Platter series

[mike fuson]

More ambrosia maple. I roughed six platters this evening, this is the way that I do it. After cutting the six slabs, I found the center and made the circles and cut the corners.

I use the screw chuck for these (oneway, which is the best).Since the slabs aren't that thick I put a piece of tape around the bit to make sure I don't go to deep.

I use the tailstock until I get it in round

Just a slight platter shape with a tenon, and a small hole for truing up the tenon after drying

I took the weight out of the piece down to the end of the screw hole and then mde a hole on this side too for rechucking.

All six ready for the dna.

Since I knew I was going to do all six of these at one time, the best way to do it is do the steps all at one time. For example, I roughed all six backs at one time to keep from having to take the screw in and out of the chuck, likewise I did all the fronts at the same time. I was able to start roughing these at about 600 rpms, it took me about 2 and a half hours to rough these out, would have taken longer if I hadn't done them as a group. Hope someone finds this useful.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - looks like you have it down to a science! Good looking wood - should make for some great looking platters! Thanks for sharing!

[Greg Just]

Can't wait to see the final product - nice job

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks like a plan to me. Can't wait to see them finished.

[Norm Zax]

How long are they gonna soak in DNA? Also, have you or others tried to minimize on DNA consumption (or actually on space) by soaking rough turned pieces in sealed nylon bags holding just a few quarts of DNA?

[robert hainstock]

that's some great looking wood Mike.
As to DNA reuse; Since alcohol absorbs water, souldn't you have to redistill the mixture and have some kind of separator to get pure DNA again. I have not priced the stuff, but it seems cheaper to go buy more than to reuse after going thru the separation process IMHO.
Bob

[mike fuson]

I don't know much about the properties of dna, just know that it works good. If you buy it by the gallon it is about 14 a gallon. I recently bought a 5 gallon bucket from the local hardware store for 50. You gradually loose it through evaporation and what the wood soaks up, I just add more to it every now and then. I soak mine for 24 hours or until I remember its in there and take it out, let it flash off and then wrap it in doubled news paper. Tape it up and write the date on it and 14 days later unwrap it and see what it looks like. The whole point is to dry the wood enough that it doesn't crack and for the most part it does its job. The wood will still move as it gets dryer in the house. I've had finials get stuck in hollow forms and box lids move a bit. If you turn the piece and don't leave the pith in then you more than likely wont have a problem. I have a wire rack that I stack them on for drying, and I always punch a whole in the paper in the opening of the piece to let the air circulate.

[Larry McCumber]

Mike,

Thanks for that series on the platters. I am confused on one point though. It looks like you turn the blank and start working on the face (top) of the platter, and you state "I took the weight out of the piece down to the end of the screw hole and then made a hole on this side too for rechucking." I'm not sure what you actually did here.

Thanks,
Larry

[mike fuson]

Mike,

Thanks for that series on the platters. I am confused on one point though. It looks like you turn the blank and start working on the face (top) of the platter, and you state "I took the weight out of the piece down to the end of the screw hole and then made a hole on this side too for rechucking." I'm not sure what you actually did here.

Thanks,
Larry

Larry, when I turn the piece around and put it in the chuck , the screw hole that is in the middle is about an inch deep. I turned that out trying to keep a uniform thickness so that the piece will dry evenly and at the same rate. I just use a parting tool to make a very small center point so that when I finish the piece I have that point to go back to to put it between centers and true up the tenon and shoulder. The tenon will move during the drying process.