dgscott
Member
How do you secure a tagua nut in the lathe? Seems to be you can't use a drive center without going deep into the nut, and it's an awfully odd shape to chuck.
Feeling dumb,
Doug
Feeling dumb,
Doug
question on tagua nuts
- Thread starter dgscott
- Start date
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spiritwoodturner
Guest
The only experience I've ever had with Tagua nuts is as the buttons on my Hawaiian shirts! How big are they? What are you trying to do with them? Could you use a very small screw chuck? Are they big enough to get a tenon into them?
Heck, I have more questions than answers, I just don't know much about them?
Elaborate, please!
Dale
Heck, I have more questions than answers, I just don't know much about them?
Elaborate, please!
Dale
Skye
Member
Use a bandsaw, hand saw, grinding wheel, driveway pavement, whatever and grind a flat spot on the nut at one of the points.
Make a waste block in a 4 jaw chuck, put medium CA on both the nut and block, mate them together, then blast with accelerator.
If you have a screw chuck, you can also make a mini waste block, screw it on, then glue the nut onto that block.
You may be able to get a tennon on them, but they're so small that it would be better to put a tennon on some wood, then glue the nut to the wood. You need to do all you can to keep from wasting any of the nut. Most of them are the size of walnuts with a few jumbos being about the size of small chicken eggs. They're creamy white, most have a void in the middle, they'll also turn caramel color if heated with friction.
Make a waste block in a 4 jaw chuck, put medium CA on both the nut and block, mate them together, then blast with accelerator.
If you have a screw chuck, you can also make a mini waste block, screw it on, then glue the nut onto that block.
You may be able to get a tennon on them, but they're so small that it would be better to put a tennon on some wood, then glue the nut to the wood. You need to do all you can to keep from wasting any of the nut. Most of them are the size of walnuts with a few jumbos being about the size of small chicken eggs. They're creamy white, most have a void in the middle, they'll also turn caramel color if heated with friction.
marcruby
Member
The first two thoughts that came to mind was using dopping wax to set the nut on a stick, much like gem faceters do. The second was to drill a hole into or through the nut and then glue a nail into it,
Marc
Marc
Dario
Member
Depends on what you are planning on turning.
One way is to drill a hole and use a mandrel similar to that use for bottle stoppers, shape the outside and create a flat bottom on the other end to attach a waste block...then reverse.
One way is to drill a hole and use a mandrel similar to that use for bottle stoppers, shape the outside and create a flat bottom on the other end to attach a waste block...then reverse.
dgscott
Member
Thanks, guys -- coupla different approaches there. I'll let you know what works best.
Dale: Known as "vegetable ivory," they've been used for buttons for years. About the size of a good sized walnut, they are used these days for carvings, pendants and the like. If you want to see some remarkable stuff, type in "tagua" on ebay -- some of the carvings, netsukes, etc. are amazing.
Dale: Known as "vegetable ivory," they've been used for buttons for years. About the size of a good sized walnut, they are used these days for carvings, pendants and the like. If you want to see some remarkable stuff, type in "tagua" on ebay -- some of the carvings, netsukes, etc. are amazing.