Wen 34027, Manual

OPERATION

MOUNTING ON THE FACE PLATE

Use of the face plate is the most common for holding a block of wood for turning bowls and plates. 

This is an alternative option for workpieces with diameters that are greater than the 12-inch throat of 

the lathe.

To mount the stock to the face plate, select a stock that is at least .2 inches (5 mm) larger than each 

dimension of the finished workpiece. Always select the largest diameter face plate that can be used 

for the workpiece at hand.

Fig. 25 

SANDING

 - Leaving clean cuts will reduce the amount of sanding required. Move the tool rest out of 

the way, adjusting the lathe to a low speed. Being with find sandpaper (120 grit or finer), as coarser 

sandpaper will leave deep scratches and dull the features of the workpiece. Progress through each 

grit without skipping grits (as in, don’t jump from 120 grit to 220 grit). Fold the sandpaper into a pad; 

do not wrap sandpaper around your fingers or the workpiece.

FINISHING 

- To apply a finish, the workpiece can be left on the lathe. Turn off the lathe and use a 

brush or paper towel to apply the finish. Remove excess finish before restarting the lathe. Only start 

it at a very low speed with awareness that fresh coats have a tendency to splash and fling if not given 

adequate drying time. Allow it to dry and sand again with 320 to 400 grit sandpaper. Apply a second 

coat of finish and buff.

True one of the surfaces of the workpiece for 

mounting against the faceplate. Using the face 

plate as a template, mark the location of the 

mounting holes on the workpiece and drill pilot 

holes of the appropriate size.

If the mounting screws on the face plate interfere 

with the workpiece, a glue or waste block can be 

used (Fig. 25). Make sure the block is of the same 

diameter as the face plate. Both the waste block 

and the workpiece should have flat surfaces for 

gluing. Glue the block to the workpiece. Avoid 

using brown paper or newspaper between the 

waste block and workpiece. It may work fine if you 

are using scrapers, but a slight catch with a bowl 

gouge can separate the two. 
While face plates are the simplest, most reliable 

method of holding a larger block of wood for 

turning, chucks can also be used. A chuck is not a 

requirement, but is handy when working on more 

than one piece at a  time. Rather than removing 

screws, you simply open the chuck and change 

workpieces. The most popular ones are four jaw 

scroll chucks (dovetails) with a variety of jaws 

to accommodate different size tenons. Most also 

come with a screw chuck as well.

Fig. 24 

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