making a platter

Re: making a platter

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Dennis, there is no one single way/answer to this.

Often the answer to whether a work becomes a platter or bowl depends on how much wood I have to work with.

If I have enough wood to work with a tenon, the piece is more likely to become a shallow bowl than a platter. In that case I'll use a screw chuck or a faceplate with shallow screws for the initial mounting, then create a tenon for the other side.

But if it is only platter thickness, I use glue blocks. A tip someone here (think it was John Lucas) gave was that a 3.5" forstner bit makes a great flat spot for a 3" faceplate. That is what I do unless the piece will fit through my thickness planer (13"), whereas I'll plane a flat spot.

Wally had a great couple of posts in the last week or so about using glue blocks.

I will use a glue block to turn the bottom, then create a flat on the bottom to which I'll mount another glue block. It gets reversed, and then I part off the glue block so I can use it again, and then turn the interior. Sand it and then reverse it on my vacuum chuck to finish off the bottom. Hope this helps some.

Re: making a platter

Wood Spinner

>As mike said there are several ways. I start all my up to 24" between centers and turn a tennon and the basic outside shape. I do this on platters and bowls alike. I then reverse and use a jaw chuck for mounting. I also then pull the live center back in to place for extra support to finish turn the inside. After all of the rgh turning is done I remove the tail stock and finish the center removel and do my shear cuts.

Good turning and be safe

Bill

Re: making a platter

Richard Allen

>Hi Dennis

I use 4/4 stock for most of my platters. Sometimes I can get 5/4, much thicker than that and I will make a bowl out if it.

For the mounting I will often use a glue block. My procedure is:

Mount a 4/4 piece of poplar on a faceplate such that a 4" or 5" glue block can be turned. Turn the outer inch true and flat. Turn the rest of the inside with a slight concave.

I then sand a flat spot on the bottom of the platter blank with a ROS and 60 grit. I then mark a circle with a compass on the sanded portion of the blank.

I position the glue block over the platter and re-mark the position, using the glue bock, if necessary.

I put medium CA glue on the flat trued portion of the glue block then press and twist to the platter stock. Remove the glue block to be sure there is good coverage, then press it back down, apply some weight (usually in the form of a few turning blanks).

20 minutes latter I put a bead of medium CA around the outside to for a slight fillet.

Tip: When you first mount the glued up blank on the lathe, bring up the tailstock and start up the lathe to turning speed. Make sure you are out of the line of fire. Turn the lathe off and check to be sure the glue hasn't spun out of the joint.

Check that the platter blank is running true. You can make some adjustments of the faceplate and shims. I expect to lose 1/16" or so when truing the platter blank.

Once the glue is hard the platter is ready to turn.

I use the tailstock for support for as long as I can.

I sometimes use double face tape. I like a 6" glue (tape) block for tape.

Good Luck

Richard

Re: making a platter *LINK*

John U

>Frank Penta (Woodturners Guild of NC) does a great platter demo. His "how-to" article is posted on their website, under the "turning notes" link.


Woodturners Guild of NC

Double Faced Tape..

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>I've turned quite a few platters in the past, and after trying various methods, my preferred method is to use double faced tape. No tenon. no recess, no glue block. Usually using 8/4 material for large platters, I mount the blank, using a faceplate or screw chuck. I then turn and finish sanding the bottom. I leave a flat area to mount a faceplate with double faced tape. If you'll use Permacell cloth tape, available at Craft Supplies and probably other suppliers, it will do the job.

The wood surface for the faceplate must be flat, as if you were making a glue joint. It must be clamped for a few minutes. To remove the finished platter, insert a small wooden plug into the threaded opening on the faceplate, mount it back on the lathe, and as the faceplate is threaded on the spindle, the plug easily pushes the platter off.

The pic is of a 22 inch quilted maple platter. The faceplate was a 6 inch one.

Wally