OPERATION - BOWL TURNING
MOUNTING THE WORKPIECE ONTO THE FACE PLATE
The face plate is common for holding a block of wood of a larger diameter for turning bowls and plates.
1. Select a stock that is at least .2 inches (5 mm) larger than each dimension of the finished workpiece.
2. True one of the surfaces of the workpiece for mounting against the face plate. Using the face plate as a tem-
plate, mark the location of the mounting holes on the workpiece and drill pilot holes of the appropriate size.
3. If the mounting screws on the face plate interfere with the workpiece, a glue or waste block can be used. Make
sure the block is of the same diameter as the face plate. Both the waste block and the workpiece should have flat
surfaces for gluing. Glue the block to the workpiece.
While face plates are the most reliable method for holding a larger block of wood for turning, chucks can also be
used. A chuck is not a requirement, but is handy when working on more than one piece at a time. Rather than re-
moving screws, simply open the chuck and change workpieces. The most popular ones are four jaw scroll chucks
(dovetails) with a variety of jaws to accommodate different size tenons. Most also come with a screw chuck as well.
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SHAPING THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOWL
1. Prepare the workpiece before mounting. Remove any bark from the top of the workpiece (that will be later at-
tached onto a face plate or in a chuck).
2. Drive the spur center into the top center of the workpiece using a wood mallet or a dead blow hammer.
3. Insert the spur center into the headstock taper.
4. Insert the live center to the tailstock. Adjust the position of the tailstock along the bed and lock it into position.
Lock the tailstock to the bed and advance the quill in order to seat the cut center into the workpiece. Tighten the
quill locking handle.
5. Rotate the workpiece by hand to check for proper clearance before starting the tool. Start with the slowest
speed for rough cuts and increase the speed for refined cuts.
NOTE: If the machine starts to vibrate, lower the speed until the vibration stops.
6. Rough out the outside of the bowl with the bowl gouge, holding the handle of the tool firmly against your hip.
As the bowl takes shape, work on the bottom (tailstock end) to accommodate attaching a face plate. Turn a short
tenon to the size of the hole in the face plate. This will allow centering the workpiece when the face plate is at-
tached. If you plan to use a chuck, turn a tenon of the appropriate length and diameter to fit your chuck.
Stop the lathe and remove the workpiece. Leave additional material at the base of the bowl for support while turn-
ing the interior. This will be removed later.
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