# Glued-up tenons?



## TXMoon (Oct 24, 2019)

I am looking at some exotic wood, Olive, Teak, and others, the blanks though range in 6" - 10" are only 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" thick. Has anyone used glued tenons to turn a shallow platter? Any other ways to turn shallow stock to save as much of the blank as possible?

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## Gdurfey (Oct 24, 2019)

one of our demonstrators used double stick tape and a faceplate to start a very thin platter.........1/2 inch thick when done if I remember correctly, about 10" diameter. I was amazed at the holding power.

Besides, if it flings, you have a new story for the gang here. No, don't want that to happen; it really was successful and I immediately bought some. Haven't used it a lot. If I also remember correctly (and I don't count on that anymore) he was using a fair sized faceplate......6" maybe.......

I will now let the experts chime in.

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## Crocy in Aus. (Oct 24, 2019)

Kevin, I use glued up tenons on all my thin work as you have described. I use a bit of square scrap as in the photo, I use Titebond glue, so no surprise flying missiles. I just true it up to suit the 108mm/4 1/4" jaws that I use. After the bowl or platter is finished, I put it in my stepped jam chuck or Longworth chuck, hold it with a live centre, remove the bulk of it until I can use my "Jerry's Tailstock Steady" to totally finish it. Never unsafe and it all works a treat.
Rgds,
Crocy.

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## Mike Mills (Oct 24, 2019)

Given that you will need a base/rim for it to sit on...
I would turn a recess for my chuck jaws, maybe 3/16 deep. When you turn the recess do not clear the center but leave a 1/2" to 3/4" nub with the center divot for remounting later.
Turn the outside.
Hold in chuck and turn the inside.
Reverse with a friction drive use the nub to center and reshape the base to your liking. It will probably be about 2" wide to start with and you would probable want to end with it about 1/4" wide.
Trim the num down to about 1/4 to 3/8 (whatever you feel safe with).
Reemove from the lathe cut/saw off the nub and sand.

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## DKMD (Oct 24, 2019)

I use sacrificial tenons fairly often for thin stuff. I’ve used Titebond, CA, and 5-minute epoxy with success. I’ve heard others use hot glue or double stick tape, but I haven’t used either one for anything over 4 or 5 inches.

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## Tony (Oct 24, 2019)

I use double stick tape and it has amazing holding power. I've broken the wood on a really, really thin one trying to get it off the tape. I use the stuff they sell at Woodcraft for turning, not just carpet tape from HD or Lowes.

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## ripjack13 (Oct 24, 2019)

I use some blocks I tapped out to fit my spindle. I use tightbond to glue em on. Have not had any problems.

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## Mlyle (Jul 5, 2020)

I used a waste block tenon for a 14" x 5 /4 Mahogany platter I am just tonite finishing.
It worked fine.....it was glued on with titebond 2.

Initially I mounted the piece onto @Nubsnstubs
Chuck Plate.....of which I purchased just for mounting my 14" piece and not losing too much
timbre from my Mahogany piece/platter.
So then I squared / flattened my piece on the
bottom ....and glued on a nice solid waste tenon.
I pushed the tailstock up to hold the newly glued
tenon. and left it set overnight......time to go to bed at that hour as it was 1am....In the morn
then i was able to reverse chuck.
then finish the inside of the platter...the tenon held fine.....oh yes I also had glue gunned the
holding screws on the cole chuck and followed
directions on cole chucks to turning speed of
max 600rpm.
I only had to remove about 3/8" from the very shallow platter....
Then I reverse mounted again onto a large Cole chuck bringing the tenon out to be removed.

So bottom is sanded and sealed as I debate
how many coats of sanding sealer i need before
i finish it off with Acks................

sorry if i rambled on and on and on and.

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## Mlyle (Jul 5, 2020)

nothing spectac about this piece....No outstanding figure....
But nice pretty even grain......
I might have colored it a bit with a dark Danish
oil but I kept it stock......like my 59 283 Chevy impala.....

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## Brandon Sloan (Jul 5, 2020)

I have a few tenons of 1/2” Baltic birch. I use hot melt. I’ve never had a piece separate from the tenon. After I’m done with the turning, I can remove the tenon by working a chisel around the edges until it pops off. Put the hot melt on the tenon and then glue to your piece. The reason for this is when you remove the tenon, the hot melt stays on the tenon. You can remove the hot melt and reuse the tenon. If you go this route, make sure you use hot melt and not regular hot glue sticks. I found everything I needed at Walmart for under $20 bucks. 

Of course any good wood glue will work. I just don’t have the patience to wait for it to dry. Also, I don’t have to try to reverse the piece and finish the bottom. I just remove the tenon and sand the bottom if necessary.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 5, 2020)

Brandon, don't want to put a damper on your Baltic Birch for tenons, but plywood is not good unless you put screws through it. One day, one of your BB tenons is gonna separate. I'm only saying this as I got reamed by another forum years ago for saying I was using BB for a tenon. I forgot to mention that I had 5 screws running through it. I knew it was safe, but the reamers didn't know about the screws. Use solid wood if you have a saw to rip it........ Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 5, 2020)

Mlyle said:


> I used a waste block tenon for a 14" x 5 /4 Mahogany platter I am just tonite finishing.
> It worked fine.....it was glued on with titebond 2.
> 
> Initially I mounted the piece onto @Nubsnstubs
> ...


Michael, years ago before I invented my Tail Stock Steady, I was thinking of making my own Longworth chuck with those type of nubs. In the meantime, I was using a donut chuck using 1/4-20 bolts to hold the donut on. I came off the bottom, and caught my left knuckles on the bolt heads. Boy, did that hurt. I decided to use countersink 1/4-20's. That was much better until the donut chuck exploded one day. Then I got serious and within 30 minutes time, I had a drawing of a prototype for the TSS. Several improvements on my drawings and a couple failures later with improvements in less than a weeks time, voi la, a predecessor of the TSS. What you see now is not what the first one was. ........... Jerry

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## Mlyle (Jul 5, 2020)

@Nubsnstubs ....I hear you Jerry....

Yes one has to be very careful around the nub/holders on my cole jaws.....I know from experience those nubs can ruin your hands and
fingers.
I once saw a fellow on TV stop a turning fan
with his tongue ha......!!! If he was around I would challenge him to stop my cole jaws.....with his tongue.....and maybe he could eat 27 hot dogs in 10min too.....haha.

Earlier i forgot to mention my waste block for the tenon was about a 3" x 2" piece of big leaf maple and it w not not meant to be saved.

@Nubsnstubs 
ps please take this as just funning you...

But I see you used the training wheels from your
grand sons bicycle for your Tail Stock Steady.....
ha ha

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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 5, 2020)

That's eggzactly what the are. He's now 20, and the little guy still misses them. .........hehehe........ Jerry (in Tucson)

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