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I am currently using a Delta lathe, and have the JH Lowe Tenon turning tool. My question is how do you face both sides of an extension. Currently I am attaching the extension to the stem rather than the shank. MY process thus far has been to eyeball the extension material in the chuck of the lathe and face both sides with a forstner bit, and I rarely ever get it perfect, thus ruining my extension material because it's not flush. I know that there has got to be a better, more fool proof way. I hope that made sense.

Do I need a metal lathe to get extensions to have a perfect fit, do I need a new chuck for my current lathe, currently just have a nova 4 jaw with two of the jaws removed.

Thoughts, corrections, rebukes?

You really need a metal lathe.

If you can face one side with a forstner, you should be able to stick the inlay on the stem and face the other side with the tenon turning tool?

I'm not familiar with wood lathe chucks, but if the chuck has a large enough smooth face, you can super glue the faced side of an inlay to it and face the other side that way. It doesn't even have to be centered.

I've done this on my metal lathe quite a bit. Just close the jaws all the way down, super glue the faced side onto the face of the chuck, and face the other side. You can get your inlays as thin as you want using this method. Open the jaws, and the piece pops off.

Hope this helps.

Rad

try this--

leave the drill bit you used to drill the airway in the tailstock. slide the extension onto the bit to ensure it stays centered and square. after you get it chucked in good, slide the bit out.

P.S. didn't realize you lived in Austin. I went down there for SXSW. good times.

For your chuck you REALLY want the pin jaws for your Nova chuck - all four of them. If your stock is round or square, these pretty much eliminate your problem. Chuck the stock in, face one side, drill your tenon hole, then cut off a slice using your thin kerf cutoff tool (I prefer a 1/16" thickness cutoff tool). With practice, you can get the slice perfect. No other facing is needed once you get good at it.

As always, practice makes perfect. But that being said, you really want a metal lathe.

With a metal lathe and a cutoff tool holder, the entire operation takes no time at all, and is as simple as twisting some handles.

Well, not really, but it's easier than trying to do it by feel and eye on the wood lathe. It can be done with the right jaws and a sharp tool, and I do suggest you give it a go. Hell, if I can do it, anyone can...

Wow GREAT ideas. Thanks so much guys. The metal lathe is not in the cards anytime soon. So these will be super helpful. Thanks again!

Sean-

I don't know if you have more than one chuck, but if you do, here's another approach. It will work for either a shank extension or a stem extension.

Chuck the stummel, drill, face, and turn the shank to a general approximation of the final diameter. Remove the chuck from the lathe (don't remove the stummel from the chuck), and then chuck up your extension material. Face and drill your extension material. If you are extending the shank, attach the faced end of the extension material to the shank using whatever method you prefer. Then, reattach the stummel chuck to your lathe and face the other side of the extension material. Repeat for as many slices of extension material as you prefer. Then finish by making sure you have an appropriate depth mortise with a countersink etc.

For a stem extension, the same general method applies, but instead of working it from the stummel, you work it from the stem (which would be chucked in place from start to finish in the same way as mentioned above). The last step in this method would be to drill a mortise and add a delrin tenon.

If that makes no sense, let me know and I'll try to be more clear.

You do not need more than one chuck. Decide on your extenstion materials in advnace and drill and face one side of each peice. Then dril and turn stummel etc and add the extensions facing each one as it is attached. Much simpler and more accurate as once a chuck is removed it never quite seats in eactly the same way again.

SimeonTurner wrote:Sean-

I don't know if you have more than one chuck, but if you do, here's another approach. It will work for either a shank extension or a stem extension.

Chuck the stummel, drill, face, and turn the shank to a general approximation of the final diameter. Remove the chuck from the lathe (don't remove the stummel from the chuck), and then chuck up your extension material. Face and drill your extension material. If you are extending the shank, attach the faced end of the extension material to the shank using whatever method you prefer. Then, reattach the stummel chuck to your lathe and face the other side of the extension material. Repeat for as many slices of extension material as you prefer. Then finish by making sure you have an appropriate depth mortise with a countersink etc.

For a stem extension, the same general method applies, but instead of working it from the stummel, you work it from the stem (which would be chucked in place from start to finish in the same way as mentioned above). The last step in this method would be to drill a mortise and add a delrin tenon.

If that makes no sense, let me know and I'll try to be more clear.

Fair enough. That makes a lot of sense.

SimeonTurner wrote:Fair enough. That makes a lot of sense.

Can i get a signed copy of that for the gf, she will never believe it happened otherwise