Turning Blanks

[jeff...]

I had a couple of members PM me about a while back about how to make turning blanks, so I decided it was time I posted some pics on how I make em.

Comments / corrections / beatings with wet noddles are always welcome.

First sharpen your chain to a good rip angle don't try this with a cross cut (standard grind angle chain) right around 20 degrees works pretty well - suit up with the necessary safety gear, boots - chaps - face mask - ear muffs - gloves and the like. Understand the dangers of running a chainsaw / don't cut off your arm - they don't sell arms at walmart :gar-La;

Secure your log cookie with wedges or whatever (Wood is best - not steel for obvious reasons). Cookies should be approximately 1/2 as long as the they are wide. So if you got a 40" diameter log, right around a 20" long cookie will make a pretty good turning cube . But if you want a turning square longer than it is deep, just cut your cookie off the log a little longer like shown in the pics to follow. Think about your swing handicap on your lathe, just how big a square can you turn? Make 3 cuts like this...

Then make your 4th cut - you don't want to split the log cookie down the middle - you want to make cuts on either side of the pith (center of the cookie) Pith in your turning squares is bad - it's usually splits and that will mess up your master piece. (Hint: don't buy pith ridden turning squares)

Finish off your two center cuts - the pith ridden piece in the middle makes for good fire wood kindling - or if your over zealous, trim out the pith for pen blanks Now trim the sides like this.

Here's what your left with - an unsealed turning blank (you get two of these per cookie).

Important... immediately seal the entire square in Ancoseal.

There you go - it once was round, then it was square but some darksider will make it round again.

Make sure your buddy is around to be on the look out for bad'ens (fury four legged creatures)

Thanks

 

[DaveO]

Good post Jeff... Couldn't you do it easier and safer on your mill. I am picturing ripping some 12/4 or 16/4 slabs and then just cross cutting them to length.

Dave

 

[TracyP]

Jeff, that is a very instructive post. Maybe you should make a Jeff Tube video:rotflm:. Were you a teacher in another life?:dontknow::eusa_clap.

 

[jeff...]

Good post Jeff... Couldn't you do it easier and safer on your mill. I am picturing ripping some 12/4 or 16/4 slabs and then just cross cutting them to length.

Dave

Yeah your right - but I don't think a lot of people have a sawmill to play around with - so this is how someone could make turnings squares with a chainsaw. I reckon if your a neanderthal you could also make em with wedges and a mull :nah:.

 

[DaveO]

Yeah your right - but I don't think a lot of people have a sawmill to play around with - so this is how someone could make turnings squares with a chainsaw. I reckon if your a neanderthal you could also make em wedges and a mull :nah:.

I thought of that after I posted my reply :eusa_doh: Your intentions weren't to show how you make a bowl blank but how they can be done by everyone. You're right most of us don't have a mill laying around :cry_smile
That is the way I have cut them in the past. I haven't done anything to the grind on my chain, but am amazed at how the shaving/chips/dust come out with a rip cut like that...like a pile of spaghetti.

Dave

 

[Canuck]

WOW! Good info, Jeff!!!:eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Want to come over and carve our turkey, this Thanksgiving???:wsmile::wsmile: You sure make it look easy!! Wish that I had that level of confidence behind a chainsaw.:BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

Now..... You just need to take it to the next step..........round, between two centers!:rotflm:

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

Wayne

 

[JimmyC]

Jeff,

Great job ! What I think is cool is the fact that with a chainsaw and some firewood (you can easily find logs cut into 12-20" pcs.) you can make bowl blanks. The wood can be secured for basically nothing. My question is how long will the blank need to stay in the anchorseal to be usable, and will it dry out, or always stay green ?

Thanks,
Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[DaveO]

Jimmy it's best to turn it green and then let the reduced mass dry. There are various method to accelerate that process. Once the roughed bowl has dried you can finish turn it and complete the process.
A 4-6" thick bowl blank would take forever to dry intact, so it is best to reduce it's mass by rough turning...leave it about 1" thick all around. Heck the wood it pretty much free so what have you got to lose.

Dave

 

[sawduster]

Fascinating bro :icon_thum I like it when you share this kind of stuff :eusa_clap

more ....more :eusa_danc

 

[jeff...]

Jeff,

Great job ! What I think is cool is the fact that with a chainsaw and some firewood (you can easily find logs cut into 12-20" pcs.) you can make bowl blanks. The wood can be secured for basically nothing. My question is how long will the blank need to stay in the anchorseal to be usable, and will it dry out, or always stay green ?

Thanks,
Jimmy:mrgreen:

Jimmy great question so here goes nothing... The idea behind ancorseal and turning squares or green wood in general is you don't want the wood to loose to much moisture in a day or it will crack and split.

Think of it this way although not entirely correct it's close enough for government work...

Lets use oak as an example.

4/4 oak has a daily (24 hour period) maximum safe moisture content loss per day of 3%. Double the thickness to 8/4 and you need to divide the maximum safe moisture content loss per day by 2 so 8/4 would be approx 1.5% safe moisture content loss per day. Now if you were to have a 16/4 inch thick (4") piece of oak you would need to divide by 4 which gives you .75% max moisture content loss per day. See where this is leading? Ancorseal seals up the blanks in wax - it's a non-toxic wax emulsion paint like substance and I would venture to say a blank would take a long long time to dry being completely sealed in ancorseal - this is what you want, you don;t want it drying to fast - cause we all know how wood sits around it might be weeks or months or maybe even years before you decide to spin that blank. If you dry any piece of wood to fast it's going manifest defect. Ancorseal is great stuff and a must have if your going to be working with green wood.

Some people like Baileys sealer - I've bought and used both. Ancorseal is cheaper and in my humble opinion at least 400 times better. They even sell a winter mix that can be applied well below freezing.

 

[jeff...]

I thought of that after I posted my reply :eusa_doh: Your intentions weren't to show how you make a bowl blank but how they can be done by everyone. You're right most of us don't have a mill laying around :cry_smile
That is the way I have cut them in the past. I haven't done anything to the grind on my chain, but am amazed at how the shaving/chips/dust come out with a rip cut like that...like a pile of spaghetti.

Dave

Those long curls are good but pulling out that much wood with one chain tooth takes a lot of power and a good chainsaw. If your running a good saw then you shouldn't have much problems ripping with the standard angle. But if you grind or file the teeth to a little steeper angle there will be less wear and tear on the saw, the saw will throw out chunks instead of strings and run a little faster in the cut. I used to try and get all the teeth the same but now I just grab a file and go to town. I guess the important thing is find what grind angle works best with your saw and run with it. I prefer to throw out chunks when ripping as opposed to noodles but like I said beatings with wet noodles are always welcome :gar-La;

Thanks for keeping me honest :thumbs_up

 

[McRabbet]

Jeff..., Great thread to show off a technique that the darksiders should enjoy. Like you, I'm not a turner, but it really gives folks a great tutorial on safe use of the chainsaw, too. And I'm happy to see that Yoda returned to the northern hemisphere as he was looking a little sad upside down...

 

[JimmyC]

Dave and Jeff,

Thank you very much for the explanation of why we keep bowl blanks sealed.

Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[Rob]

I'm curious about sharpening the chain. I have a spare chain I might try that with. I use a dremal tool and guide to sharpen my chains with.

 

[sapwood]

Thanks, Jeff!
A simple but clear explanation. I frequently find wood in my firewood pile that I can't resist saving . . . though not for turning
And previously I didn't have enough sense to remove the pith :BangHead:
I'll be amending my techniques :icon_thum

Roger