Fyi

[robert baccus]

25 years ago I started this vortex game. Bought the first Nova 4 jaw introduced and loved it. Have 2 more Nova 2's now. Shortly after I had a machinist friend make me 12 each of the 2" &4" rings with the dovetail inside. Decided to sell them and get rich but some company brought them out within the year. They allow you to mount and dismount a piece in seconds and without removing faceplate or chuck. Great when finishing several pieces at the same time. I use only the 2" rings, usually with a glueblock and turn 125# x 22" long hollowed vases with no problem at all. Gave away the 4" rings. I do use a oneway stabilizer on big pieces. My good friends and buddies seem to have reduced my supply of rings to 3 but today I found Nova Is selling both sizes in Woodcraft stores at least. Acquired 3 new ones and a new single screw bowl mount. Broke 3 in 25 years--not bad. Also Found 2 pieces of great BL maple figured pieces--nice Christmas yeah.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have come to be a believer in faceplates for turnings that are taller than wide - HFs or vases as opposed to bowls. Although I am sure they work well there too.

I have wondered about the rings - I can't believe they are quite as stable as a dedicated faceplate but should be much more convenient when working several projects and probably more stable than a tenon. Being steel you should not have to worry about re-aligning them exactly as they came off - or do you?

[Peter Blair]

Interesting thread Robert. Thanks for posting. I usually find I am chucking - unchucking over and over as I have several projects on the go at all times. The 50mm rings, are they 50mm inside or outside? Sorry, but I have never seen them in use and can't quite get my head around how you use them. Do you leave a glue block attached and then glue the piece you are to turn onto the block or do you use them as a 'screw' on face plates or both? Photo's?

[Walter Mooney]

I too would like to see some pictures of these rings. Thanks

[Robert Henrickson]

Search "face plate rings" or go to the Nova site

[Wally Wenzel]

I have been trying to put up a pic. of my home made rings but can't seem to get it done. I made them out of some 1/4" aluminum. rough cut them on the band saw drilled the mounting holes, screwed them to face plate mounted block of wood and turned them to shape and cut the center hole then turned the taper to fit my chucks 3/16" deep and left a 1/16" for the chuck to but against.
Wally

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Robert, I do know what they look like, I was more interested in a few photo's of how they are being used. . . .

[Peter Blair]

Wally, I wondered about making some from aluminum but thought that they might get nicks and dings from repeated chucking?

[Wally Wenzel]

Peter, The aluminum seems pretty hard and doesn't seem to nick up tp much . It cut ok with the regular lathe tools, I didn't have any of the carbide tools then but wonder if they may have worked better.
Wally

[robert baccus]

These rings work by inserting your 2" chuck jaws into the dovetail slot in the ring. Tightens up like a vault door with no wiggle. You can attach it to your work several ways. Screw directly to the wood or screw to a strong glueblock--. I usually screw to my blank(the 2.5" screw circle allows for a small hole hollow form), turn the bottom for a dovetail in the wood or flatten for a glueblock. Also on a ring--this allows for a perfectly centered GB using the tailstock for a clamp (thick CA and a center hole in the GB for the tailstock. I have several rings with permanent GB's of dogwood that have been used dozens of times. A bit of thin CA on the threads mow and then helps. These are cut off with a thin cutoff tool. This setup or a singlescrew/glueblock has turned many 100#+ long hollowed vases for me with no problem. The green vase blanks love CA and screws in green wood end grain are a bit weak. The 50MM is the size that will accept the 50mm jaws. They open slightly to tightn. Don't worry about wiggle or movement. I hollow 18-21" vases and this allows no slack or movement. Oneway has been making these for many years by the way, only for oneways chucks. I never put suggestions on Sawmill unless I have used it many times and this one probably over a thousand times. I don't even own a big faceplate that screws to the spindle ant more. Hope this helps someone yeah. Aluminum I don't know about--if limited to small lightweight wood it would probably work well. Ps--I have several pieces roughed out with rings still on them --convienent.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Robert. Your explanation is just as I suspected but to hear it from someone as experienced as you it all comes clear!

[Wes Ramsey]

I would probably prefer the aluminum over steel. Aluminum has higher yield strength and elasticity than steel, meaning that it takes more strength to deform it beyond the point where it can return to its initial form, and it will bounce back from more deformation than steel. It also has a higher failure strength, yet it can be worked/cut/turned with common tools. There are many different types of these metals, but generally speaking aluminum is the stronger metal. I wouldn't want it for a lathe chisel shaft because it will bend and vibrate more than steel, but for something structural like a faceplate ring I think it would work great, though I would be careful screwing it directly to green wood as the elastic properties of the metal may allow it to warp with the wood. It would probably bounce back, but might not chuck up quite the same after the attached wood dries. If you plan to make your own from sheet aluminum, keep in mind that aluminum works best when cold. Heat makes it brittle and hard to work - just the opposite of steel.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

like these? (last photo on page)

http://www.chucksplus.com/magnum_jaws.php

[Peter Blair]

Hey Robert. I really love my Oneway chuck but have several Novas as well. I checked the Oneway site and it looks to me as if they are only selling rings that work with a specific attachment. Doesn't seem to me to work as easily as the Nova ones.

[robert baccus]

In the woodturners catalog page 43 they show what seems to be the same rings. #io4-616 and #104-617. They are certainly a larger size than my shopmade or Nova's rings but I'm not sure on that.