looking for wood plates

[airrat]

I am looking for appprox 14" wooden plates. I can order them from this one company as unfinished maple for $24. I plan on engraving on them. Here are some pictures from the one company.

I do not turn plates so I dont know the difficulty, if the price could be comparable from someone.

 

[mrcook4570]

Why not turn them yourself?

 

[airrat]

Stan I have not turned anything like that before. I might be able to do that in the future but not the time right now to learn.

 

[bneff]

I don't think you'd have much of a learning curve to turn a plate. I've turned several saucers/card trays from 1x6 pieces of wood. Cut the corners off so I had an octagon, glued a waste block to the bottom, mounted on a face plate. Round it to a circle. Turn the back to the profile you want, then do the front. Sand, cut it off the waste block. Then mount it in a donut chuck to finish the middled of the bottom.

I've only been turning a few months & I can do a saucer/tray like this from start to finish in a couple of hours.

Bill

 

[bitshird]

A 14 inch plat, is going to require a pretty big lathe, or you could do it turning outboard with a HF or Grizzly 12 in that has a pivoting headstock.
I think the engraving idea looks good Tom, are these plates that you've done ?

 

[tim self]

Unless you have a lathe able to turn 14", the cost of $24 is very reasonable. Knowing the time involved, at least 2-3 hours per, and the cost of material, I would go with them. I assume you are trying to market the engraving. It is fun to turn something that large though. My biggest so far was a walnut 12'"

 

[Texatdurango]

Stan I have not turned anything like that before. I might be able to do that in the future but not the time right now to learn.

Tom, I'm with you on the learning curve. I haven't turned a platter yet either and doubt my first few would be worthy of sale. Could you provide a link to the site for the pre-turned platters, sounds interesting.

In my neck of the woods you would be lucky to find a maple blank that large for much less than $24, then you have to turn it!

Even being retired and turning for fun, I doubt I would take an order from someone to turn a 14" plate for $24!

 

[Gary Max]

The biggie I see.
Quality of wood.
The folks selling them for $24.00 per have a bunch of money tied up in wood and getting it ready.
I think you are going to be hard pressed to beat that price.

 

[Dario]

Turning platters have their own "quirks". Unlike bowls which are curved and provide more support, thinner platters have minimal support that may require a steady on the back else it might shatter.

$24 for a 14" platter is a good bargain IMHO.

 

[babyblues]

I've found platters to be easier to turn than bowls. And quicker. You don't have to take nearly as much wood off a platter as a bowl and platters are also easier to sand. I've turned three out of oak and haven't had a problem with any of them.

 

[JimB]

I've only turned 1 plate and it was in a bowl turning class I took when I started turning. It was one of the easiest things I've done. If you have a big enough lathe and the size wood you need then I say give it a try.

 

[artistwood]

found these.....

http://www.hofcraft.com/woodenplates-basswood.htm