Best bit for me: Grain orientation relative to chuck jaws. Seems obvious now; I had never thought about it before! Close second: Creating a flat spot for a face plate -- a set of recesses made with a forstner bit. Thank you.
Simply cannot say enough positive things about this video. I'm new to turning, so finding informative content on UA-cam (especially on chucking/holding wood) has been a must. As a beginner I quickly learned there are MANY different ways to accomplish this task! While I truly appreciate any & all channels dedicated to woodturning, I must say (to me) yours stands out above most others I have seen so far. Absolutely love your content & a huge thank you for sharing your your knowledge.
Hello Reed, I’ve been watching many of your videos, your relaxed and calm method of teaching is excellent, you explain everything thoroughly and in detail. Nice job and thank you for all the great information.
You make it look so easy! Your clear and explicit instructions gave me enough confidence to have a go. First few attempts were dodgy, but I've got it now. Thanks. Dave
Excellent information Reed, especially in my view the grain orientation when mounting on the chuck to hollow out, makes total sense. Thank you Take care Mike
Hello Reed I really enjoyed this video this is the first time I’ve watched you I don’t know why I’ve never seen you come up before but I learned a lot and you teach it in a way that is easy to understand and you give many options and reasons why to do something or not do something I enjoyed it greatly thank you very much I will be watching more of you
Well done! You explained why you prefer using a recess and when you would use one of the other methods. Too many simply say "This is how I do it." You explained why, which is often as important as how.
I am finally getting ready to get a good chuck for turning and the info you provided was fantastic. Thanks so much for a great video. Sizing the jaw gap small then cutting the tenon or recess, the dado angle, and the wood grain in relation to the jaws were nicely explained. Also the length of the recess or tenon so the block is seated against the chuck and its importance!
Thank you for that comprehensive video. Very inspiring! I am making my first bowl out of sweet gum and am just trying to finalize my tenon to attach to the chuck. This is really helpful! Thanks again!!!
Wow what a wealth of information! Long time woodworker just getting started in bowl turning and this was a great deal of very useful information! Thanks so much for the post!
Thanks Reed, not only are you a true professional turner, but you are also a very good teacher! You explain things in a way that makes perfect sense to someone who thinks in technical terms! Always based on science, geometry and logic. Easy to remember! Thank you so much... Charlie
That was a very good lesson. I'm glad I subscribed to your channel after first seeing your other video on making bowl blanks that was referred to from the AAW I received yesterday (1 Apr 2021). I'll probably watch this video a couple more times between now and the time I receive my first wood lathe I ordered. I really look forward to woodturning. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Reed, been turning for about 10 years now, and i used to size the the tenon with the dividers as you do , untill yes the right point just touched and sent them spinning out of my hand ( no injuries ) anyway no more , another turner on UA-cam measured his chuck jaws , harved the measurement of the jaws, right point is firmly on the tool rest at the center and the left is scribing , thats my way in future ,,. Stay safe ,,. Regards Alf
Thankyou for the videos, very educational for a beginner. Now I will be able to cut my blanks from all the box elder I have and be able to put the blank into the chuck properly
Great info, well explained. Never considered grain direction for recess mounting, which may explain some past excitement. You are a fountain of knowledge. Thanks.
Great video. it made me slow down and pay more attention when I'm mounting bowls. one correction if I may. The reason for not letting the shoulder of the tenon r3est on the chuck is that it won't allow the dovetail on the chuck jaws to pull the piece securely into the chuck.
I just started watching your videos - thanks for all the good info. This video is outstanding. It covers everything very well with lots of excellent tips. Thanks again.
Great video! I really appreciate the tips and methods you presented. Sage advice from an experienced professional! Thanks for sharing and safe turning to you!
This wood is Pacific Madrone, my favorite because every one on the west coast does Myrtle (California Bay Laurel), but most are not crazy enough to deal with Madrone.
new to wood turning and this is really good video, I learned a lot and now know how to fix some mistakes I have made, maybe I can save a bowl or two from the wood pile, Thanks.
Mike, I had to go to the shop and check.... I use the VicMark chucks exclusively, and I think in this one it is the 120. I use the smaller one for little things. When I got my first chucks, I called Craft Supplies, and wanted a Super Nova. The Tech said, "if you are going to spend the money, you should get a Vicmark'. I haven't used the others out there, but don't think the Vic can be beat. I am thinking about the Easy Chucks for the jaw changing abilities, but haven't gotten 'a-round-2-it' yet... Dove tail jaws do hold better...
Great video. I have watched a lot of videos on wood turning. I have the Nova chuck with two rods and now i see why it's important to follow your steps. Sharp tools too. Do you have a video on how to sharpen your tools? I don't have any jigs but I have several bench grinders and belt sanders. Very interesting . Thanks.
I have a couple up on sharpening. One where I explain platform sharpening, another with a friend Larry Karlin who uses several methods including a belt sander, and another with the local Woodcraft Store staff. Up on my channel, or go to my web site.
I can't remember where I got mine. I think it was Packard Woodworking. Craft Supplies may have it as well, or you can take a 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch thick square end scraper and grind the profile on it. I have seen them with a dove tail on both sides so you can to a tenon or recess.
Thanks. Just starting out playing with my first turn . Green wood screw is slipping . Have purchased a nova galaxy dvr with super nova 2 chuck. Will try your method looks like the best.
Yeah I’m gonna look into it but the thing is I know it could be more expensive but I figure I should start out with the right if I have the opportunity go ahead spend the money and do it right thank you sir appreciate it we have a wonderful evening
Reed, videos such as this are among the most helpful on UA-cam. I have watched and rewatched this several times. Which VicMarc chuck are you using? Recall the model number? Looking forward to meeting you in October.
Reed, your videos are so helpful, I've watched many of them multiple times. Regarding the initial recess that you cut with a forstner bit. Obviously, the sides of the recess are straight once you've completed your cut. Later in the video you mention that the jaws you use are dovetail jaws. So if I'm understanding correctly, you are using a straight walled recess with dovetail jaws? If so, do you ever run into an issue with the jaws not holding the blank properly?
You mentioned that you were working with green wood! I have some elm that is green and wet,as I cut the bowl blanks I put them into the microwave for 2 min. at a time and then repeat said time.Some work well some don"t! (they crack)Can you give some of your toughs please!
Two minutes might be a bit long, more so as the blanks get more dry. I wouldn't go over a minute at a time. It might depend some on how thick the blanks are as well. I would think thicker ones would be more prone to splitting than thin, like 1/4 inch ones would.
Great video, thank you. It is really informative specially for a novice wood turner as myself. What type of gouge was the one you used to do the dovetail? for reverse mounting? Couldn't you just use the drill on the lathe and do another straight recess?
The tool I use for the recess is called a dove tail scraper. It comes formed that way. The dove tail makes a much stronger joint/attachment point than straight sides do. The forstner bit drilled recess in the top side is sufficient for turning the bottom part of the bowl, but it does not cut cleanly, and the straight sides might survive a heavy turning session if you made them deeper, but it probably would not survive coring your bowl blank.
I consider the jaws to be more important than the individual chucks. Dove tail holds better than straight. I think all chucks now come with dove tail jaws, at least as an option.
Reed, I am about to turn my first bowl and have been watching lots of videos. Your video in particular was very helpful! I have a couple followup questions. is there a rule of thumb for the length of the screw used to fasten the bowl blank to a faceplate? Any other words of wisdom for a first time bowl turner?? Thanks!
I guess in part it depends on the blank size and the face plate size. So, for a bowl blank in the 6 to 8 inch diameter range, a 4 hole 3 to 4 inch diameter face plate, I would want the screws to stick out 3/4 inch or so. For a 14 inch bowl, I would want a 6 inch face plate with 8 or so holes, and still screws sticking 3/4 inch or so into the wood. You do want the surface to be as flat as possible to prevent any wobbling, and I use deck type screws. Sheet rock screws are not a good idea because they are brittle, and will snap if you have a catch. Do have the tailstock up against the back of the bowl, especially for roughing. I do pull it away for finish cuts on the bottom of the bowl.
Great video - thanks. Do you need to make your recess deeper than 1/8 - 3/16" and larger diameter for fresh green bowl blanks? If so, what dimensions do you recommend?
I seldom make a recess deeper than 1/8 inch. Most important is how wide the shoulder is so when you tighten up you don't blow it apart. My chuck jaws are about 2 5/8 inch, it is metric, but the drilled recess I do to turn the back side is drilled with a 2 5/8 forstner bit. For a 12 inch bowl, I want a good inch of shoulder outside the turned recess. You can get a bit smaller, bit not much. For a 14 inch bowl, I want 1 1/2 inches. I do core pretty much all the bigger bowl blanks and this is plenty to support coring. With dry wood, and if your chuck jaws are pretty new and not chipped from running into them with the McNaughton coring blades or your gouges, you can go to 1/16 inch and it is very secure. For some 6 inch diameter bowls, if I am using the big jaws, I can to to a 1/4 inch shoulder, but I am VERY careful on how I turn, mostly not really hogging out the wood.
Reed, This is a great video...learned much. Have a question on use of face plates. Somewhere I seemed to have seen where it is unwise to use a face plate on end grain similar to avoiding a mortise on end grain. Can you comment?
Well, if you watch any of Lyle Jamieson's videos, he used lag bolts with his face plates to do all of his hollow forms. Generally though straight screws into end grain tend to work loose like nails into end grain. With the nails, you have to toe nail, or go in at an angle, then they hold better. I think Lyle uses a bigger screw/bolt, with a coarse thread.
Reed, does your chuck have a dovetail profile? If one has a Nova, and you need a dovetail recess, I don't guess you can use a drill bit to make that recess, or do you?
Bill, I just got back from the AAW Symposium in Atlanta... great time. Anyway, I use a big forstner bit to drill the recess in the top of the blank, and hand tool the one for the bottom. I have the Vickmark chucks which have dove tailed jaws. I think Nova does now make dove tail jaws. Their standard jaws are straight with a tiny dove tail type ring at the top. You are supposed to cut a straight sided recess for that jaw, and the ring digs in for the grip. I prefer dove tail jaws for the best grip as they are a wedged joint and stronger than a straight joint.
Thanks for sharing these great videos. I just bought a lathe and am enthusiastically getting started. I am close to purchasing my first chuck and was going to buy one with dovetail jaws. Am I correct in assuming the forstner bit cutting a straight tenon technique will not work if I have dovetail jaws?
I realize I am 6 months late with this reply. I was also confused with the Forstner bit for Reed's first mortise. His first mortise has to be straight sided but I do believe it provides a good enough grip with his chuck while he turns the mortise on the opposite side with the dove tail circumference. I hope Reed will confirm my reply because I am not even qualified to sweep the shavings out of his shop but I have learned a lot from his excellent instructions.
It does supply plenty of grip. I do drill them 1/4 to 3/8 inch deep, and especially on bigger bowls, I keep the tailstock engaged. Some times I will drill deeper so that the flat of the bowl blank rests up against the flat of the chuck jaws. This is more for when the blank sides are not parallel and I want to work with the top surface being pretty flat, and true up the bottom piece. If you half turn a piece, then remount using the forstner bit recess, they never go back on true. With a hand tooled recess, you can get pretty close.
I am assuming you only use dried wood? The two times I have done a recess and let the rough turned bowl blank dry, the recess warped so badly I couldn't figure out how to put it back to round so it would fit on my chuck.
+James Templeton James, actually, I turn green wood almost exclusively. I love the way it cuts. I turn once to final thickness, let them dry and warp, then sand and finish. Yes, the recess will warp to the point that you can not get a secure grip if you are twice turning. I think that is why just about every one I know will use a tenon mount for the twice turned bowls. It is easier to reverse mount on a jam chuck or spigot, use the original center point in the tenon to make sure it is true/centered, then even up the tenon, and then reverse and finish turn the bowl. You can get smaller jaws to expand into the recess when it is warped, but I don't think that mount is secure enough for turning stresses. It is fine for slow speed sanding though. I do show that on my sanding clip.
Dig yr show Going to buy my first chuck but I’m thinking about getting a kit with all of it do you have any suggestions of what kind do you prefer thank you I appreciate it have a good day
I prefer the Vicmark chucks. I think they are a very slight step above the Oneway and Nova chucks. All are good, and if you go to the forums, you get a wide range of answers about chucks. The knock offs, like Grizzly and Penn State are okay, but not the best. Not sure about the Easy Chuck, which is one of the quick change chucks. It is expensive. Axmister, which is from the UK is also a high quality tool.
That Forstner bit trick you did to make a flat was brilliant!
I don't think it was original, and I think I saw Richard Raffen use a forstner bit to drill a recess. Can't remember it was a while back...
Best turning teacher on UA-cam. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience 👍
Best bit for me: Grain orientation relative to chuck jaws. Seems obvious now; I had never thought about it before!
Close second: Creating a flat spot for a face plate -- a set of recesses made with a forstner bit.
Thank you.
thanks Reed your explanations and demonstrations are explicit 👌
Simply cannot say enough positive things about this video. I'm new to turning, so finding informative content on UA-cam (especially on chucking/holding wood) has been a must. As a beginner I quickly learned there are MANY different ways to accomplish this task! While I truly appreciate any & all channels dedicated to woodturning, I must say (to me) yours stands out above most others I have seen so far. Absolutely love your content & a huge thank you for sharing your your knowledge.
Hello Reed, I’ve been watching many of your videos, your relaxed and calm method of teaching is excellent, you explain everything thoroughly and in detail. Nice job and thank you for all the great information.
One of those hidden gem videos. Explains all the things I've been doing wrong. Wish I found this about four months ago when I started wood turning!
Reed, great info covering all the methods of mounting blanks to turn. wish I had seen this earlier, but now I will never forget. thanks again, Joel
Thank you so much @Robohippy! I am new to woodturning, and I have learned an enormous amount from your videos!
This is excellent instruction.
Your legacy will carry on through many others.
I have watched many videos waiting for a larger lathe. This is by far the best. Thank you for the examples. I can’t wait to turn larger projects.
You make it look so easy! Your clear and explicit instructions gave me enough confidence to have a go. First few attempts were dodgy, but I've got it now. Thanks. Dave
Excellent information Reed, especially in my view the grain orientation when mounting on the chuck to hollow out, makes total sense. Thank you
Take care
Mike
Oh man that's a great tip, especially if turning at different times, or with fragile thin bottoms etc.
I'll 3rd that - Never end thought about it.
Excellent tutorial. Great learning tool for beginners to intermediate level. Quite calming voice, conducive to learning. Thank you 🙏!
Hello Reed I really enjoyed this video this is the first time I’ve watched you I don’t know why I’ve never seen you come up before but I learned a lot and you teach it in a way that is easy to understand and you give many options and reasons why to do something or not do something I enjoyed it greatly thank you very much I will be watching more of you
Well done! You explained why you prefer using a recess and when you would use one of the other methods. Too many simply say "This is how I do it." You explained why, which is often as important as how.
I am finally getting ready to get a good chuck for turning and the info you provided was fantastic. Thanks so much for a great video. Sizing the jaw gap small then cutting the tenon or recess, the dado angle, and the wood grain in relation to the jaws were nicely explained. Also the length of the recess or tenon so the block is seated against the chuck and its importance!
excellent video. much better than many I have seen. thank you.
Finally, someone who speaks plain enough to understand.
Thank you for that comprehensive video. Very inspiring! I am making my first bowl out of sweet gum and am just trying to finalize my tenon to attach to the chuck. This is really helpful! Thanks again!!!
Wow what a wealth of information! Long time woodworker just getting started in bowl turning and this was a great deal of very useful information! Thanks so much for the post!
Your information and tips are useful, and your work is graceful and lovely. I’ve learned quite a bit here.
Thanks Reed: very well demonstrated and explained, Cheers Harry
Excellent video specially the slow speed view. Lots of good teaching points. Keep them coming. Thanks.
Packed full of great information, presented in an easy to understand way. Thankyou.
I'm a new turner and this is one of the most helpful videos I've seen. Thank you!
Thanks Reed, not only are you a true professional turner, but you are also a very good teacher! You explain things in a way that makes perfect sense to someone who thinks in technical terms! Always based on science, geometry and logic. Easy to remember! Thank you so much... Charlie
Great video, Reed. I like your idea of flattening with a forstner bit.
Wow.... I learn a LOT from you.... Thank you much....
That was a very good lesson. I'm glad I subscribed to your channel after first seeing your other video on making bowl blanks that was referred to from the AAW I received yesterday (1 Apr 2021). I'll probably watch this video a couple more times between now and the time I receive my first wood lathe I ordered. I really look forward to woodturning. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Reed, been turning for about 10 years now, and i used to size the the tenon with the dividers as you do , untill yes the right point just touched and sent them spinning out of my hand ( no injuries ) anyway no more , another turner on UA-cam measured his chuck jaws , harved the measurement of the jaws, right point is firmly on the tool rest at the center and the left is scribing , thats my way in future ,,. Stay safe ,,. Regards Alf
Hi Thank you for this video it was a great help with some great advice
Regards
Steve UK London
Thankyou for the videos, very educational for a beginner. Now I will be able to cut my blanks from all the box elder I have and be able to put the blank into the chuck properly
Great info, well explained. Never considered grain direction for recess mounting, which may explain some past excitement. You are a fountain of knowledge. Thanks.
Really good tips on how to safely handle this part of turning a bowl.
One of the best videos I've seen!
Thanks Reed, this was very well thought out and extremely useful as a consequence. Cheers, Gord
Great video and a great warped large bowl. I love it when bowls do that and stay stable. Thanks! Very informative!
Thanks for the video. I am a new turner and always enjoy learning.
Great information. I appreciate your posting this video.
Wow. I learned so much really helpful information from this video. Thanks Reed.
Great video. it made me slow down and pay more attention when I'm mounting bowls. one correction if I may. The reason for not letting the shoulder of the tenon r3est on the chuck is that it won't allow the dovetail on the chuck jaws to pull the piece securely into the chuck.
Thanks Robo Hippy what a great demo, Really helps me. 10/10.
I just started watching your videos - thanks for all the good info. This video is outstanding. It covers everything very well with lots of excellent tips. Thanks again.
Reed, thank you! Your videos are a wealth of good information‼️
Thanks, I learned! I thought it was very good.
Fred
Robo Hippy thank you again for an excellant video
Very informative video Mr. Gray. Thank you.
Wow! Thanks for a lot of great info. Just goes to show that there's more ways of turning than the general mainstream way of turning!
THANK YOU!! Great video and I needed to see this... Rhanks!!
This is a great video.Very informative for beginniners and good for review, if further along. Really, Thanks for your time and effort!!!
Great video! I really appreciate the tips and methods you presented. Sage advice from an experienced professional! Thanks for sharing and safe turning to you!
Very informative thanks very much 👍
love your vids! Learned a lot just watching 2 of them. I like my bowls to warp as well, gives them a nice look.
This is an excellent video Reed.
Good advice Reed, thank you.
This wood is Pacific Madrone, my favorite because every one on the west coast does Myrtle (California Bay Laurel), but most are not crazy enough to deal with Madrone.
Excellent presentation. Thank You.
new to wood turning and this is really good video, I learned a lot and now know how to fix some mistakes I have made, maybe I can save a bowl or two from the wood pile, Thanks.
very detailed information. i love your style bro. keep it up. God bless.
Enjoyed the video, very informative. Thanks for sharing...
Mike, I had to go to the shop and check.... I use the VicMark chucks exclusively, and I think in this one it is the 120. I use the smaller one for little things. When I got my first chucks, I called Craft Supplies, and wanted a Super Nova. The Tech said, "if you are going to spend the money, you should get a Vicmark'. I haven't used the others out there, but don't think the Vic can be beat. I am thinking about the Easy Chucks for the jaw changing abilities, but haven't gotten 'a-round-2-it' yet... Dove tail jaws do hold better...
Very informative, thanks, John
Great video. I have watched a lot of videos on wood turning. I have the Nova chuck with two rods and now i see why it's important to follow your steps. Sharp tools too. Do you have a video on how to sharpen your tools? I don't have any jigs but I have several bench grinders and belt sanders. Very interesting . Thanks.
I have a couple up on sharpening. One where I explain platform sharpening, another with a friend Larry Karlin who uses several methods including a belt sander, and another with the local Woodcraft Store staff. Up on my channel, or go to my web site.
Excellent tutorial thank you very much full view like,subd
Yiannis (Athens Greece)
Fantastic explanation...I learned a lot...thank you
Thank you thank you thank you I just got so much info in a very short time you are a great teacher thanks
Really excellent Vid Reed. Thanks for sharing your secrets. Tons of info I will be using in the future. Thanks mate.
Happy New Year,
Marc
Great info for me as I'm new to turning!
Very informative,, thanks for sharing
great lesson, very informative!! thanks
Thanks for sharing, I'm a beginner so this is very helpful...
Excellent video
Thanks for a good info, take care, Miguel
I can't remember where I got mine. I think it was Packard Woodworking. Craft Supplies may have it as well, or you can take a 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch thick square end scraper and grind the profile on it. I have seen them with a dove tail on both sides so you can to a tenon or recess.
Great video very informative
You. Explains things things better
Thanks. Just starting out playing with my first turn . Green wood screw is slipping . Have purchased a nova galaxy dvr with super nova 2 chuck. Will try your method looks like the best.
Yeah I’m gonna look into it but the thing is I know it could be more expensive but I figure I should start out with the right if I have the opportunity go ahead spend the money and do it right thank you sir appreciate it we have a wonderful evening
Reed, videos such as this are among the most helpful on UA-cam. I have watched and rewatched this several times.
Which VicMarc chuck are you using? Recall the model number?
Looking forward to meeting you in October.
great video Robo lots of information
Thank you! This will help. Somehow I cut the mortice on my first bowl 1/4" off center. No idea how that happened.
Such great information. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated!
great information!!!
Love it, great , good job on the video.:-)
Reed, your videos are so helpful, I've watched many of them multiple times. Regarding the initial recess that you cut with a forstner bit. Obviously, the sides of the recess are straight once you've completed your cut. Later in the video you mention that the jaws you use are dovetail jaws. So if I'm understanding correctly, you are using a straight walled recess with dovetail jaws? If so, do you ever run into an issue with the jaws not holding the blank properly?
really informative, thanx!
very good for beginners !
Thank you for that!
You mentioned that you were working with green wood! I have some elm that is green and wet,as I cut the bowl blanks I put them into the microwave for 2 min. at a time and then repeat said time.Some work well some don"t! (they crack)Can you give some of your toughs please!
Two minutes might be a bit long, more so as the blanks get more dry. I wouldn't go over a minute at a time. It might depend some on how thick the blanks are as well. I would think thicker ones would be more prone to splitting than thin, like 1/4 inch ones would.
Great video, thank you. It is really informative specially for a novice wood turner as myself. What type of gouge was the one you used to do the dovetail? for reverse mounting? Couldn't you just use the drill on the lathe and do another straight recess?
The tool I use for the recess is called a dove tail scraper. It comes formed that way. The dove tail makes a much stronger joint/attachment point than straight sides do. The forstner bit drilled recess in the top side is sufficient for turning the bottom part of the bowl, but it does not cut cleanly, and the straight sides might survive a heavy turning session if you made them deeper, but it probably would not survive coring your bowl blank.
Recess holds well but it does depend on the type of chuck you own
I consider the jaws to be more important than the individual chucks. Dove tail holds better than straight. I think all chucks now come with dove tail jaws, at least as an option.
Reed, love your videos. Dumb question-- you said you had dovetail jaws, but your topside, initial mortise is cut with a straight sided drill bit?!?
Reed, I am about to turn my first bowl and have been watching lots of videos. Your video in particular was very helpful! I have a couple followup questions. is there a rule of thumb for the length of the screw used to fasten the bowl blank to a faceplate? Any other words of wisdom for a first time bowl turner?? Thanks!
I guess in part it depends on the blank size and the face plate size. So, for a bowl blank in the 6 to 8 inch diameter range, a 4 hole 3 to 4 inch diameter face plate, I would want the screws to stick out 3/4 inch or so. For a 14 inch bowl, I would want a 6 inch face plate with 8 or so holes, and still screws sticking 3/4 inch or so into the wood. You do want the surface to be as flat as possible to prevent any wobbling, and I use deck type screws. Sheet rock screws are not a good idea because they are brittle, and will snap if you have a catch. Do have the tailstock up against the back of the bowl, especially for roughing. I do pull it away for finish cuts on the bottom of the bowl.
Great video - thanks. Do you need to make your recess deeper than 1/8 - 3/16" and larger diameter for fresh green bowl blanks? If so, what dimensions do you recommend?
I seldom make a recess deeper than 1/8 inch. Most important is how wide the shoulder is so when you tighten up you don't blow it apart. My chuck jaws are about 2 5/8 inch, it is metric, but the drilled recess I do to turn the back side is drilled with a 2 5/8 forstner bit. For a 12 inch bowl, I want a good inch of shoulder outside the turned recess. You can get a bit smaller, bit not much. For a 14 inch bowl, I want 1 1/2 inches. I do core pretty much all the bigger bowl blanks and this is plenty to support coring. With dry wood, and if your chuck jaws are pretty new and not chipped from running into them with the McNaughton coring blades or your gouges, you can go to 1/16 inch and it is very secure. For some 6 inch diameter bowls, if I am using the big jaws, I can to to a 1/4 inch shoulder, but I am VERY careful on how I turn, mostly not really hogging out the wood.
Reed, This is a great video...learned much. Have a question on use of face plates. Somewhere I seemed to have seen where it is unwise to use a face plate on end grain similar to avoiding a mortise on end grain. Can you comment?
Well, if you watch any of Lyle Jamieson's videos, he used lag bolts with his face plates to do all of his hollow forms. Generally though straight screws into end grain tend to work loose like nails into end grain. With the nails, you have to toe nail, or go in at an angle, then they hold better. I think Lyle uses a bigger screw/bolt, with a coarse thread.
robohippy Thanks Reed. Will check his videos.
Reed, does your chuck have a dovetail profile? If one has a Nova, and you need a dovetail recess, I don't guess you can use a drill bit to make that recess, or do you?
Bill, I just got back from the AAW Symposium in Atlanta... great time. Anyway, I use a big forstner bit to drill the recess in the top of the blank, and hand tool the one for the bottom. I have the Vickmark chucks which have dove tailed jaws. I think Nova does now make dove tail jaws. Their standard jaws are straight with a tiny dove tail type ring at the top. You are supposed to cut a straight sided recess for that jaw, and the ring digs in for the grip. I prefer dove tail jaws for the best grip as they are a wedged joint and stronger than a straight joint.
Thanks for sharing these great videos. I just bought a lathe and am enthusiastically getting started. I am close to purchasing my first chuck and was going to buy one with dovetail jaws. Am I correct in assuming the forstner bit cutting a straight tenon technique will not work if I have dovetail jaws?
I realize I am 6 months late with this reply. I was also confused with the Forstner bit for Reed's first mortise. His first mortise has to be straight sided but I do believe it provides a good enough grip with his chuck while he turns the mortise on the opposite side with the dove tail circumference. I hope Reed will confirm my reply because I am not even qualified to sweep the shavings out of his shop but I have learned a lot from his excellent instructions.
It does supply plenty of grip. I do drill them 1/4 to 3/8 inch deep, and especially on bigger bowls, I keep the tailstock engaged. Some times I will drill deeper so that the flat of the bowl blank rests up against the flat of the chuck jaws. This is more for when the blank sides are not parallel and I want to work with the top surface being pretty flat, and true up the bottom piece. If you half turn a piece, then remount using the forstner bit recess, they never go back on true. With a hand tooled recess, you can get pretty close.
I am assuming you only use dried wood? The two times I have done a recess and let the rough turned bowl blank dry, the recess warped so badly I couldn't figure out how to put it back to round so it would fit on my chuck.
+James Templeton James, actually, I turn green wood almost exclusively. I love the way it cuts. I turn once to final thickness, let them dry and warp, then sand and finish. Yes, the recess will warp to the point that you can not get a secure grip if you are twice turning. I think that is why just about every one I know will use a tenon mount for the twice turned bowls. It is easier to reverse mount on a jam chuck or spigot, use the original center point in the tenon to make sure it is true/centered, then even up the tenon, and then reverse and finish turn the bowl. You can get smaller jaws to expand into the recess when it is warped, but I don't think that mount is secure enough for turning stresses. It is fine for slow speed sanding though. I do show that on my sanding clip.
Dig yr show Going to buy my first chuck
but I’m thinking about getting a kit with all of it do you have any suggestions of what kind do you prefer thank you I appreciate it have a good day
I prefer the Vicmark chucks. I think they are a very slight step above the Oneway and Nova chucks. All are good, and if you go to the forums, you get a wide range of answers about chucks. The knock offs, like Grizzly and Penn State are okay, but not the best. Not sure about the Easy Chuck, which is one of the quick change chucks. It is expensive. Axmister, which is from the UK is also a high quality tool.