China Berry: Empty Bowl #4

[Phillip Kelley]

China Berry is fun to turn but very open grain & tends to tear. I kinda like the live edge look... I have sealed it with 1 coat of MinWax's Polycrylic.
It won't fit on my large jaws so now I have to figure out how to finish the bottom! It is 9 1/8" DIA & lacks about 1/8" fitting on the jaws...might as well be an inch! lol I am going to try & tape it to the jaws & turn gently...

 

[mark james]

Turn yourself a "domed" jam chuck for the headstock (tape also possibly), and use your tailstock with whatever you have and get the bottom close to form and finish the dimple by hand...

Check out Craft Supplies USA - Turners Select Bowl Chuckers Pad. I'm sure PSI and others vendors have similar, or a 4" x 4" from the garage...

 

[plantman]

Phillip; PSI, as well as others I believe, offers several universal and # 2 chuck flat jaw extension sets to increase you capacity to 14 inches. Depending on the swing capacity of your lathe you could also use this method I used on an oversized bowl at one time. I took a piece of 1/2 plywood and cut out the largest circle that would turn in my lathe. Mounted a face plate to the back and put it on the lathe and let it turn slowly as I marked the exact center, the outside rim so it would run true, and guide lines every 1/2 inch so I could center the bowl. Next I took the dick off the lathe and with a square marked it off into four equal parts drawing lines from rim to rim. Now figure out the range of objects you want to turn. Say you want to turn objects between 4 and 12 inches. use your guide lines to find those distances and place a mark at those points. Drill 5/16, holes at these points, and with a jig saw or scroll saw connect the points on your 4 90 degree lines. I used carrage bolts with a rubber hose over them to protect the project. Now you can slide your bolt up and down in the slots to hold your project. It doesn't even have to be perfectly round. Jim S

 

[mark james]

plantman:

Great Jig Project - Thanks!

 

[bobleibo]

How about a donut chuck...easy to make. I mount mine on a simple 4" face flange.

 

[Cmiles1985]

I like that bowl. You've given me some insight as for what to do with my china berry tree...they certainly don't make friendly trees with all of those little berries!

 

[Phillip Kelley]

Ideas!

Thanks for the suggestions & ideas!

 

[W.Y.]

Nice turning.
The color and grain structure and the way you describe it makes it seem a lot like some Catalpa wood I had a while back .

 

[SDB777]

Way to go Phillip!
Please tell me this one is going to make it for 'show-n-tell' next weekend?



Scott (got anymore of it) B