How do you make your blanks


legenddc

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How do you all make your bowl and/or spindle blanks?

I picked up an electric chainsaw but can't seem to get logs close enough to round to turn. Does anyone use a chainsaw? How do you hold the wood down to be able to cut it 'round'?

I'd love to pick up a  bandsaw but I've blown through the tool budget this year and even $500 for a Grizzly one is too much. I've been watching craigslist like a hawk but my area doesn't seem to have much pop up. I've seen WEN has a bandsaw that goes on sale for cheap that has a 6" capacity but I'll still have to wait a while to get that.

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I don't worry about rounding my blanks, I turn them square and round them with a chisel. Most of the Youtubers round their blanks with a bandsaw but I have seen one guy use a chainsaw. My blanks are too small to round with a chainsaw. I wouldn't try this method unless you have a large blank, maybe larger than 12' diameter or it's really clamped down. There's too much risk it will flip up and hurt you. 

For one of my larger blanks I use my table saw to cut of the corners but that's as round I as got the blank before turning. 

I noticed the WEN bandsaw the other day. The 8' one fits my price range (eventually) though I do worry about how it will hold up. 

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Thanks. I'll try just cutting them square. I just got started and for some reason feel the need to make the biggest bowls my little 10x18 lathe can handle. I should just start smaller until I at least get the hang of things.

Have you seen this one? Supposedly it has a 6" deep capacity and has been down to $150. I'm also concerned about how it would hold up but was thinking at some point it would be better than nothing to increase the bowl size I can turn. There's enough ways to spend money in the meantime. 

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33 minutes ago, legenddc said:

Have you seen this one? Supposedly it has a 6" deep capacity and has been down to $150. I'm also concerned about how it would hold up but was thinking at some point it would be better than nothing to increase the bowl size I can turn. There's enough ways to spend money in the meantime. 

That's the same one I'm watching. I didn't know it was only 6", I thought it was 8. Thanks for the price info, time to chart it on camelcamelcamel. 

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3 hours ago, legenddc said:

I think my next lathe purchase will be the wolverine sharpening jig.

Or you can save some bucks and make your own.  If you dig back a bit, I posted a thread on a DIY sharpening system, including a home built wolverine jig.   It's based on Marius's wooden design, mine is 3d printed, both viable options.   A scrap piece of ply and some bolts and glue and you're rocking.  At the very least it will hold you over till the jig becomes easy to buy, just not affordable, and will let you buy other things first.

 

2 hours ago, Woodenskye said:

You could also use a hatchet to skim off the corners to make more of a round blank. 

Not  a bad idea! 

But that' the point of turning blanks, they really don't have to be round.  That's what the lathe is for.  They just have to fit on the lathe, and wear a kevlar vest.    The more balanced they are, the less kevlar you can wear. 

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16 hours ago, Marmotjr said:

Or you can save some bucks and make your own.  If you dig back a bit, I posted a thread on a DIY sharpening system, including a home built wolverine jig.   It's based on Marius's wooden design, mine is 3d printed, both viable options.   A scrap piece of ply and some bolts and glue and you're rocking.  At the very least it will hold you over till the jig becomes easy to buy, just not affordable, and will let you buy other things first.

That's pretty cool. I think I know someone with a 3d printer but I might just try it with plywood to see how it works. I'll have to try and carve out some time and see if I can get it to work.

 

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On 11/16/2017 at 12:48 PM, thatCharlieDude said:

That's the same one I'm watching. I didn't know it was only 6", I thought it was 8. Thanks for the price info, time to chart it on camelcamelcamel. 

I have one and I think it's pretty decent if you get it for the $170 I paid for it. It handles the smallest xtra-edge resaw blade (same as the woodslicer I think) which would do the job. I got to resaw 5" ipe with a shopmade fence clamped down to the table and that resaw blade, with more than a little patience of course, but it didn't die on me.

It also handles the 1/8 blades pretty well. Doesn't do well with 1/4 blades for some reason, and the blade included is like trying to cut with a row of small hammers so just change it on the spot.

Tracking and tensioning seem reasonable too, better than a friend's 14" jet for sure.

$200 for the resaw blade ($18), the 1/8 ($8) and the bandsaw seems really good to me.

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