Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Waste Blocks and Tape
Stan Campbell
>I saw a thread below on waste blocks and Double sided tape as ways to hold a bowl or platter and a couple of thoughts occured to me. (don't laugh)
1. Wouldn't a Piece of plywood on a faceplate give a better holding surface for the Tape?
2. Wouldn't plywood on a faceplate make a suitable platform for a waste block?
It just seems like a good idea since the surface is fairly flat. I would like to know what you guys think.
Re: Waste Blocks and Tape
Stuart Johnson
>I think you could have a problem with the plywood delaminating.
Re: Waste Blocks and Tape
Mike Schwing from Md.
>I did not read the entire thread below, but anytime you screw a piece of wood onto a faceplate, even if it was flat to begin with, it is going to need some measure of truing up before it is truly glue (or tape) ready. The plys in plywood aren't very thick, so this truing may result in destabilizing that thin layer of wood that would othewise be your adhesive surface.
Even if it didn't - plywood isn't really meant to provide strength in the individual layers, but the conglomerate provides enormous strength, stability and rigidity.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the forces involved in woodturning would rip that first layer of plywood right off.
I use a lot of glue blocks (6 so far today!). I make them up a bunch at a time from a cylinder, parting them off as I go. They then only need truing up before they're ready to go. Sometimes I even make them "end grain". The epoxy I use sticks to anything.
I know some folks here use a lot of double face tape, but I prefer 5 minute epoxy. It has never, ever let me down. Tape has.
BTW, I don't make my glue block faces perfectly flat, the edges are always slightly "higher" than the middle. I feel it gives me better hold and saves some room for glue.
Re: Waste Blocks and Tape
Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.
>Stan, using plywood as a glue block is a no-no. It wouldn't be safe, as the plywood could and probably would delaminate.
When using double faced tape, the taped faceplate is applied directly to the blank.
Wally
Re: Waste Blocks and Tape
Don Henthorn Smithville, Texas
>Another thing to stay away from for glue blocks is yellow pine. I had a fairly small piece of walnut I was turning come off the lathe. The yellow pine glue block had just separated with the grain.
Re: Waste Blocks and Tape
Stan Campbell
>Thanks Guys, You have probably Saved me from having an accident or at the very least messing up a piece.
Stan
Columbus,OH