Basic techniques for Faceplate Turning

Drill a hole in the center of your stock (from the “face” side) to the finished depth of your inside contour. This hole will serve as your “depth indicator” as you turn your object down to its final profile.

Mounting the stock. There are three basic ways to mount your workpiece to the Faceplate.

1): If the bottom of your finished object is to be an inch or more thick once it's turned, the stock can be mounted directly to the Faceplate using #12 x 1" flathead screws (See Fig. 3).

2): If the bottom of your finished object is to be less than an inch thick once it's turned, use yellow woodworker's glue to attach your turning blank to a piece of scrap stock with a piece of brown kraft (grocery sack) paper “sandwiched” between the turning blank and the scrap (See Fig. 4).

Clamp the pieces together firmly overnight, then screw the scrap to your faceplate using #12 x 1" to 1-1/2" wood screws. When the turning is completed, the two pieces of stock can be separated easily by inserting a chisel or similar object between the scrap and your finished project. NOTE: The larger your finished turning is to be, the thicker your scrap piece...and longer your attaching screws...should be.

3): Another approach involves the use of High Adhesion Double-Stick Tape to hold your stock while turning. When using this method, you can either attach the turning black directly to your Faceplate...or screw a scrap piece to the Faceplate, then attach your turning blank to the scrap using this tape.

THREE CAUTIONS:
1: Do not try this approach on thick or large workpieces that are more than 1-1/2 times the diameter of the Faceplate you're using. Also, don't try this approach with workpieces that are longer (or deeper) than 8".
2: Do not use commonly available double-stick carpet tape for this method. It is not strong enough to hold your turning blank and could come loose during turning, causing personal injury. Use only High Adhesion Double-Stick Tape.
3: Always cover the entire diameter of your Faceplate or scrap piece with tape and use a clamp or vise to apply sufficient pressure to ensure a solid bond between your turning stock and the scrap or Faceplate.

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