The chuck from Tool America arrived on Thursday. I couldn't wait to try it out, so I cut a small flat square from an orphaned walnut board, and turned a shallow dish. It worked really well; so much so that I crafted five more bowl/plates the next day. These were a great warm-up for bowl turning. I haven't seriously turned in a few years, so it felt good to flex the lathe skills. Sushi Plate 1 Sushi Plate 2

Of course, my current goal is turing bowls, so I've been researching food-safe finishes and finishing techniques. I've found that the best bang for the buck is buffing & polishing combined with a wax finish- beeswax, carnuba, or a blend. The carnuba is harder and produces a glossy finish, while the beeswax is soft and satiny. I made a buffing wheel attachment for the chuck and tried out polishing; it worked out better than I expected. The rig performed flawlessly, and the plates are smooth and shiny. Buffing Wheel 1 Buffing Wheel 2