The final step in the process was to reverse the turning to remove the divot. However, this particular piece was so large that my regular Nova Cole Jaws couldn’t handle the job so I would have turned to my Longworth jaws had I not had such terrible experiences with trying to get those to work.
Longworth Chuck
The last attempt to use the Longworth had frustrated me so badly that I finally went ahead and ordered the Easy Wood Tools Easy chuck with the Easy Jaws attachment and extension. This new tool worked perfectly. It was as easy to use as the Nova Cole Jaws but much larger in diameter than anything offered by Nova. This new tool held the platter firmly and I was easily able to remove the divot from the piece without any of the frustration of use and lack of hold associated with the Longworth jaws. While I do find the pricing on the Easy Chuck to be steep when compared with a Nova chuck I don’t know of any other tool that would so easily allow for making the final reverse cuts, sanding and finishing.
This was an exciting piece because it is the biggest I have made thus far and because I was able to test a brand new tool in the form of the Easy Chuck and Jaws. I am very pleased overall with the entire experience although I am not 100% sure that I like the darkness of the final finish that I chose. I encourage anyone who turns wood to consider trying walnut as I think it is easily one of the most lathe-friendly woods out there. And by all means if you are turning and reversing large items up to 20″ diameter at least investigate the use of the Easy Chuck and Jaws.