First the brag. Let me introduce you to Vic, I was gonna call her Vicki like George Troy did but my wife is jealeous enough. =o)
It's a VL300 short with a 3hp motor and extension box. The outboard rest and one meter extension is on the way.
On to the bowl save. This is the first bowl I did on Vic but I got a catch and the base got ruined.
I also got some Vicmarc chucks with this delivery and I used the large one with the dovetail grip to reverse chuck the bowl. I really like the dovetail grip the best. I turned an internal dovetail recess to grip it from the base.
Here's the finished product.
Here's a view of the base. I tried making the bottom curved to match the curvature of the bowl. Kind of like bowl is resting on an internal dovetail base.
Thanks for looking and I'm always open to criticism.
Nice to meet you. :-) Very nice Ron, I know you're proud of it! And a nice save on the bowl, too.
Speaking of bowls, that brings up a question on shape / design that I've been considering. I sometimes prefer the recessed bottom. However, that always leaves a thick area at the bottom, where the bottom curves in. On a larger bowl, I don't think it can really be felt or noticed. However, on smaller bowls it can be felt. I'm curious what others do, when the bottom is recessed, on a small bowl. thanks!
>Greg, I use the internal dovetail down to about a 7" diam vessel; smaller than that I go to the external grip. I stick with the rule of thirds on about 90% of what I make so that only leaves 2.5" for the base on a 7.5" diameter vessel. Allowing for wood to expand against, that leaves only 3/8" of wood around the jaws on my small chuck. The Vicmarc chuck will hold pretty well with 1/8" of depth on most woods. After all the turning is done I usually trim most of the depth of the dovetail away, leaving just enough to hold it for renewing the finish should that ever be needed.
>Your bottom recess is limited only by the size of the jaws that you use and your imagination.
The one I used for the bowl in the picture is the standard 2" dovetail but if you have a smaller piece, Vicmarc has a 1" dovetail jaw. You're basically covered for almost anything you want to do.
The diameter of my bowl is about 4 1/2" at its widest point and the base is 2 3/8" including the foot.
Thanks for the comments. I guess I wasn't real clear on my question. I guess what I'm asking, is when you have a recessed bottom, what do you do about the internal shape? It does typically leave a hefty amount of wood on the bottom, at the outside edges of the recess. In other words, if you have a 2" recess, then the wood on the bottom, from 2" out, will be thicker than the walls. Maybe this is acceptable, but I've had a couple of comments from people about it, on some 5" and 6" bowls.
I think I understand what you're asking; if the jaws are recessed into the bottom, how do you make a thin bottom without breaking through or having only 1/16" thickness the diameter of the recess, right?
I use the Talon chuck and only cut a recess 1/4" deep. On real tight-grained hardwood I get really brave and go less. If you're not an aggressive turner and have a light touch, this amount of grip is not a problem. Then you can take the inside bottom of the bowl down thinner.
Yes, that's basically what I was asking. I guess with the shallow recess, it makes it easier to get a thinner bottom. And these days, everyone wants a thinner bottom, especially after the holidays. :)
Thanks again, I'll work on leaving a shallower recess and that should help.
>For those of us chickens who don't like flying bowls in their shop, a 1/4" dovetail will suffice. I have tried Ruth's method and have seen my bowls fly. The Oneway with the serated edge does not apply equal holding force to the piece and will tear unless you're lucky. If you have Oneway chucks, they do offer smooth dovetail jaws. I don't have many felled trees here in Israel and I have to buy almost all my lumber. Hence I try and minimize risk and will try and repair a piece before chucking it.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it was Russ Fairfield who said make one thin bowl to show that you can do it and then make the rest whatever size you want. I also find that most of my customers prefer a heft to wood that they have come to expect, especially hardwood but to each his/her own.
>I guess as I read this thread, my question is, "Why put yourself through all this bother?" I have a One Way chuck which is a beautiful product and use it for many things but not bowls. A chuck is just a hassle with a bowl. It is much easier to rough between centers and then to finish with a hot glue block. All that is necessary is to part form the glue block and finish the bottom. There is no dovetail or tenon to turn away or to try and make a part of the design. I have not used the hot glue on a piece over 18" but a couple of friends use them habitually to 36" and over. The way I do it on the web site. Nothing new here, but I hope it is a help.
>The Oneway profile jaws do not lend themselves to gripping the inside of a shallow chucking recess. The recess has to be at least 3/16" deep just to get the first ring on the jaws to engage the wood (on mine).
The very shallow recess works best when you are using a dovetail jaw in a recess whose diameter is as close to the "full circle" diameter of the jaws as possible. This way the jaws are gripping with 100% of their circumference and you are getting their maximum holding power.
How shallow the recess can be is determined by how sharp is the edge of the dovetail on the jaws. I routinely use the Axminster dovetail jaws to turn plates and platters with a recess that is only 1/16" deep because they have a very sharp edge. Other chucks whose jaws have a larger radius on the edge will require a deeper recess.
