Question for bowlturners

[Fibonacci]

What material do you use for waste blocks?

I though I broke my ulna when I had a maple bowl come flying off the lathe the other day. I was using a pine waste block and it split, sending the 6x4 bowl careening off my arm across the shop.

It came to rest in the new light fixture I was going to hang the next day...

I am waiting for my chuck to arrive before messing with that one again, but I see wanting to turn with waste blocks in the future and would prefer to avoid this issue.

 

[JF36]

I use Hard maple and have not yet had a problem

 

[Bree]

Soft Maple and Cherry are about the same hardness which is more than twice the Janka hardness of Eastern White Pine. Hard Maple, Ash or Oak are harder and also relatively cheap. I happen to have a lot of White Oak so I use that most of the time. Really most any domestic hardwood other than poplar will work. Fir and Yellow Pine will work as they are considerably harder than the white pines. I use Douglas fir for jam chucks a lot. Works well.

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[nativewooder]

I cut pieces of scrap 2 X 4 and 2 X 6 from a truss plant. I turn them round and true the sides. Glue with epoxy or thick CA glue and let the glue cure. Have never had any problems (yet)!:wink:

 

[randyrls]

What material do you use for waste blocks?

Jason; It's not only the material, but the size you use that is important. Set your chuck so the jaws form a perfect circle, then measure the diameter. The waste block should be slightly larger than that diameter. This gives you the strongest grip on the block.

Although it sounds counter intuitive, using a recess in the bottom of the bowl can be stronger than a waste block.

 

[Craftdiggity]

I almost never use waste blocks. I turn a tenon or recess at the bottom.

 

[lorbay]

I almost never use waste blocks. I turn a tenon or recess at the bottom.

Same here, and you can also incorporate the tenon into the foot if you wish.
Lin.

 

[Fibonacci]

What material do you use for waste blocks?

Jason; It's not only the material, but the size you use that is important. Set your chuck so the jaws form a perfect circle, then measure the diameter. The waste block should be slightly larger than that diameter. This gives you the strongest grip on the block.

Although it sounds counter intuitive, using a recess in the bottom of the bowl can be stronger than a waste block.

The problem up until now is that I only had a faceplate, so a waste block was necessary.

My wife came home while I was trying to decide whether or not to go to the hospital due to my inability to move my left hand. I ordered a chuck about an hour later...

When I borrow my friend's chuck, I generally use a tenon, but I am usually making small things. This was only my second attempt at making a bowl.