Turning 10" plates from 4/4 wood.

[Brian Kent]

I am making many plates from 3/4" thick sapele.

I have finished 12 of this set using glue blocks.

The only problem has ben when I turn off the glue block, sometimes the grain gets messy in the middle of the plate.

In the past I have started with a less than 1/4 recess.

The only problem had been the risk of taking more than 1/4" off the front of the plate.

Once I turn the front, I turn them over and use Nova Coles Jaws.

I have 8 more to turn and before I commit, I wondered what other people do for making thin plates.

These will be the patens in the communion sets I make for newly ordained pastors. Thank you.

[Eugene Dixon]

Are you using paper between the glue blocks and the sapele?

[tom lucas]

I've used double sided tape and glue blocks. Glue blocks are cheaper and safer. Are you letting the glue thoroughly dry before turning off the block? What glue are you using? Glue can seep into the wood fibers. You might also consider sealing with thinned shellac before gluing to keep the glue out of the wood fibers. Just make sure it's a very thin cut & coat, and allow it to dry completely.

[Robert Henrickson]

I use glued waste blocks extensively in turning plates and various other disk sorts of things. I use Titebond. I do not use a paper joint for this (although I do in many other types of glue-ups). I haven't had any problem with grain when removing the waste disk. I usually work with maple, cherry, and oak. Ash, although rather open grained, has not given me problems, such as in recently turning several 4/4 pieces 16" in diameter to ~1/4" thickness. As suggested above, it may be the nature of sapele grain which is raising problems. I have not worked with sapele.

[Edward Weber]

The glue block is the sacrificial portion of the equation.
Pare away the glue block (cheaper wood) to save material thickness on the plate (more expensive wood).
Yes, you'll need more than one glue block but that's whet they're for.
Use a thin parting tool and don't glue the entire mating surface. Glue a ring large enough to hold securely, no need to glue all the way to the center.

[Dwayne Watt]

I realize some folks will all stomp over this, but hot melt glue works great to glue waste blocks to bowls or platter blanks. You do need to use a high temperature glue gun (close to 400 F). Removing the glue is as simple as brushing or pouring a bit of denatured alcohol on the glue to release the bond in a matter of minutes.

[Reed Gray]

If your chuck jaws are new, and the edges are crisp, you can get away with a 1/32 recess, or at least Mike Mahoney can..... Other than that, I would use titebond, part off the waste block which might be able to be used again, and then reverse chuck it and clean it up.

robo hippy

[Richard Madden]

I agree with Dwayne...hot melt glue and denatured alcohol.

[John Keeton]

Brian, I would jam the blank against the open jaws of the chuck using tailstock pressure only. I have two tailstock centers - the standard one that comes with most lathes that I have removed the cone and the center pin leaving only the cup, and then I have a fixed cone center. I would use the cup center for this process.

Then, using a square end scraper cut a shallow (1/8" deep) recess for the chuck jaws only. If using 50mm jaws a 2 1/16" wide recess that is 1/4" wide is sufficient. There is no need for a recess the full diameter of the chuck. You just need enough for the jaws. I actually have a scraper that is about 3/8" wide that I have the end ground at an angle (20-25*) that allows me to cut the recess without the tailstock interfering. This same scraper is the one I use in the next step as an undercut tool.

Flip the blank and expand into the recess with the chuck. Pull the tailstock up, with the cup center, for support. Then turn a finished and decorative chuck recess as in the attached pic. The bead that forms the recess is cut with a D-Way beading tool, and then I use the same scraper mentioned above, which is a piece of bar HSS ground to an angle and then a small "hook" the same diameter as the bead has been formed on the left side of the scraper and directly behind the scraper front edge. It is used to undercut the bead. That creates a perfect hold for the chuck. While you have the tailstock support you can turn the underside profile of your plate. Then, withdraw the tailstock and finish the base and decorate the center of the chuck recess if desired, or just leave the mounded center.

Finally, flip the piece over, now using the newly created decorative recess to hold the piece, shape the interior of the plate. The decorative recess is about 3/16" deep. I have turned several 18" platters using this method and never had a failure. The other four pics are of a 24" offset platter using this method. That process is a bit more involved than what you are doing, but just to show that this decorative approach is a very reliable hold.

[John Keeton]

This is the 3/16” beading tool and the scraper for forming the recess and undercutting the bead.

[Robert Hayward]

Nice looking platters John. In your second picture the beading tool is one from Dway? The undercutting scraper is home made?

[John Keeton]

Right on both counts, Robert. The third pic to the right is the angle of the scraper - not the beading tool.

[Brian Kent]

No. I had not heard of that. What kind of paper?

[Robert Hayward]

No. I had not heard of that. What kind of paper?

Those with more knowledge will be able to give a more in depth answer but I have good luck with brown paper bags from the grocery store. Just tell the checkout clerk you opposed to plastic bags.