Big ring questions

An Idea

Jorge Castaneda ~ Downeast Maine

>Fred,

What it crossed my mind when I read your post is that you could mount a flat board of appropiate size in a faceplate and build one half of the ring to exact dimensions, then do it all over again and glue the two halves. Voila!

$0.02

Jorge

Re: An Idea

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Building on an idea, I don't know if this helps, but I frequently cut off "rings" from large bowl blanks before I begin shaping the bottom. It is good tool control practice with the parting tool and the bowl gouge. I round off the open side then use the parting tool and bowl gouge to incrementally move in and around the backside. Eventually I break through and have a nearly round ring. I never have anything neat to do with them but sometimes its just fun to turn them. Perhaps you could build on this practice somehow.

Re: Big ring questions

Richard Allen

>Hi Fred

This frame was done a few years ago. It was 18" across made from 4/4 stock. You can't tell, but there are two layers which are stagered to give more strength.

First made a disc out of poplar and trued it up on the lathe. Then glued the pieces to each other and to the disc.

This was mounted on the lathe and turned the back side of the frame. Next mounted the whole thing in expanding button jaws. Turned off the big disc, and turned the face of the frame.

Epoxy was the glue. The last I heard the frame and horse were doing fine.

Richard

That is the kind of ring !

Fred in NC

>Thanks Richard for the pic. And everyone for the ideas. Looks like I will need some sort of expanding jaw chuck, with large homemade jaws.

Re: That is the kind of ring !

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Fred, you might consider mounting it on a large plywood disk on a faceplate - attaching you wood to be turned with either hot glue or double sided tape. Both will work fine, even with some agressive turning.

Mark

Sounds like a job for...

Raymond Overman in SC

>Years ago when I was in the Boy Scouts there were all kinds of useful gadgets that we used while camping. Left handed smoke shifters, right handed tent peg pullers, #9 shore line, bacon stretchers, and the infamous sky hook. Sounds like this job will require a sky hook.

It just so happens that one of our newly joined scouts washed his hair for a week with green soap due to having ancestors. Fond memories and I learned a lot more than just that nonsense.

Yes, for sure . . . .

Fred in NC

>In lieu of a Sky Hook, I would rather use the lathe, or even get help from another turner. The high cost of fuel and insurance makes the Sky Hook unaffordable.

Re: Big ring questions

theeviltwinn

>You've received lots of good tips and this is a turning forum but if you are talking about a flat ring I would use a router.

Glue up your octagon like you planned. Cut a ring out of plywood or MDF using a router and a circle cutter. Then stick your template ring to your wood with double sided tape and use a pattern bit to cut the ring

Mike

Re: Big ring questions

Fred in NC

>Well Mike, why didn't I think of that ??? Thanks, I think I will try that !

Thanks, I will try . . .

Fred in NC

>Thank you everyone, I really appreciate all the suggestions.

The plan as of right now is to use a router to cut the circle to shape. I am planning to build a faceplate block that I can mount the circle on, and turn the outside and add details.

Again, Thanks !!!

Re: That is the kind of ring !

Barry Irby

>Fred,

I think the router idea is a good one. You could knock the corners off on a band saw on the outside, but the router will let you do both inside and outside. A round over bit would help too.

I made a set of hooks out of flat steel stock that extend the reach of my Cole jaws on my chuck. They are just 1" wide straps bent up on the ends just past ninety degrees and dipped in that rubber stuff for tool handles. Mine are about 3" long so they extend the reach or the Cole jaws out to the limit of the lathe. Sort of scary, but they work great.

You could turn two rings with flat backs and semicircular fronts and then glue them together, flat side to flat side. Then put a disk of MDF on the lathe and cut in a matching shallow semicircular grove and hot glue or tape them into it and clean them up.

Or you could just lick them on the back like we used to do stamps and stick them to the face plate. (Sorry, got to use that joke before everyone forgets licking stamps.)

I am a little late to the party

Dave Smith, Longview, WA

>Hi Fred,

I have turned rings that are finished on one side using plywood mounted on a face plate for holding the ring. This is a good use for the 6" face plate that comes with some lathes. Attach the ring using double backed tape. I have not done any thing larger than 12" but I don't see any reason why it would not work on larger pieces. Make sure your joints are strong because the double back tape is tenacious. Using a router is an option but it does not leave as good a finish as turning and sanding is soooo much easier and faster on the lathe.

I flatten my rings using a thickness sander. Gluing the rings in sections and clamping them to a flat board when assembling is an alternative since the ring need only be flat on one side.

What type lathe are you turning on? I swivel the headstock of my Jet 1236 to the rear and use the existing tool rest for rings. Of course you will need to access the lathe from the back.

Good luck.

Dave Smith

It is zero tired thirty and the day has just begun in Longview, WA.

Not late, really!

Fred in NC

>Dave:

Thanks for your comments!

I think I will be using the router to rough out the ring, and then finish on the lathe. Powermatic 90, with an outboard faceplate. The ring needs to be finished on both sides. So my current plan is to cut the inside hole as accurately as possible so I can use it to mount on the faceplate. I think a large plywood cut to the outside diameter as a backing and a smaller circle to fit in the hole, and another one, slightly larger, to act as a clamp. I will use some double faced tape too. I will need to reverse it to do the other side.

Again, thanks !!!

I have turned rings that are finished on one side using plywood mounted on a face plate for holding the ring. This is a good use for the 6" face plate that comes with some lathes. Attach the ring using double backed tape. I have not done any thing larger than 12" but I don't see any reason why it would not work on larger pieces. Make sure your joints are strong because the double back tape is tenacious. Using a router is an option but it does not leave as good a finish as turning and sanding is soooo much easier and faster on the lathe.

I flatten my rings using a thickness sander. Gluing the rings in sections and clamping them to a flat board when assembling is an alternative since the ring need only be flat on one side.

What type lathe are you turning on? I swivel the headstock of my Jet 1236 to the rear and use the existing tool rest for rings. Of course you will need to access the lathe from the back.

Good luck.

Dave Smith

It is zero tired thirty and the day has just begun in Longview, WA.

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