# What's the best way to recenter a turning?



## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

Hi folks,

I'm very new to wood turning, been doing some small projects over the last year but mostly things like picture frames and small fixups.

My problem....I was turning a piece of Yew wood. It was glued to a plate that was 1/2 plywood and 1/2 pressboard. The issue, when I was trying to turn the end for my Nova G3 chuck, it flew off the lathe. What happened was the pressboard gave under the pressure of my turning the end. The piece is about 8 inches long, 3 inches diameter.

Ok, the crux of the matter. Can someone please suggest the best way to get this piece remounted so it's well centered so I don't have to turn off another 1/2" of wood. What I have now is really a beautiful piece of wood that is nicely polished and that's without a finish and if I can get it perfectly centered, or very close, I won't have to re-turn it and refinish it by sanding.

Any thoughts on this would be helpful.

Thanks very much,

KarateEd......


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## nzgeordie (Oct 22, 2006)

Ed. I might be way off the mark here trying to visualize the problem but would it be possible to fix another piece of oversized sacrificial wood to the base, jam-fit your workpiece to the headstock and turn down the sacrificial piece so it's 'true' to your workpiece? You can then reverse the whole shebang with your new base into the chuck.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Ed

It's real hard to get it on dead center again, just let it be and mark it up as a well learned lesson and don't use pressboard for a base turning next time ,  and count yourself lucky it didn't nail you when it came off .

Bj


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

It sounds like you were just turning a tennon for the chuck. If you had it between centers I am suprised you tore it loose just doing that, but I would avoid pressboard and mdf if it was me and don't ever use drywall screws to attach a scraficial block. Just add another WOOD block and get it close as you can to center. Make sure you square it up again and turn the tennon and mount it her up in your chuck. 

Corey


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## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks all for your suggestions, of course I won't be using pressboard again....learned my lesson on that one.....


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

I would never use pressed wood or even plywood for that matter for my sacrificial piece. I have had both seperate on me. I use solid wood for my sacrificial piece. The other thing that may have helped is if you had the tailstock up against the piece holding it. I noticed you didn't say you had it holding the piece. If I am putting a tenon on for a chuck no matter if I am using a faceplate or sacrificial block I always use the tailstock. Keeps the piece in place and as well for safety. Not only that when you put it back on the lathe the back end is centered if you leave the hole the tailstock makes there. When you bring the tailstock up it is centered right back where you left it.


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