Button jaws; Is DIY possible ?

[Rhossydd]

Plenty of options here or search under images of rubber feet. Door stops are a larger option.

Indeed, but a lot of these descriptions aren't always as accurate as you'd hope. I've already bought a few bits like this off eBay that really aren't much use.
Ever tried enlarging the hole in a rubber bung ? life's too short....

 

[Dalboy]

I would have thought something more on the lines of http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19mm-1-Hole-Rubber-Stopper-rubber-bung-5-PACK-/191062791442
If you have a shop nearby that supplies DIY wine making bits then look at the fermentation bungs with a single hole in it.
Glad the PDF link was of some help

 

[Spindle]

Ever tried enlarging the hole in a rubber bung ? life's too short....

Wouldn't be my choice of method - a couple of drops of washing up liquid in the hole and wind a set screw through, job done.

Regards Mick

 

[Rhossydd]

I would have thought something more on the lines of http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19mm-1-Hole-Rubber-Stopper-rubber-bung-5-PACK-/191062791442
If you have a shop nearby that supplies DIY wine making bits then look at the fermentation bungs with a single hole in it.

Virtual exactly what I bought first. Unfortunately the holes are too small for the 6mm bolts and lubing them up really isn't an answer for this, you need a little give in them so they compress well.

DIY wine making seems to be lacking in popularity these days anyway. Places like Boots no longer stock anything like that here. There comes a time when chasing around for a rubber bung wastes more money than it saves.
The rubber washer approach seems to work fine for now, but I don't think it will be suitable for thinner items like platters. As and when something better turns up I'll swap them over.

 

[CHJ]

.......Next will be a substantial larger(500mm) chuck to use with the headstock rotated. I'll use 6 pegs for that on a bigger faceplate, but it'll have to wait until I've used this one a bit more to see if there are any flaws to correct or improvements to be made.
.....

I would advise serious caution using a Longworth chuck without tailstock support of the mounted piece.

Having made more than one sample I have never been able to obtain a secure clamping force sufficient to hold a piece without safety support/location.
OK for centralising but the inability to apply a strong rotational force and at the same time tighten the clamping bolts is a very limiting factor.

I also made my own Cole Jaws with 4mm alloy and MDF plates but despite due care failed to get every thread insert spot on for location, (ideally needs a dividing head or equivalent on the pillar drill) worked for base clean-up but not good enough for some of my work and bit the bullet as soon as funds allowed.

 

[JustBen]

Slightly off topic but I've been looking at button jaws.

When using them, do you change the jaws on your chuck every time or do most people own a second chuck to save the faffing about swapping jaws?
Is there an alternative?

 

[Dalboy]

Slightly off topic but I've been looking at button jaws.

When using them, do you change the jaws on your chuck every time or do most people own a second chuck to save the faffing about swapping jaws?
Is there an alternative?

For the amount of time I use them I just change them. If I was to do a lot of turning then I would turn say 4 or 5 pieces then change the jaws and reverse chuck them

 

[CHJ]

Slightly off topic but I've been looking at button jaws.

When using them, do you change the jaws on your chuck every time or do most people own a second chuck to save the faffing about swapping jaws?
Is there an alternative?

Getting an additional set of jaw carries can speed up the swapping and reduce the screw thread wear.

I was fortunate enough to get a 125mm chuck before Axi discontinued, this has the Cole Jaws permanently mounted and overcomes the problem of pieces annoyingly seeming to always have a diameter midway between button positions. (suspect the latter is one of the reasons for the Evolution chuck being 114mm? diam, makes better use of button spacing)

For the amount of time I use them I just change them. If I was to do a lot of turning then I would turn say 4 or 5 pieces then change the jaws and reverse chuck them

Good practice, planning little moves like that can remove a lot of the 'chore factors' and increase the pleasure quotient of turning.

 

[Rhossydd]

Having made more than one sample I have never been able to obtain a secure clamping force sufficient to hold a piece without safety support/location.
OK for centralising but the inability to apply a strong rotational force and at the same time tighten the clamping bolts is a very limiting factor.

Did you miss my comment "but have made up a peg spanner to fit the adjusting holes to allow it all to be tightened." ?

I think the safety of these chucks will depend a lot on the methods of construction and use. In particular; How tight the buttons can be made to grip the work. A combination of being able to tighten them to the work initially, followed by the ability to lock them rigidly and making the button expand to increase the grip further when tightened, and finally only taking light finishing cuts at a suitably low speed, should give a pretty safe method of work.

 

[Dalboy]

Even though I have cole jaws for my chuck I still bring up the tail stock and turn away the bulk then for the very centre move it out of the way and use light cuts

 

[Rhossydd]

Talk of tailstock support is all very well if turning between centres, but when I rotate the headstock to increase the capacity that option isn't possible.
As I showed in another thread here, it's just possible to use a spare tool rest to act as a safety barrier. The bowl rest on the right in the picture below has a polished blunt end and is brought very close to the work. It limits the potential for the bowl to escape the chuck and damage itself or anyone near. Crude, but effective I think.

 

[Soupdragon]

I finished my last bowl by hand sanding the sides of the spigot and then scooping out the base with a spoon carving knife sanding the resulting indentation. It looks a wee bit olde worlde but wasn't too bad. ..

 

[joethedrummer]

10mm ply and tee nuts as Spindle says

 

[Chrisp]

Hi,
I made up a set a while ago that have served me very well, take a look here.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 65e67ec640
Regards,
Chris.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Talk of tailstock support is all very well if turning between centres, but when I rotate the headstock to increase the capacity that option isn't possible.
As I showed in another thread here, it's just possible to use a spare tool rest to act as a safety barrier. The bowl rest on the right in the picture below has a polished blunt end and is brought very close to the work. It limits the potential for the bowl to escape the chuck and damage itself or anyone near. Crude, but effective I think.

IMHO in this situation a donut chuck is a much safer and a more secure way of dealing with no tailstock support. The vessel simply cannot escape because it is sandwiched between the back board and the ring.

 

[petercharlesfagg]

Some years ago when I was turning some Wellingtonia which is soft the Axminster buttons I had were too hard so I substituted with toilet seat rubbers instead!

They worked very well but quickly disintegrated, they also went very hard in the daylight.

Peter.

 

[CHJ]

If I've got something softer to clamp or need a longer reach I often use Demijohn Corks.

 

[petercharlesfagg]

If I've got something softer to clamp or need a longer reach I often use Demijohn Corks.

Now THAT IS a good idea, I wish I had thought of it at the time!

I will know for next time, Thankyou!

Peter.

 

[Deejay]

Morning all

I turned my buttons and stuck a layer of double sided tape round them, leaving the backing strip in situ. It just gives a bit of a soft surface.

The Mk. II buttons will have slightly eccentic holes for fine adjustment.

Cheers

Dave