First Mug - Need Wood ID Help!! and a question

[Ricc Havens]

First completed (after 3 failures) of a completed coffee mug. Finished with 2 coats of semi gloss Helmsman spray poly. Got this piece of wood from a friend who thought it might be elm but he wasn't sure. pics show kind of a swirly grain on one side, straight on another and some sapwood. So I think it may be from where a branch joins the main trunk. Anyone have any ideas of the wood type?

Question:
Any one have any hints or tricks for reverse turning to finish the bottom of mugs as I can't afford a vac system? I cracked two previous attempts with jam chucking. I tried cole jaws but that didn't hold very well.

Thanks
Ricc havens
Elkhart, IN

[Joe Bradshaw]

Try jam chucking the mug blank in a compression mode and add a dough nut chuck.

[Richard Allen]

This doesn't seam to be much of an answer but I include a screw in the bottom to help secure the mug. Because the bottom is already compromised with the screw I cover the bottom with neoprene. This provides a non-slip, non-maring bottom. Yea I know it's a cop-out but I figure it's not high art, it's a travel mug. I get my neoprene from a ceramics supply company called Aftosa. They sell neoprene rounds in sizes 2", 2 1/2", 3", 3 1/2", 4"...

[Greg Just]

I hold my travel mugs in the chuck from the bottom and part them off. I then glue a foam pad on the bottom from material I get at Michaels. I use a circle cutter to custom cut the foam to the right size.

[John Keeton]

I don't do mugs, but why not use your Cole jaws with the tailstock for additional support and leave a small nub to remove with a chisel? You can easily sand the small area in the middle to leave a nice surface. That is a pretty common method for other turnings.

[David E Keller]

Looks like elm to me although the color in the photos is a little off. I haven't done mugs, but I'd probably use my reverse chuckie or do it as JK suggested. Your finished product looks pretty good to me!

[dan carter]

I drill a hole for the flat head screw before parting off the bottom, then chuck it up into my vicmark chuck. Sometimes i will tape it to the chuck, sometimes no, but there is no need for other chucks which are readily available. Some sets I flock the bottom, looks professional and works well. Usually I sand and finish and leave natural. Both sell well, don't notice much difference.

[Jeff Nicol]

Good old Siberian Elm, that is why so dark and you will see the "Zig Zags" like in American elm but I think they are smaller in size. I have not made a mug, but with just about everything I make, I reverse it and jam it on a piece of scrape that is close to the size of the thing I am working on. Bring the tailstock up and hold it until there is just the litle nub left and cut it off and sand off the rough part.

Some day I might make one, but until then you will have to keep spinning them,

Jeff

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Nice job on the mug.
I turned the mug off of the chuck, turned a plug from the same wood. Epoxied it in, then I put a layer of epoxy on the entire bottom of the mug. Wood does not wear well. The epoxy wears well. Therefore, IF you go that route, no matter what kind of butchery you do to the bottom will be hidden by the coat of epoxy. I've been using my cup daily for a few years.
No help on the wood though. Except it looks nice!

[Ricc Havens]

Thanks for the ideas and wood ID help everyone.

Dan, Kyle & Greg, I like your ideas of putting foam pad, epoxy, or flocking on the bottom but then I wouldnt have a place to sign and state wood species. I figured if I had my name on them then if I gave away a couple as gifts to friends pr family that someone else might see them and want one. With my name on it they would remember who made it.

Thanks
Ricc