Help with flattening segmented rings

If you have a drill press a "Safety Planer" is often used. See:

I think the best thing is to turn the segmented ring on the lathe. Mount to a plywood faceplate with double-stick tape or other means, and shear-scrape. Test for flatness by holding a straight shaft across the ring, with light behind it. Once you see an even sliver of light across the ring, it's flat and it should be even thickness as long as you started with a true faceplate.

Ken Grunke

There's an older video on segmented work from a fellow named Romeo Corriveau. He advises turning the rings on the lathe but using a wood sanding block that spans the entire width of the ring. If you press the block into the spinning wood on both the forward edge and the rearward edge you won't have any problem with making the flat skew in or out.

I've done this on a number of different pieces - mostly my glue-blocks and it works very well.

I do segmented work and have learned from Ray Allen's book on segmented turning his way and do recommend it. Mount a faceplate to a 12" round peice of MDF that has a face of formica. Find the high points and use a drop of super T glue with (accelerator on the wood not the formica) in four opposing spots, mark their location on formica. Mount and shear / scrape face near flat and true, Next I use a 4" X 20" X 1/2" phenolic resin coated baltic birch ( I think ) from woodcraft supply , and spray glue some 80 grit to it for final truing.then dislodge it at those marked points with very little effort using a sharpe chisel with a prying motion or a brisk rap on a scrap piece of wood at those locations. Mount that face to a base and then use the above method to true that face, and keep building up the rings. The best thing you can do for yourself is to get his book, Go here and see what it has done for me in less than a year and a half to this phase of turning,

I don't do a lot of segmented work, but to flatten a ring I use a sheet of glass with sand paper glued to it. I do both sides then when I glue it on to what I am making I use sand paper wrapped around a piece of wood that is larger than the diamater of the ring and sand it on the lath. I am going by the fact that my stock that I cut the segments from is the same thickness. You are working with segments that are a little proud at the glue line. I suppose if you had alot to do you could run them through a thickness planer by taking off a small amount. The rings could be layed on a piece of wood with the flat sides toutching and a cleat at the begining and end of the series of rings. This would keep the rings from moving. Remove the cleat, flip the rings, reinstall the cleat and do the other side.

Bruce

See

Thanks Derek, that is just what I was looking for.

Tim

I made a thickness drum sander attachment for my lathe. I turned the drum out of wood and made a simple adjustable height table to sit on the bed. The long strip of sandpaper cut from a 1" roll is simply wrapped around the drum and taped on at each end with strapping tape. No power feed, of course, I just use a push stick. Works great for rings, solid sections (I like to part off rings from a glued up square), or long pieces.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co