Turning a hollow blank

[Ohgary]

I don't have a four-jaw chuck. I want to turn a carbide tool handle or maybe a lamp base. The blank is hollow having been made of two halves with a longitudinal dado in each. I have seen others glue a plug into the opening in which to engage the centers. That would require, apparently, making the blank a bit too long so the plug(s) can be severed to restore the hollow center. Is there another technique?

[moggymatt]

Do you have a 3" or 6" faceplate?

[Ohgary]

I have 2 or 3 faceplates, one is new in the box. I haven't paid much attention to them so far. I'm still doing my first spindle turning... I will measure them in the morning and report.

[benush26]

If you are considering plugging the ends I presume you mean to use a drive spur and center (live or dead), however if you are careful, you can glue end caps and still use the spur and center.

Just a thought.

Be well,
Ben

[Mike907]

You could screw a piece of scrap wood to a faceplate and turn it into a cone to use as a jam chuck. If you have the Nova live center, you can use the cone on the tailstock end, or if you have the Shopsmith live center, you can turn another cone for the tailstock end. Since you will be turning between jam chucks, a light touch will be needed.

Mike

[charlese]

I'm with Ben! My first thought was to glue caps over the ends and use the drive spur and dead or live center.

To make the end caps, simply turn a piece with a slightly larger diameter and glue to the ends by putting paper between the caps and the work piece. With paper in the glue joint, the caps should be easy to remove with a single chisel strike.

The real trick is to glue the round caps on center with your work piece. You can do this by drilling 1/8" holes in the center of the caps and center that hole onto your turning. You should have 1/8" holes anyway to center and mount the drive and tail. If your caps are a little larger, they can also be aligned using the outside edges.

[Ohgary]

Do you have a 3" or 6" faceplate?

I have two 3-3/4 inch face plates 505590 in the boxes.

[Ohgary]

I'm with Ben! My first thought was to glue caps over the ends and use the drive spur and dead or live center.

To make the end caps, simply turn a piece with a slightly larger diameter and glue to the ends by putting paper between the caps and the work piece. With paper in the glue joint, the caps should be easy to remove with a single chisel strike.

The real trick is to glue the round caps on center with your work piece. You can do this by drilling 1/8" holes in the center of the caps and center that hole onto your turning. You should have 1/8" holes anyway to center and mount the drive and tail. If your caps are a little larger, they can also be aligned using the outside edges.

I knew you folks would know the answer! Will regular yellow wood glue do the job?

[charlese]

I knew you folks would know the answer! Will regular yellow wood glue do the job?

Absolutely!

[everettdavis]

Post some pictures of your project and let us know what worked for you.

Since it was dados glued together, you do have a square hollow center if I am understanding you.

Since it is split and glued together, even an internal 4 jaw chuck on the inside could split it open when torqued. On the outside, you may lose access to surface you need to tool.

The plug method is likely the most stable option.

I once had a maple lamp stand with a square hole that I was able to use a 1/2" threaded rod through with both star and spacer washers and threaded nuts and jam nuts on each end, and I used the drill chuck and a bore hole live center in the rod.