Plain 4 Rosette
on Paper Chuck
Plain 4 Rosette with Fading
on Paper Chuck
Fading is used to disengage the rosette during certain parts of the object's revolution.
On the MDF rose engine lathe, this is implemented using a wedge. The fading wedge is shown in the picture on the right. It is the part with the scale markings on yellow tape (inside the red box).
To use it, the black, lower thumb screw is loosened and the wedge slid down between the headstock and the body. The amount it is lowered determines the amount of fading.
Once in place, the thumb screw is then tightened to keep the setting in place.
There are other approaches, including use of a retractor, where the fading is increased or decreased by a linkage to the spindle drive. This could be used in conjunction with movement of the cutting frame (i.e., by use of a leadscrew) to create some really amazing art.
As shown in the second picture to the left, the area in blue is where the rosette is outlining the pattern, and the area in red is where the fading wedge has disengaged the rosette.
The picture to the left shows what part of the machine determines the shape of the object. It is an end view of the object, showing the parts of the rotational cycle where there is an exchange on which part drives the shape.
This YouTube video is a quick overview of of fading on the MDF Rose Engine lathe: