The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource - How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl

Scott glass WR Addict Offline Wood is my Gold! Posts: 1589 Gender:	How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl 05/08/12 at 12:02:50 It depends on shape and bark etc but some natural edge bowls can't have the bottom finished on cole jaws. The only other option I can think of is jam chuck. Anyone have some better ideas?
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Ron Sardo WR Administrator WR Patron Offline Chief cook and bottle washer Posts: 7789	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #1 - 05/08/12 at 12:10:01 Vacuum Chuck
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Robert Harper

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Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl
Reply #2 - 05/08/12 at 12:58:10

+1 on the vacuum chuck.

I've gotten so used to using a jam chuck, and have accumulated so many shapes and sizes that I haven't ever used a set of cole jaws and still haven't finished rigging a vacuum chuck. I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Plus, I don't have to change chucks or jaws while I'm working.

I know there are ways to set up the vacuum chuck to be that slick. I just haven't taken the time. Somehow turning a bowl is more fun than making a tool.

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Scott glass WR Addict Offline Wood is my Gold! Posts: 1589 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #3 - 05/08/12 at 13:33:13 While vacuum might be the way to go it is out of my price range so I looking for other options, I don't know of any other than a jam chuck.
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Robert Harper WR Addict Offline WR doesn't rock, it RULES! Posts: 2969 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #4 - 05/08/12 at 13:45:31 I guess you could ring something up that combines a donut chuck with a jam chuck. Seems like it would be more work than just using the jam chuck.
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Vaughn McMillan

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Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl
Reply #5 - 05/08/12 at 16:05:35

I have a vacuum chuck, but I'd guess about 90% of my natural edged pieces (heck, 90% of all my pieces) get finished with a friction chuck.

Personally, I consider a jam chuck to be different from a friction chuck. To me, a jam chuck is one that's exactly sized to hold the piece with no tailstock support...you jam the piece on and it stays put. The friction chuck, on the other hand, requires the tailstock to keep the piece in place as I turn away the tenon and do any detail cuts (and all but the last little bit of sanding) on the bottom.

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Grant Wilkinson WR Supporter Offline Posts: 104	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #6 - 05/08/12 at 16:07:53 Before I rigged up my vacuum set up, I used a combination of a jam and a donut chuck. Putting a piece of wood or pvc pipe into the bowl so that it just protruded beyond the top edge, then putting the whole thing into the donut chuck gave me a solid mount and a fully exposed bottom (the bowl's not mine).
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Robert Harper WR Addict Offline WR doesn't rock, it RULES! Posts: 2969 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #7 - 05/08/12 at 16:22:45 I'll go with your distinction Vaughn, so it is 99.9% friction chucks for me. I use a jam chuck now and then for boxes and birdhouses. The problem with friction chucks are that it is just too quick and easy to make me change.
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Scott glass WR Addict Offline Wood is my Gold! Posts: 1589 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #8 - 05/08/12 at 16:25:01 Guess I will need to make a donut chuck, would rather eat one than make one.
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Ken Vaughan WR Patron Offline Still learning Posts: 2168 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #9 - 05/08/12 at 18:59:00 Vaughn -- Doc Green calls them "internal jam chucks" in his book - "Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning." Internal friction chuck??? I am thinking that the "dished" shape is the key regardless of name --
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Kevin Hedrick

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Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl
Reply #10 - 05/08/12 at 23:10:14

you could cheat like me, I turn the bottom first with a recess, turn it to finish, then turn the inside to finish, set the bowl upside down on my least favorite sofa pillow (dont worry its never coming back inside Tongue

) With a 1/4" round-over router bit gently route the edges of my recess, a few minutes of light sanding and you have a decent bottom on a natural edge bowl.

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Scott glass WR Addict Offline Wood is my Gold! Posts: 1589 Gender:	Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl Reply #11 - 05/09/12 at 05:50:16 The easy way might be close to this. Finish as careful as possible when rouging out, hand finish. If it does not go to far out of round it might work. Or I just thought about this, make a extra long tenon making room to finish.
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Robert Harper

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Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl
Reply #12 - 05/09/12 at 06:48:27

Just make sure the tenon doesn't bottom out in the chuck. I leave the nib of the center when I make my tenons. If I make it small enough, it can go down the center of the chuck without stopping the jaws from closing. This also makes it easy for me to find the center of the bottom. It often gives me another 1/2 inch of space between the tail stock and the finished bottom.

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Vaughn McMillan

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Re: How to finish a bottom on natural edge bowl
Reply #13 - 05/09/12 at 11:01:36

Robert Harper wrote on 05/08/12 at 16:22:45:

...The problem with friction chucks are that it is just too quick and easy to make me change.

Same here. thumbsup

More often than not, I'll grab a rough-turned bowl, put it in the chuck and true it up, then hold the project bowl face-to-face with the rough bowl using the tailstock. I've got several rough bowls that I keep around the shop just for this purpose.

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