Distortion to recess while drying rough blank

Dickymint · 22 Mar 2006

Helloooo,

A few days ago I set out on my first "meths bath to dry green wood" attempt.

All has gone well with no splits and the weight of the piece has already reduced dramatically:

19/3 170g
20/3 135g
21/3 105g
22/3 100g

As predicted by the forum, the hollowed blank has distorted, in this case with 13mm movement:

Now 95mm X 108mm.

Given that I had left more wood on the blank I could have turned this out however, how do you get over the distortion of the (chuck) recess? On my trail run it has moved 2mm.

Thanks,

Richard.

Argee · 23 Mar 2006

I'd mount it carefully in some Cole jaws and re-true it, if it had a "plain" edge, but with that natural edge, I doubt that would work. If you'd turned a spigot instead of a recess you might have got a reasonable grip, even if the spigot was a little distorted.

Could be that one is "down to experience."

Ray.

Alan Holtham · 23 Mar 2006

I have a series of hole templates cut in thin MDF for just this purpose. Centralise the hole over the recess, fix it with some double sided tape or a couple of blobs of superglue, then use a router with a dovetail bit to run round the inside, guided by a guidebush in the base of the router. Works every time provided the base hasn't warped too much.

When the turning is finished rechuck it on a foam cone and hold it in place with the tailstock to true up the base and remove the recess, finishing the pip left around the tailstock centre by hand.

cheers,

Alan

Adam · 23 Mar 2006

Alan Holtham":2rbk9ztc said:
I have a series of hole templates cut in thin MDF for just this purpose. Centralise the hole over the recess, fix it with some double sided tape or a couple of blobs of superglue, then use a router with a dovetail bit to run round the inside, guided by a guidebush in the base of the router. Works every time provided the base hasn't warped too much.

When the turning is finished rechuck it on a foam cone and hold it in place with the tailstock to true up the base and remove the recess, finishing the pip left around the tailstock centre by hand.

cheers,

Alan

What a great idea. Obvious now you've mentioned it!

Adam