Berea Hardwoods Jar Opener, Finishing the Ends?

[BKind2Anmls]

I am a novice turner trying to make these darn jar openers for Christmas. I've gotten my centers straightened out thanks to the advice I found here but now I need help on finishing the ends.

I turn the spindle, sand it, finish it and then part off the tail stock end. Then I take it to the bandsaw and cut off the headstock end. This gives me two ends with little flat areas.

I went to my first woodturning club meeting and asked them about chucking the turned blank so I could round over the ends and finish them. They suggested I use the chuck but wrap something soft around the blank so that the chuck ridges wouldn't damage the finished blank.

I wrapped the blank in that spongy "shelf paper" material that you can get at Big Lots for $2 a roll but will get charged $20 for the same thing as a "router pad" (sorry, getting off topic).

I wrapped the blank, put it into my PSI Barracuda chuck with the long pen blank arms (there are two arms) and turned on the lathe. I heard the blank slam into the wall somewhere and it took me quite a while to find it.

I had tightened it in the chuck as much as I dared but I didn't want to hurt the finish.

Is there any way to use the lathe to round over the ends and finish them?

Should I have really cranked down on the chuck?

 

[Dale Allen]

On the first one I did, I left a section of the blank on both ends and turned it between centers. After turning it to shape I left just enough at the ends to keep it turning and finishing most of the blank. I then turned off the ends and sanded and hand finished the small nubs in the end.
Trying to hold the blank in a chuck will only work if there is an area that will stabilize it in the jaws or if there are 2 areas the same diameter, such as the end and the middle. It is tricky and as you found out, dangerous too.

I modified my process and now drill from the end and use a metal rod to hole the handle on. The rod is inside the blank and I put a plug in the hole that matches the blank. I prefer to do these with plastic blanks. I'm thinking they will hold up better and they are easier to finish the ends.

On a side note, you will want to sharpen the teeth on the jar opener jaws because all of mine were too rounded to get a grip on the lids. I think they tumbled them too much and rounded over the points.

This is the last one I did.

 

[Dale Allen]

Another way to hold things like this is to make some of these wooden collets.
I have about 8 of them for large sizes from 1/2" and up.
They fit into my dovetail chuck and I have since replaced the plastic ring with a worm drive clamp. These are made from some scrap mahogony
To make these collets:
The blank is turned round and put into the chuck and turned to shape. Then drill the hole but not all the way through. Then slit the end but don't cut it all the way. Before you take it out to cut the slits, mark the wooden collet with reference marks so it will go back onto the chuck in the same position. I sometimes use a small thin piece of foam around the blank to prevent it from getting marked up but this kind of collet chuck is very gentle as it grabs a lot of the area and does not need much force to hole the blank.
This is primarily used to final finish something and not something to get harsh treatment such as turning down the blank.

 

[BKind2Anmls]

Thanks. I will try and cut down the ends even narrower so I can finish more of the ends before completely parting off. I really hate that I may have to file the teeth on all these things, though. We shouldn't have to do things like that when we buy a kit.

I put some contour into the handle which, as you indicated, is the reason I couldn't chuck the blank

I do have lots of other wood to use to cut my own blanks, but my prettiest dry burls are pen blanks. I'm sorry I can't use them for these gifts. Maybe I'll see about grinding off the top of the opener shaft a little. I also have to contact Berea for a couple of replacement pins.

 

[Dale Allen]

You can grind off the top of the shaft and make it tapered similar to a standard drill bit.
Just don't take off too much or it may weaken the end. They don't give you much room for adjustment on these.

 

[Bob Wemm]

Hi Susan, Don't know if you are turning these between centres or in your chuck. If you are using the chuck then only cut off the tailstock end and finish that, then slowly part off the chuck end, and finish that by hand.
If you are turning between centres then this will not help at all. I reckon Dales method of using a rod is a pretty good one.

Bob.