Rounding wood with a chainsaw

[Norm Zax]

My bandsaw opeing isnt high enough to allow for rounding wood so for the time being (pls notice the optimism) I tend to do it with an electric chainsaw. Im talking about the stage right after the log was cut across the pith and rounding is in order. My question refers to setup. Jigs for cutting logs in half are abundant but Im looking for a comfortable arrangement to round the blank and the previously mentioned jigs are quite right. Id rather have the blank sit horizontally for that. Any smart suggestions?

[Art Kelly]

Sorry I don't have any pix--I'm away from home.

I strap mine down flat-side-up on a Workmate bench using a ratchet tie-down strap http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47707 running up and over from the crossbars near the bottom of the legs. Run the strap perpendicular to the grain.

You need some scraps of wood underneath the log to stabilize. (You will soon have lots of wedge-shaped pieces.) Use shims to make the flat side as level as possible to aid in getting the chainsaw cuts parallel to the turning axis.

Using a compass, mark the circle you want and start cutting by taking off the corners every 90 degrees. Then go back and cut off the (smaller) corners. You can make it pretty round by "shaving" the smaller corners with the chainsaw.

You'll have to move the piece a couple of times, and sooner or later you'll nail the tie-down strap with the chainsaw. Use a "water knot" http://www.abc-of-rockclimbing.com/climbing-knots/water-knot.asp to tie the two ends back together.

That's my $0.02.

Art

[Angie Orfanedes]

While I am waiting for the riser block to come for my bandsaw, I am also rounding off blanks with a chain saw - makes a big mess to use a chain saw indoors, by the way. I held mine in my bench vise to do the job. If you don't have bench vise big enough, maybe you could use a pipe clamp to attach the blank to a piece of lumber to stabilize it. Or you could just screw a piece of lumber to the blank in a waste area, and do the same thing.

[Chris Stolicky]

I just saw something about this in the "What bandsaw is best for a wood turner" thread below:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1165699&page=3

Scroll down to the post by Michael Mills on July 6.

[Joe Van Norman]

I have a small lathe, so the maximum diameter of my bowl blanks is about 6". After trying to find a safe way to cut the blanks on my table saw and chainsaw, I came across my solution.

I have a jig that I attached to my sawhorse. It's two floor flanges with a galvanized steel pipe between. One floor flange is attached to the saw horse, the other is attached to the half log. This provides support to the center of the log and holds it in place.

[Reed Gray]

When you rip the log in half, down the pith, mark 2 parallel lines, one for the top of the bowl, and the other for the bottom. Cut most of the way through the center, then cut off the part for the bottoms, then finish cut the center. This gives you a flat spot for the bowl to sit on (much more stable) while you nibble off the corners. I cut to the left side so the dogs on the saw have something to dig into.
robo hippy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I cut the blank in half, mark the circle, then start cutting off the ends. Use some of the cutoffs to stabilize the blank from tipping. I cut on the left with the blank against the body of the saw. That keeps the blank from spinning.
I agree with the dangers of cutting something NOT flat on a bandsaw.... I only cut blanks on the bandsaw that is pretty much flat and unable to tip and bind.

[Norm Zax]

Thanks for all replies. Joe - liked your concept! I'll plan something similar with a 2 or even 3 inch diameter. Reed - read yours three times but couldnt visualize it. Chris - Im doing something similar today but keep having to retighten and rotate. Not for me. Norm

[alex carey]

I'm not sure which lathe you have but if its big enough here is another option. Mount the blank on your lathe, take off the tailstock and have the blank hanging off the edge, draw a circle and then use the index pin to keep the blank at the right level and then use the chainsaw. The blank can't move and you can put it in several different spots.

If the piece isn't big enough and the headstock gets in the way this might not work, but you should be able to do it for a lot of different work.

I seem to remember you getting the new Jet? Am I wrong?

[Norm Zax]

Not wrong Alex but still onroute. It'll be a while before I gather the nerve to get even close to it with a chainsaw, but an interesting suggestion nonetheless. Thx.

[alex carey]

Yeah, I was apprehensive at first but after I tried it I gained some confidence and I definitely would recommend it.

[jon arbor]

Hi all, I'm a lurker coming out of the woods. I was dealing with this issue myself since I don't have a bandsaw. Basically, what I came up with was a square block attached to the blank in a square hole. I apparently can't post pics here yet so I've upload a pic to photobucket at http://i462.photobucket.com/albums/qq342/shimmy2525/1jig.jpg I think it needs some 2xs coming out from the center for support but other than that it works fine.

[Norm Zax]

Nice idea Jon !!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What about a hand saw? I use a japan pull saw. Yeah it's slow.

Something about a chainsaw blade spinning at 6K RPM from a 4 horse motor that close to a lathe made of metal just sounds like trouble.