Nice to meet you, and a question about glue blocks / waste blocks

[Steve Paxman]

Hi, first post here. I started turning about 3 months ago on a 10x18 5-speed lathe (the one with pulleys from Harbor Freight). I've made and sold a bunch of pens, and branched out into small bowls, boxes, all sorts of stuff. Here's a bowl I made, from a mystery dirty piece of a log. Critiques welcome!

image.jpg

Just yesterday, I took delivery of a Jet 1642, the 110v, 1.5hp version. Haven't even been able to turn anything on it, just got to assembled and leveled late last night. Now it gets real.

My my question is about glue blocks / waste blocks. I have some wood that I really need to retain the thickness and not lose some to cutting a tenon, because it's just not thick enough wood. So, glue block of course. But what do I use for a glue block? I don't have any waste pieces of wood - any wood can be turned into something, right? Where do you guys get small chunks of plain wood for glue blocks? Can I just use a piece of an old regular doug fir 2x4, screw it to a 3" faceplate and make it round on the lathe and use that? Or is there somewhere online I can just buy a bunch of 3" round, 2" thick pieces of poplar or something?

thanks for your help!

[John Grace]

Relative to your chuck or faceplate, you can just go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get a 2x6 and cut it to appropriate lengths, glue it on, turn it round, and there ya go. Good luck and safe turning...

[John Keeton]

I use Nova chucks with the lipped jaws vs. the serrated jaws on the Oneway chucks. For those, my tenon only needs to be about 3/16" deep and a piece of poplar 4/4 works just fine (3/4" thick.) Any lumber store should have poplar 1x. Just cut out 2.25" circles. Personally, I would avoid softwoods, though I know others use them. Do not use plywood for fear of delamination.

[David C. Roseman]

I'll defer to more experienced turners on this board, but be careful using soft woods like Fir, Cedar and Eastern White Pine for glue blocks, especially when working with off-balanced blanks, or larger diameter work even if balanced. The glued-on block/tenon can shear long before the glue joint fails.

David

[Reed Gray]

Just about any wood will work as long as it is pretty close to dead flat for a good joint. Do not use plywood as it will separate along layers. Been there, done that.

robo hippy

[Wally Dickerman]

I've been using alder for years. Alder is soft, has very little grain so it doesn't split easily and doesn't warp so it's always flat and true as a glue joint needs to be. Along with dont use plywood, don't use MDF. It has no strength and may break with a small catch.

[Jack Gaskins]

There are always tons of free junk wood on craigslist around my area and they are always giving away PALLET wood. Check your local craigslist and see if anyone is giving away old pallets. Also look for old wood furniture on craigslist, some of the older furniture is made from solid wood and you can tear it apart and cut it up for blocks.

Jack

[Tom Giacomo]

I go to HD and buy their Douglas fir 2x4's run them through my thickness planer then use them to cut out glue blocks. Most of the Douglas fir 2x4's have straight grain and are considerably low in knots.

[Steve Doerr]

When you glue you block to the blank. Do you glue it directly or do you use brown craft paper in between the two pieces of wood?

[Dave Paine]

When you glue you block to the blank. Do you glue it directly or do you use brown craft paper in between the two pieces of wood?

I like to use a paper joint. Can be any piece of paper. I like the clean break of the paper when it is time to remove the glue block. Less likely to take some of the wood from the bowl with the glue block.

[John Keeton]

I glue direct to the turning blank with 5 min. epoxy. I turn away the glue block, when I reverse the turning to finish the bottom.

[Scott Hackler]

I use scrap, kiln dried, popular...oak...maple...ect. Just glue it on the blank with Titebond 2 and clamp overnight. I usually do several at a time so I don;t have to wait the next time. No paper, because the entire WASTE block is going to get turned away and off.

[Robert Henrickson]

I use scrap, kiln dried, popular...oak...maple...ect. Just glue it on the blank with Titebond 2 and clamp overnight. I usually do several at a time so I don;t have to wait the next time. No paper, because the entire WASTE block is going to get turned away and off.

Very much my approach, although mostly for relatively shallow turnings (e.g., plates, shallow to medium depth bowls). I generally cut 3/4 or 4/4 thick scrap in half for lower profile waste blocks, at least for small to medium turning. With hollow forms (end-grain) I usually use a tenon turned into the blank itself rather than a waste block.

[robert baccus]

For light pieces anything will do. I do some 100#+ vases and deal in permanent GBs. Buy some real strong hard 2" wood and cut out some reusable GB's(3") Drill a pilot hole and screw on to a single screw if you haveone. If not turn a tenon to grab. Always square your GB to your lathe by turning off just a bit. 5minute epoxy as John said and bring up the tailstock making sure it is square and not canted. You can do the whole piece there--just part off down to 1/2" and handsaw it off. While there go ahead and square the GB for thenext piece. I have some dogwood GB's that have done a dozen pieces. Reverse and finish the bottom out. Best woods are dogwood, beech, elm ect..

[Bart Leetch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFzxOrJrMy4