chuck system.

John

[gdog]

I can answer the first question. A pen lathe is not the only way to turn pens. You can use a full size lathe and they also make some gizmos you put on the drill press.

[Whaler]

John

I am not the most experienced turner on the site but will try to give you some answers.

As gdog stated pens can be turned on any size lathe.

Pens are normaly turned on an inexpensive pen mandrel which fits into the headstock of your lathe.

A faceplate is used to turn larger objects such as bowls.

As far as chucks go there are many of them, if you are a new turner get your feet wet first and then start thinking about chucks. I turned for 2 years befor I bought my first chuck. They are great for some things and worthless for others. Once you get into turning you will be able to decide if you need one or more.

[kwgeorge]

Those are a couple of very good questions. A pen lathe is just a small lathe that is ideally suited to turning pens. The problem is that is all it ever is going to really do. For someone with very limited space that wishes to turn that type of lathe may be a good choice but you are very limited in what else you can make. As Dick said there are adapters made to turn such kit items on almost any size lathe.

As to the chuck VS the face plate. To me they both have there place in turning and I frequently use them both. I like a face plate for its security when roughing an object that is out of balance as well as roughing the exterior of a bowl blank until I cut the tenon for chucking the piece. For most things I like the versatility of my chucks and the ability to quickly change wood out or manipulate it in other manners. Some turners have never used a chuck and go about gluing waste blocks on all there turnings so they use pretty much nothing but a face plate. The chuck is really not a necessity for turning it is just a very nice accessory that allows you to do things faster and some things better in my opinion.

[RayintheUK]

quote:Originally posted by mcgrath4u

1)Is a pen lathe the only way to turn pens?

2)What is the difference and applications of a face plate vs. a chuck system.

John

1) As has been said, you can turn pens on any size lathe (although you might want to get some suitably-sized tools for very fine work), whereas you're a bit limited in doing much else with a pen lathe.

2) Faceplates are what most lathes are supplied with initially. They screw onto the headstock shaft and are drilled in order that wooden blanks can be screwed to them. It is possible to turn a bowl without doing more than this, providing that you don't mind the screw holes remaining in the bottom and also that you're careful with the amount of internal shaping you do in order not to hit the screws (see diagram below):



Chucks offer another couple of ways of mounting wood to be turned. Most will accept a screw chuck, which adds more flexibility. There are a variety of jaw options available with the better chucks and one of my favorites is the dovetail jaw set with a central spigot grip. This allows you to either cut a matching mortice or a suitable spigot in the bottom of the bowl before reversing it and mounting it accordingly. In the diagram below, the dotted white lines represent the internal spigot grip of the jaws:



Hope that may clarify things a little?

Ray.

[wassaw998]

So, if you are gona turn a bowl and all you have is a face plate, you only mount the bowl once and do the outside first, then the inside ? I've seen some videos where they had chucks, and I think they did the outside, then , turned the bowl around, and did the inside. Just was not sure how you did that on a face plate, but Ray's diagram makes more sense now. Plus, I was not sure how you avoided the screws.

I have also read guys saying something about glueing the wood to another piece which then screws into the face plate (?).


I am just starting out, so far only practicing on spindle stuff between the centers.

[RayintheUK]

quote:Originally posted by wassaw998

So, if you are gona turn a bowl and all you have is a face plate, you only mount the bowl once and do the outside first, then the inside? I've seen some videos where they had chucks, and I think they did the outside, then , turned the bowl around, and did the inside. Just was not sure how you did that on a face plate, but Ray's diagram makes more sense now. Plus, I was not sure how you avoided the screws.

I have also read guys saying something about glueing the wood to another piece which then screws into the face plate(?).

Chris,

You can adequately turn a bowl on a faceplate in one mounting, as I described, given also the caveats I mentioned.

First, you'll have to calculate accurately how far into the wood the screws will go, then make a depth gauge (one piece of wood to span the bowl, another an interference fit through it should do) and keep checking the internal depth as you hollow it out. The same matters affect anything that intrudes into the wood (like the screw of an helical screw chuck) - the last thing you want to hear is a click as the gouge hits the point of a screw!

That said, the same care applies to using a chuck and reversing the bowl after cutting the mount and finishing the outside. You still need to carefully check with a depth gauge (or figure-of-eight/hourglass calipers) to prevent going through the bottom - especially if you've cut a mortice recess for the dovetail jaw set.

Reversing using a glue block is another alternative. This method means that you screw the blank face to the faceplate and turn the outside of the bowl on the "open" side (the free side). Instead of making a recess or spigot, finish the bowl bottom dead flat and of sufficient diameter - approximately that of the faceplate.

Now screw a block of scrap wood to the faceplate and turn it so that it is round and in balance. Ensure that the free side is perfectly flat. Remove from the faceplate, having marked its position relative to the screw holes - I know it shouldn't make a difference, but it often does!

Take a piece of brown paper (parcel wrapping) and glue that to the turned block. At the same time, glue the bowl bottom to the block, on top of the paper and dead central. Clamp and allow to dry.

When you remount the bowl to the faceplate by using the scrap block you'll have no worries about finding any screws in the bottom! When you've hollowed out and finished the bowl, a sharp rap should break the glue seal between the block and the bowl - that's what the paper interleaf is for - to encourage the joint to fail at the weakest point. A little work to clean up the bowl bottom and you're done. You can re-use the block time and again.

Downsides to this method - the possibility of the joint failing if you get a serious dig-in; the need to get the bowl bottom absolutely flat to start with; accidentally gluing the bowl to the scrap block off-center; the waiting for the *^"*!^* glue to dry!

HTH

Ray.

[BostonBullit]

I haven't turned a bowl meself yet, but in the episode of WoodWorks where Dave Marks turned the claro walnut bowl he did the entire thing with the faceplate and one mount-up. He CA glued the bowl blank to a sacraficial block and screwed that block to the face plate. he turned the bowl with the base being at the headstock end (where the sac block was) and after he hollowed the bowl he simply shaped the bottom of the bowl cutting right into the sac block until the block was only about 1" thick....then he cut that with a handsaw...

[mcgrath4u]

Thanks for all your responses. I know your words will be handy when I begin to start turning some. Thanks again. John