I'm thinking of making some chess pieces. Can I turn , say a pawn, with a nice round ball head using a spur chuck or will I need a jaws chuck like a 3 or 4 jaw chuck.

Just so you'll know where I'm coming from , I have extensive metal machining experience but just minimal wood truning experience. See in the pic how the pawn has the nice round ball top. others pieces represent the same challenge.

you can turn the pawn between centers, I would uses a small revolving tail stock. A small shew chisel will get you what you want, leave a small diameter of stock between pawn and center, trim off and finish by sanding. If turning between centers the steb center properly will prevent catches.

If you have a 4 or 3 jawed chuck you can turn between first and finish the rounded head of the pawn with a skew, and sand top finish.

Jawed chuck: insert square or round of turning piece end in chuck and turn to suit, reverse the turnings position and remove square or round potion not needed. Skew will work weel with this method as the whole end is available as apposed to turning between centers.

Ed

With the pieces being small and not all that big in diameter, I would suggest turning between centers. Simply leave a good amount of stock between the round head and the point of the live center.

Cut off when removed from lathe and finish with sand paper.

Thanks for the input.

Now factor in that there are 16 pawns in a set. With that quantity would you still do it between centers and then trim and sand?

I would turn between centers trying to get maybe two or three per piece (depending on size and stock used) then finish off in a chuck. I think with a chuck you will get a bett round on the top of the pawn.

Turning between centers supports small diameters. It takes the tool pressure off the stock. Turing with a chuck would be ideal if you can do it without breaking the piece off while turning.

If you remove the piece from the lathe you will have a hard time getting it to turn concentric again on a second set up. Try to get it all done before you remove the piece.

Right now the plan I have in mind is to turn them between centers , maybe multiple to a spindle. Cut them off leaving a little stock on the end of the nearly completed ball end , then into a chuck and blending in the ball top , rounding the ball using sand paper.


Thanks for all the input.

Just saw a better way to turn chess pieces ! :)

Just a guy making chess pieces. [VIDEO] (http://www.wimp.com/chesspieces/)

told ya the skew chisel would work

Depends on the size and how delicate you want to make them.
If they are small and blocky, I'd turn them as pairs between centers
Large and spindly You need to be more careful

I will be attempting to make them just about identical to the ones shown in the picture. the king is just under 4 inches tall and you can scale the rest from that.