• Are you looking for a coupon code to buy my software? You can get one from lots of 3rd party sites but they won't work. My software never goes on sale and has never been discounted. The only coupon codes that are given is when I give a club presentation and I offer a discount to the attendees. Other than that, everyone pays the same price.

gaps between rows

D

dalegillaspy

Guest
So I did my first few glue ups. I used the seg-easy sled to cut my segments and most of the rings went together the first time. A few I had to fine tune using the half ring method. My problem is with glue joints between rings. I have a drum sander so I ran everything through the drum sander to make sure everything was uniform and all of the tops and bottom of the rings were flat. One vessel did just fine, the other one appeared fine during the glue up. I used a home made segment stomper, and as I was turning it, there are 2 rings that did not glue all the way around and I can see daylight though about 1/5 of the side of the ring. I can't figure out why it happened, or exactly how to proceed. I can try and fill it with shavings and CA like non segmented turners would do, or I am wondering if I can part that ring off on the lathe and try and re flatten it and glue it back on. Other than that, it is a decent looking piece and I hate to throw all that work away.
 
Rings usually need flattening before glueup. Often a drum sander can be used, or cole jaws and sandpaper glued to a flat board to sand it flat. Either way the ring needs another sanding after being glued onto the previous layer, best and easiest way is with the flat board and sandpaper. Some folks are adept enough to turn it flat with a gouge. I dont trust my skills that much.
 
"Thank you. I had been flattening them with the drum sander but I didnt know I had to flatten them after gluing each ring. I have done several without doing that without a problem.
 
- I generally will run the rings through a drum sander (both sides) to get them down to the planned height.
- I will check the ring for flatness by using a steel ruler placed on edge on the ring. Hold the ring and ruler up to a bright light I look for any light coming through. I check the ring with the ruler at 90 degree (gives you two check spots). If not flat I will sand the ring on a sanding platform (sanding paper glued to a flat surface. I use sandpaper for a 18" disc sander).
- You can also glue a ring on, mount the vessel on the lathe. Using a pencil mark the top of the ring. Sand away the marks while the lather is turning at a low speed.

I have glued a ring to the vessel, put the vessel in a press for 15 to 30 minutes, place on lathe and sand the ring, repeat.
 
Guess I need to find a drum sander, I WAS using a 12 inch board with sandpaper taped to a glue block on the lathe. I had flat rings but they were not even and one side was taller. Also without vacuum it is a dusty mess and me and the shop pays the price.
 
If after you add a ring to a bowl and it is not running true there is nothing wrong with taking a light cut with your bowl gouge to flatten the ring. Then a very light touch with the sanding board should do the trick.
 
Just use a drum sander. when you get to the proper thickness leave the sander setting as it is and rotate the ring 90 deg. and run it through the sander 4 times to compensate for your drum not being parallel to the conveyor belt.
 
I agree with Pete M and use the same procedure. It’s all but impossible to get my Jet 16/32 drum perfectly parallel to the belt. Even so, after gluing a ring to the piece in progress, I put it on the lathe and use a pencil and sanding board to assure flatness. This process has solved my problems with rings not being completely flat and the top and bottom not necessarily parallel with each other.
 
I have watched every youtube that Earl has made and follow to the tee. I have never had a problem gluing up rings. I do have a Drum sander and still sand each ring with a sanding board after it is glued to the previous ring. I have a Delta drum sander and use Brass bars to set the the platen with the drum without sandpaper on the drum. Near perfect flatness but do run it rotate several times as I hate the sanding board and only need light sanding. Just my two cents...
 
Maybe I have just been plain lucky but my most recent closed segment bowl was made by flattening one side of a ring either on a disc sander or a large flat board with sandpaper attached depending upon size and then using a drum sander to flatten the other side and the 2 faces parallel. I understand the issue of getting the drum and platen absolutely parallel and gave up in the end. So I do what was suggested and rotate the ring. With this approach I have never had to flatten on the lathe. I use a home made stomper with Lloyd's Longworth device for attaching rings. There has been a lot of discussion about sanding but I feel that quality stock prep is the first important step. This is where I also use the drum sander. Getting all boards the same thickness and cutting with a sharp, good quality blade on the table saw gets you off to a good start. After gluing up a ring I put into a press to try and get it as flat as possible before sanding - cuts down on the sanding effort. I use Titebond III for glue because it gives more open time, which is needed so that the ring can be somewhat flattened in the press.
 
For me it depends on the size of the ring and the thickness i want. When a ring is 12mm thick or so, i use the drumsander to flatten the rings.
When gluing them i alwas check on the lathe and sand if necessairy with a board and sandpaper. It must be perfectly flat. I added the picture of a tripod vase that was made like that.

On the other hand i made a gluing jig like Tom Lohman to glue smaller and thinner segments. The bowl is on the lathe every row. A disc in the cole jaws pressed against it for the time of a cup of coffee. Very sharp spindle gauge and a little sanding does the trick. Then back in the jig for the next row. picture 2 shows the endresult of a vase made with the jig.

That all is for closed rings. Now i bought a rotary table for making the plates for open turning with a router.
Also i made a gluing jig like Earl for open turnings but i have not tried it yet. too much other things to do.
 

Attachments

  • 20210711_161523.jpg
    20210711_161523.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 12
  • 20211023_173931.jpg
    20211023_173931.jpg
    5.2 MB · Views: 12
I just got a nice size piece of granite that was an off cut. I used contact cement to glue sheets of 80 grit sandpaper to the slab and will use this to flatten one side of the ring. I can put a 16 inch ring on it with our with out running off the end but you could sand much larger rings without issue.
 

Attachments

  • granite slab.jpg
    granite slab.jpg
    5.3 MB · Views: 8
Back
Top