[MidKnight]

Hello all

Sorry if this is a rookie question, but I'm a rookie.

I'm trying to turn a three piece Christmas ornament. This is only my third turning, after two stoppers. I think I've bit off more than I can chew.

The bulb turned out great. The finial, okay. But I'm trying to turn the icicle part and running into trouble. Mostly the trouble revolves around the fact that the only way I could figure how to mount a pen blank for this was to use my stopper mandrel.

Is there a better way to hold a small blank in the lathe without a chuck? I don't have one yet. The equipment I have is a spur center, a faceplate and a jacobs chuck.

Any thoughts?

 

[Dave Paine]

Some sort of jam chuck. This thread by Rus Demka should give you an idea.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/buttons-lathe-43785/

You may need to attach this to your faceplate with slots and screws. I think Rus mounted in a scroll chuck.

 

[sawdustfactory]

What about just turning it between centers and finishing it off the lathe?

 

[NCPaladin]

I would use the jacobs chuck in the headstock. You will need to keep light pressure from tailstock until it is almost finished.

You may want to take a look at this. Fairly long (1.5 hours) but he covers almost every chucking method.

 

[MidKnight]

Well, I solved my own problem. I got a chuck (gee, that was quick). However, I'm having issues with that. Check for the thread about the Nova G3 and runout.