Question: Fix turning for small sculpture

Chujybear

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Fixturing for small sculpture

I am working, doing the embroidery (engraved details) on a small totem pole that I carved. I am using something like the decammalis wood blocks in my vise.
This allows me to turn the piece and access the sides, as well as, somewhat, get my Gravers in and carve up from the backside of the carving (if that makes sense).

My question, is there a way I can rig this up so that the piece doesn't move out of my centre of rotation when I tip it over on its side? image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg
 
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atexascowboy2011

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Chuy,
I'm lost as to what you're talking about, but I'm a big fan of "urethane".
By putting blocks of say 1/2", 70 - 85 durometer urethane in the jaws they will conform to your carving securing it, without deforming your work.
As to your centering problem, maybe you can seek a vision in the closest neighborhood sweat lodge .
It'll give you a good excuse to smoke a little peyote anyway ! :cool:
 

Doc Mark

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The answer is YES if I understand exactly what your trying to do. I am assuming that you're trying to keep rotation fixed within the line of sight of a microscope. If so, you need to lock the turning ability of the vice rotation and put the entire vice on a separate turntable. You first align the true center of the turntable to the microscope view and then don't' move the scope again. Now put the entire vice on the turntable and center the area of interest that you are working on. Once centered, you can turn the turntable and vice and the area of interest stays within view.
 

Chujybear

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I'm pretty scared to squeeze it. Tho that would be a pretty natural solution. Maybe I'll get some urethane and try it on a piece that I'm not already so invested in. This guys pretty close anyways. But after repositioning multiple time for every curve I cut, I'm ready for a solution.
Maybe urethane will be fine. I had been hand holding it before, just filled the inside with shellac to stop me from crushing it.
I'll abandon my slide bar contraption until I've tried urethane.
 

Chujybear

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Didn't know peyote was a smoke able. I'm sure that would be the true solution to my problem.
 

Chujybear

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Doc. Thank you. That would sort it out for sure. I move around quite a bit. Looking for an on-vise solution.
 

atexascowboy2011

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If you've been hand holding , get some 70 durometer.
Usually you can pick up several different durometers in one sale on fleabay fairly cheap and cut to fit.
I thought y'all used peyote in yall's peace pipes and sweat lodges.
 

glstrcowboy

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If I understand the problem, a four jaw lathe chuck be a good solution. With two jaws removed it would be equivalent to what you have now only without that pesky self-centering.
 

KCSteve

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It looks to me like you've got the working surface pretty far above the top of the vise jaws. That puts it far from the center of rotation of the vise which means it moves further when you tip it. If you can nestle it deeper in (probably with the urethane) then it won't move as far up/down when you tip the vise.

In a perfect world the surface you're working on would be at the center of a sphere so no matter how much you tipped it, it would stay at the same height.
 

monk

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not sure of your need, or if this would even work for you-- but this toy is the cats meow for carvers. like all quality, they are pricey.
 

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atexascowboy2011

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The decoy carvers figured this out years ago.
Get a Wilton Powrarm 236 ? . Or maybe it's called a "Jr" ?
The shaft has 2 holes to bolt a holding fixture to hold or spindle like a lathe.
Lay the stem down in the slot, stand it at a 45° or whatever angle, rotate 360° and carve away !
Shoot me your email and I can send you a couple of pics detailing it's versatility.
Once it's in the position you want it, flip the locking lever and it is as secure as your base.
thekokopellicowboy@gmail.com
I have 2 and considering getting a third !
Norvel Foster, down in San Antonio uses one to engrave pistols on.
 

tsterling

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Hi Gwaai,

Try the Low Profile Turntable Vise vise by Lindsay - it's designed so anything that is close to the top surface of of the clamp is at the center of rotation as you lean the vise to the side so it stays in focus under the microscope. You could just mount your chased totem pole on a square block of wood and lean the vise rather than the wood block. Here's a link: http://www.airgraver.com/Engraving_Blocks.htm



I have one, and am very pleased with it.

Also, have you tried GRS Thermoloc rather than the shellac? I would think it would be pretty easy to put a thin layer on a wood block (sticks permanently to wood, but not metal), then push your chased shell down into the heated Thermoloc, and maybe pile it up along the edge in a few strategic spots where you're not going to engrave, just for a little added security. I use a heat gun to soften the Thermoloc. Once it's cool, it will peel off metal quite easily.

Best of luck!

Tom
 

Chujybear

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hey Tom..
lindsay's vise looks dandy for use with a turntable.. really amazing that it took so long for that product to arrive on the scene..
what i'm looking for is something to get around using the turn table.. i move a lot between three towns.. have a scope and vise in each place, not a turntable.
 

Silberschweif

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I think i have an easy and cheap thing you can use.
Take a clamp and glue or weld 2 nouns at the inside of the clamp. Now you need two little wooden chips in thickness of your workpiece and drill them in the middel not deep only that the noune can get in. Use Glue to fix the wooden piecees at the workpiece and put it inside the clamp. now you can engrave the workpiece from every side and in every direction always in the midel of the scope if you put it in the vice.
I hope you understand my words. If not i will sketch it for you

chris
 

Chujybear

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Chris,
I'm not sure I follow you. Nouns, are probably nodes right?
I'm picturing wooden spacers goig in on one side or the other to take up th balance and place the sculpture to the centre?
That would work for sure. Tho honestly, I think you are talking about something different
G
 

Silberschweif

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IMG_4878.jpg sorry i have the words from an translation site
set up my computer new but i will take a picture for you my scanner issn´t online now
 

tsterling

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Hi Gwaai,

How about buying three Shimpo banding wheels, one for each studio? I have one of these (BW-22L) for traveling, and it works quite well - not quite as good as my big Lindsay turntable, but very useable. Here's a link to one for $58.88 USD (bottom of the page) - http://www.clay-king.com/turntables.htm
 
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