Sushi Plate made on a Wood Lathe - A Tutorial

I recently learned how to make a sushi plate. A member of my woodturning club gave a demonstration, and after 3 tries, I was able to make one correctly.

Begin by cutting a piece of the lumber you want to use to a 6” square, or a 6 ½” square. It must be SQUARE and anywhere from ¾” to 1” thick.

Questions ?

Mark the center of the board by going from corner to corner.

Locate the faceplate. If you use a faceplate with 4 holes, placing it so that the lines intersect the holes will put it perfectly in the center.

You are now wondering about my faceplate. It was a part for holding concrete forms. I machined the front and back face and threaded it to fit my lathe. I made several of these at a cost of almost nothing.

Use short screws when you attach the faceplate to the wood. The holes will be removed when you turn this side in the second phase.

Now mount the faceplate onto the lathe.

When you start the lathe you will notice immediately that you cannot see the corners of the piece. They sort of disappear due to the speed of turning. You need to be able to tell where the corners are, so mark the toolrest, as shown below.

Mark the toolrest at the edge of the flat.

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Tips from Old Millrat - James D. Thompson