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Here’s an idea I use to either
clean up, or entirely remove, the dovetail used for
securing a bowl or platter to a scroll chuck.
Two pieces of equipment are needed:
- A face-plate made from 16mm MDF or plywood which
has been trued up on the lathe and to which has been
adhered a 12mm disc of high density foam.
- A plastic hose adapter that has been stolen from
the garden tap.
 In
use, the idea is that when you first turn the dovetail,
turn another recess just a whisker over 15mm in diameter
and about 1mm deep. This will fit the small end of the
plastic adapter and enables you to find the true centre
later on. When the bowl or platter is all but finished,
install the face place, bring up the tail stock complete
with a suitably sized live centre to the vicinity of
the work, hold the bowl centrally against the face plate
and install the plastic adapter with the small end in
the recess previously made, the larger end going over
the live centre as the tail stock is brought up.
Lock the tail stock down and wind in the live centre
together with the adapter to obtain a snug fit of the
bowl against the face plate. Finally lock the wind in
mechanism for the live centre.
I know this sounds as though you need a dozen hands
but you don’t. It’s surprising how easily
the bowl seeks to centre itself against the face plate.
Using a low to moderate lathe speed, the dove tail
may be re-worked or entirely remove as desired. Apply
whatever finish has been used on the rest of the project,
which leaves only the 15mm piece in the centre which
may be hand sanded if necessary and finished off the
lathe.
This article published with
the permission of Les Swift
(Peninsula Woodturners Guild Inc. Victoria Australia)
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