Loading ...First of all, I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend! I’ve had my share of labor lately, a busy couple of weeks has kept me away from both my workshop and my blog.
I got some much needed shop time on Labor Day afternoon and decided to get some practice with the McNaughton Center Saver I recently purchased. They say it is a bit of a learning curve, and they were right! It felt like a full contact sport at times, but I managed to core three bowls out of a blank. The largest bowl is 12″ by 4″. I’m sure someone experienced with the system would have got more bowls, but I was satisfied with my results.
First attempt at coring with the McNaughton Center Saver
I’m not sure what the wood is. I think it might be red oak. I found the log on a job site a couple of months ago. It was still green and stained my hands black while I was working with it.
Once I set the McNaughton system up the first thing I noticed was I was not able to set the tool rest low enough in the holder to line the cutting edge with the lathe center. I had to cut about 1/4″ off the bottom of the tool post. It’s a bit difficult to put into words any observations on my first use of the tool. It feels like I was holding on for the ride and didn’t really have time to take notes! One thing that did take me by surprise was how wide a kerf it cuts, every bit of 3/8″ inch. This isn’t a parting tool cut. There were moments when it felt like things were going very smooth and the tool was just gliding into the wood as advertised. Unfortunately, those moments were interrupted with regular catches and the occasional shriek as the metal rubbed against the wood.
I plan to watch my DVD again, now that I have some hands on experience with the tool. I’m sure I will pick up some things I missed the first time around. Overall, I’m pleased with the tool and feel confident my technique will improve. In the meantime I have set the three bowls aside to dry before final turning.
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You did better than me on your first attempt. I was hoping for four, but got one tiny one, the large one, and one in between with a hole in the bottom! The bottom was actually about 1/16″ but tore out when I removed the bowl.Pictures on my website.
I’ve been practicing. It’s still a bit of an adventure, but is getting better each time