# what to make



## Karda (Oct 7, 2018)

Hi, need some suggestion. I have a live edge bowl blank and i need help. on the bark side one side is higher than the other, the low side is about 1.5" inches the high side is 3" and the jig hole in the flat side is .75 deep. normal I would use the bark side as the bottom, this Time I would like to do something different.


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## ClintW (Oct 7, 2018)

Retrue the bottom/inside of tree to give you even heights on both sides. Then turn as live edge. Mount the live edge with face plate and long screws. Use wedges to get the round symmetric to face plate plane and retrue the bottom. Just a thought.


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## Karda (Oct 8, 2018)

that is an idea,


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## Mike Mills (Oct 8, 2018)

If you want it a bit whonky you can turn as is and have one side higher than the other. Sitting on a table it would be like you are sorta looking into the bowl from the side. Dipa did several like that and they looked good to me but maybe not for everyone. The one side would not be a lot lower, by default you should lose more on the short side bringing it closer to the high side.

You can use a small chain at the end to make a catenary curve; it will give you an idea of the final result.

Looks like you may have some good spalting.


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 8, 2018)

Mike, if you are going to make it a natural edge with a bark rim, you are going to lose at least 80% of the spalting you show in the picture. the directions I'm proposing will leave you with most of it, especially in the bottom.

Lay that piece curve side down on a table. Mess with it until the curve looks symmetrical. I can see that it never will because it itself is not, but get it close. When you do get it really close, take a measurement on the side up to the bark. Do the same on the other side with the same measurement. Draw a line from mark to mark, measure the center of the line, and transfer it to the bark side for the center where the tailstock will be. Remove the wedge shaped piece of wood that the marked line should show. Locate center, then mount it however you choose. The center mark on the bark side should be centered pretty close to the live center when you bring up the tailstock. ........ Live me an update.

Here you go. Something for you and anyone else reading this thread.to make. Go to the "classroom, and look for "How to make your very own Chuck Plate". I'm sorry for you guys that actually bought one, but some people are too poor to be buying my stuff. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## kweinert (Oct 8, 2018)

I just did a search for that and I don't see anything in the classroom. Only a series where you used the chuck plate to turn a footed ogee bowl. I searched for postings that you made in the classroom as well and didn't find it that way either.

Maybe I just missed it.


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 8, 2018)

kweinert said:


> I just did a search for that and I don't see anything in the classroom. Only a series where you used the chuck plate to turn a footed ogee bowl. I searched for postings that you made in the classroom as well and didn't find it that way either.
> 
> Maybe I just missed it.


 No Ken, you didn't miss it. I made my comment before composing it, then something in my computer decided it wanted to do things it's way and not how I wanted to do it. Even after last week when I got into an argument with a circuit board and lost the argument, I still don't know when to quit fighting with them. Anyway, the instructions are there now. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Karl_TN (Oct 8, 2018)

Nubsnstubs said:


> ... Remove the wedge shaped piece of wood that the marked line should show.



Jerry, I like the idea about rebalancing the sides, but is there a safe way to cut a wedge shape piece from a round blank like this?

@Karda, This blank will most likely have tear out problems especially around the white rot areas. Consider soaking with some sanding sealer before making any final cuts with a freshly sharpened tool. Some people use Thin CA glue for stabilizing soft areas , but this can be cost prohibitive & possibly unsafe (i.e. bad fumes) to put on large areas.


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## Karda (Oct 8, 2018)

ok Jerry i will see what I come up, I may lose some spalting but already as it is cut it came closer to the center of the log, I chance it
Karl thanks for the tear out warning. Will shellac work as a sanding sealer
Jerry can I ask a stupid question about your chuck plate, how do you center the work on your plate with so many screws


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## Karl_TN (Oct 8, 2018)

@Karda, Shellac can be used as a sealer coat, but it might need to be thinned a little with DNA (denatured alcohol). You can also use some brushing lacquer thinned with lacquer thinner, but use this stuff outside or with a respirator mask if possible.


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## Lou Currier (Oct 8, 2018)

The best figure looks to be near the bark side...anything close to a natural edge will turn all the good figure away plus the cracks will give you a fit. I would go for the standard bowl Mabe with an ogee (sp?) shape.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Karda (Oct 8, 2018)

ok thanks


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 8, 2018)

Karda said:


> ok Jerry i will see what I come up, I may lose some spalting but already as it is cut it came closer to the center of the log, I chance it
> Karl thanks for the tear out warning. Will shellac work as a sanding sealer
> *Jerry can I ask a stupid question *about your chuck plate, how do you center the work on your plate with so many screws


 Ok, I read your question. It isn't the brightest thing you've axed. Mike, there is a center screw. That's how it is centered. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Karda (Oct 8, 2018)

yea I know but I have a hard time visualizing,


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 9, 2018)

Karda said:


> ok Jerry i will see what I come up, I may lose some spalting but already as it is cut it came closer to the center of the log, I chance it
> Karl thanks for the tear out warning. Will shellac work as a sanding sealer
> Jerry can I ask a stupid question about your chuck plate, *how do you center the work on your plate with so many screws*



Another answer for you, Mike, but not as obnoxious. Most of my pieces I get now are large enough that most will yeild at least 8" all the way up 19" if I chose to do one that large. I have a couple rough platters about that size,but have been drying for the last 3 years.

Back to your question. Since my blanks are large enough, and most do not have a flat edge to mount to, I usually just mount it using my Chuck Plate between centers with my tool rest brought up to provide interference while rotating my blank. When it doesn't touch the tool rest, I'm as close to center as possible. I tighten the tailstock pretty tight and start at the slowest speed, rough until it starts balancing, turn up the speed a little more, and continue at my comfort level.

Sometimes with a reasonably flat piece like what you did in that other site, I measure the width, divide by 2, mark the blank. Measure the length and divide x 2. Put a mark to form an X or a cross. Using the Chuck Plate mounted in the chuck, I would bring the piece up to it, and then bring up the tailstock close enough to use the quill to force the wood onto the screws. Turn it at your comfort level. Make a TENON........ then complete your piece and finish it like you did the other one.

Ask me about my* Nose Ring*........... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Karda (Oct 9, 2018)

ok I get it now, just takes me a while. Ok I'll bite what about your nose ring


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## Lou Currier (Oct 9, 2018)




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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 10, 2018)

When I get logs from people or even the ones I cut, some don't have 90 degree cuts. Most are acceptable for mounting onto my Chuck Plate, but at the tail stock, there might be too much angle to turn it safely. Before I made the Nose Ring, I would launch maybe 1 in 10 blanks from the tail stock. When the piece usually came out, looking at the end , there would always be what looked like the number 9 scratched into the end.. If you picture where the bottom line on the 9 that connects with the right outside line, that would be the center point from the live center. To the left of the 9 is where the angle of the wood is less than you have on the right side of center. Since it's being driven by the Chuck Plate or any other holding device, when it comes out it usually leaves the mark that looks like a nine.. 

After I started losing pieces, and since I made my live centers with long noses, I went back the my friends shop, and made a ring with 4 screws in it just like the ones I use in my Chuck Plate. It will allow me to mount pieces with about a 75 degree cut on the ends. I adjust the screws in and out to match the angle of the wood at the tailstock. 

It's a real good tool to have if you do a lot of natural edges because getting a good bite at the natural edge will usually make the tailstock side of the piece angled, no matter how careful you were when cutting the blank. 

The biggest problem with the nose ring is the live centers that most people have aren't designed for something like it. Better yet, that type of tool hadn't even been thought of yet, until I made mine a couple years ago. There might be about 5 people in the country that have one because they bought one of my live centers and I included it. 

I'm toying with designing a few to fit other live centers. It looks like it might be pretty easy. I'll do a couple pictures today as I must be out all day, and don't have any that I can find easily. .................. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Karda (Oct 12, 2018)

ok mI flunked spalted bowl, I lost the bark no problem but I had a terrible time getting the shape right got it acceptable and was refining the foot and got a bad catch by the time I turn out the catch there will be no more foot. Just before the foot there is some very bad tear out. Also when I had the catch it pulled the screws lo0se on the face plate, the wood was softer then I realized, so i quit, I rescued it from the fire wood box and I will go back to it later. One good thing, I didn't lose ant spalting. In fact the wood up near the rime is porous degraded wood


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 12, 2018)

Well, Mike, it doesn't sound good. You lost your foot, lost the piece from the faceplate, and said it's rather soft. I'm not one to give up on a piece, but since winter is approaching, I think you might be better off having this piece keeping you warm than trying to turn it. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Karda (Oct 12, 2018)

maybe I'll keep it around awhile, The catches I was getting were on the foot especial the edge If it is gone I might be able to do something I seem to alwas chip the edge or turn in the wrong direction maybe I'll use it to practice foots


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