waste block

android · Post by **android** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:25 pm

has anyone ever tried gluing a waste block to a briar before mounting it in a lathe? similar to turning a bowl. i just thought this might allow you to turn more of the bowl since some of it is usually down in the jaws from the pictures i've seen so far. just curious.

JHowell · Post by **JHowell** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:27 pm

I don't usually grab more wood than is taken by the stem if I'm making a billiard.

Post by **Tyler** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:47 am

On every pipe I've ever made that I turned the bowl on, the shank is the reason I can turn no further, not the jaws. So no, I've never done it because it wouldn't help on any of the pipes I've made.

android · Post by **android** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:50 am

the shank is the reason I can turn no further, not the jaws

that makes sense. i guess i was also thinking it might make it easier to hold in a standard set of jaws that come with the chuck. i see that alot of people get jaws modified with a plate and was just curious if the chucking of a round waste block would eliminate that. is it safe/possible to just use two of the jaws without a modified plate welded on?

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:30 am

android wrote:is it safe/possible to just use two of the jaws without a modified plate welded on?

Sure you can if you have deep enough jaws.

Most folks get the extended jaws with locating pins, making it quicker & easier to rotate the stummel in the jaws & still maintain alignment on centre with the tailstock for drilling/boring and/or turning.

Post by **Tyler** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:54 am

Actually, I just thought of a time I did as you suggested. It wasn't becase of jaws exactly, or for turning, but because of the angle of the drilling I needed to do. I was a full bent, and there was no wood where my jaws needed to grab to get the right angle. I fixed that by gluing wood where I needed it, drilled it, then band-sawed away the glued piece.

Tyler

pierredekat · Post by **pierredekat** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:27 am

I haven't done it yet, but I have thought about it a few times.

I think the biggest merit is that it would allow somebody with a conventional wood lathe and faceplate to turn a stummel.

But using good gluing practices is going to be somewhat critical since there's not a lot of surface area at the bottom of a stummel.

I'm thinking well-cured epoxy, a good hardwood glue block, leave something like 1/8-inch of extra material at the bottom of the stummel to sand off later.

Something like that, anyway.

If you do try it, definitely let us know how it works for you.