How I turn pots with a waste block

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Madarchery recently asked me to provide a little detail/instruction on how I turn my pots, utilizing a waste block.  Here goes...

I turn my pots using a chuck, so I need a 1/4" thick dovetail-shaped tenon on the underside of my pots. 

I use a waste block for one of two reasons:
1) If my stock is only 3/4" thick (4/4 surfaced) and there isn't enough material to sacrifice to make the tenon
2) If the piece of stock I'm using has some neat figure that I want to appear on the bottom of the pot, and I don't want to cut away 1/4" of neat     looking material to make the tenon.

In these pictures I'm using a piece of curly claro walnut that has some really curly sapwood that I want to show up on the bottom and side of the finished pot.  Time for a waste block.  I glued squares of 3/4" poplar to the back of the bandsawn pot blanks.  1/4" poplar would've been ideal but I didn't want to make too much noise resawing and wake the kids. 

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

You can see that I drilled a 5/16" hole through both pieces after the glue dried.  The 5/16" hole matches up neatly with the centering spur on my spur drive, and the tailstock matches that size nicely too.  I use Titebond III glue by the way.  The hole is so I can turn the whole thing between centers to shape the waste block into a circular tenon.  The waste block is turned from square to round by using a sharp parting tool.  On this one I parted it off to about 3/8" thick because the extra thickness complicates marking my hole pattern later on.  The tenon is shaped using the skew chisel as a scraper.  

Honestly, from square block to finished tenon takes all of about 40 seconds.  

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Here's how it chucks up in my dovetailed jaws.  Really solid! 


At this point I round out the bandsawn blank, turn the outside of the pot to shape, hollow it out, fit up my slate, form the pedestal, and sand the top half of the call completely.  I also take it off the chuck during the hollowing process and drill my sound holes.  I just drill right through the tenon...The chuck will grip it just fine despite the holes.  I also drill out my center hole on the lathe to match the diameter of my other sound holes.

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

When I'm all done hollowing, forming the insides, sanding and drilling I take the pot off the chuck and flip it around.  I am lucky to have two chucks for this operation, but that's not a necessity.  I use a set of pin jaws to expand into the pedestal to grip the inside of the pedestal.  But you can also expand the jaws out and grab right under the lip that the slate sits on.  Just depends on your chuck but there are a few ways to do it with differently configured chucks.  You could also make a jam chuck out of wood if your pots' insides are more consistent than mine.  (I don't measure anything so the jam chuck won't work for me)

Now that I have my pot reversed on the chuck it is time to remove the waste block material.  I use a bowl gouge since we're cutting end grain here, and light cuts are a good idea.  I've never had one come off the chuck but I'm still careful.  Then I use a 1" rounded scraper to shape the back side of my pot.  The backs of my pots aren't flat.  If your pots are flat use a square scraper.  Sanding of course follows.

I've made a couple hundred pots this way and it works great for me.  I don't do the waste block thing every time, but when dealing with unique or expensive woods it can help you use wood you otherwise couldn't because of its thickness.  It also gives me more bang for the buck with my wood...For instance my claro walnut comes to me at about 2" thick more or less...I can resaw it in half and utilize waste blocks and double my yield from each piece of claro.  

Hope this gives one or two of you some ideas or help...Holler if you need more info or if something doesn't make sense.

[Braz]

Very nicely done. I'm going to make this sticky for now.

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Have you tried the 2 face tape.  I hear others are successful.  I am just not real comfortable using tape and having it hold solid and with out movement.  But maybe I am over thinking again.  

I have tried tape on other turnings with mediocre success.  When I have the choice between tape and glue I'm going with glue every time.  Sometimes the tape holds pretty well...Sometimes too well and it can be a challenge to remove your waste block.  Sometimes it doesn't hold worth a darn.  Given all the potential vibration and uneven forces on the call pot during hollowing with a parting tool, glue just offers security that tape doesn't.  

I've tried CA glue with mixed results.  If you use CA gel it works ok.  

Buying 4/4 stock is definitely a money saver.  Nothing worse than a huge pile of expensive wood in the form of shavings that are useless.  Just gotta use a light touch, and scrapers are really good for that because they don't take too much wood off.

[Repeat]

I have seen on u-tube guys using hot glue for waste blocks but never tried it yet has any of you tried it yet and does it hold good enough to turn?
Repeat

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Repeat I personally wouldn't do it just because I'm fearful of the glue letting go when I don't have the tailstock live center against the workpiece.  Plus I'd think it would gum up when turning it off of the workpiece.  Wood glue is as strong as the wood itself, so I know it won't let go. 

[JThomas]

I do almost the same way that KC does this but I use a jig and a thicker peace of wood to turn my calls from and cut my what I call a lockjaw the same way kinda but yes I do loose about 1/4 inch of wood on the bottom. The only difference is no glue..As KC said use GOOD glue if you do a glue joint cause I have seen wood fly..... This is a good way to do it if you use wood that is only as thick as you want your call. I have done it many times with great sounding calls and same chuck that KC uses.When I get time to make up a few I will also try to post it..Good post KC I like it..
Jeff

[Truefire]

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.  We appreciate this approach.   I typically turn pots using another method and haven't really considered this setup.

Nice, it really allows one to manipulate the movement of their exhaust holes when using this procedure by freeing up the entire bottom of the call when turning.

Great post and thanks for the all of your work involved in the picture taking and uploading.

Chris

[lazyMlazyK]

Great post there!

[stone road turkey calls]

Great info, should help out us call makers.

[Rlbuker]

I do much of the same process using hot glue and wood blank but I cut a circular piece and screw to faceplate , then I hot glue blank pot call to faceplate hardwood circular piece. Works well and never had a piece let go/ come off lathe and I've turned a truck load using that method.