I'm collecting the famous women's quarters and want to make a display for them, and I'd like to turn this on my lathe. Bear in mind I'd have to make 4 (one for each year of the distribution). I haven't seen any other display designs for these so I concocted my own. Here's what I'm thinking. There will be a circular frame that holds a piece of plywood with an attractive veneer covering it, probably 1/2" thick. Each display will hold 10 quarters with a brass plaque in the center with their names engraved on it. The frame will be 13" OD, 10" ID and composed of segments. I'm thinking 2 identical rings (1/2" thick) with the segments offset to have the seams centered on the adjoining segment...that allows me to skip splines or some end to end joinery on the segments. So here's my question: how would I hold this on a lathe to turn it round and then turn some embellishments on the face of the frame. I could easily do this with a router but the lathe would be more fun. I have a set of cole jaws but not large enough to hold that size ring. Maybe glue (or fasten with short screws) the ring to a piece of plywood and fasten that in some fashion to the chuck, then cut it off after the turning is done???? Anyway, my sketch of the basic, the ring segment calculation, and the segment are shown.

 

PS: hope this made sense.

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

You could hot glue the ring to a ply or MDF backer with a  recess on back for lathe mounting in chuck. The hard part is centering the ring on the backer. Another possible is to do a segmented form as a platter (easier to center) then turn as you like

What size is your Cole Jaws? I like @Gerald's idea of the backer. Careful measurement should get you really close.

If you create the backer, as Gerald suggested, and make it a circle- you will have a center point to work from for positioning both the segmented  glue ups and also the faceplate.

I made something like this to center faceplates

 

Are you limited to segmented rings or can you do a wedged circle? Cut your full thickness wood into the appropriate number of wedges and glue it up like a platter. Drill a 1/2" hole in the center and put a 1/2" bolt and nut through the hole and put the bolt into a chuck and turn as you are wanting to. This gives you the opportunity to shape the face and edges and then reverse the blank to cut a recess for the plywood backer. Use a parting toll to cut the frame free from the rest of the blank and finish.

 

Something like this but with the desired number of wedges.  

 

11 hours ago, lew said:

What size is your Cole Jaws? I like @Gerald's idea of the backer. Careful measurement should get you really close.

 I'll have to look, I know it's small set that fit my talon chucks.

OK, couple of replies to the above. I'm not limited to segmented rings, I chose that method because it's something I'd like to try. That said, Gerald and Tony mention sort-of the same thing, do a platter or wedge circle and I like the mixed woods idea that Tony pic'd. Since I'm doing 4 and I didn't plan on them being identical I may try all the ideas. Lew asked about my cole jaws and the OD large dimension is 9 7/8", my rings will be 13". ID of my rings is 10". But Gerald also mentioned the MDF backer, which is kind where I started only I was thinking plywood, so I have several options here to work from. Thanks Guys, once (if ever) I get started I'll post back with success, or more likely, failures of my attempts.