Playin with a new toy!

[Scott Hackler]

I got a DVD in the mail today from Reed Gray showing me how to core bowls using the McNaughton system. I watched part during lunch and the rest as soon as I got home and went to the shop! I recently bought a used setup from a fella on the AAW forum. Now I will say that my pre-owned McNaughton setup is an older version and the one in Reed's video has what looks to be a newer piece or two....but the important lessons transfer to either model.

I went real slow and triple checked everything to try to not screw the cores up. The blank was a freshly processed (by me, tonight) chunk of cedar and just becuase I had to know, I checked the blank after coring and it was 14.6% moisture. I made a basic bowl shape and turned a tenon on it. First try and the blank hit the floor! Broke the tenon clean off the blank. Doh! So I flipped it around and did a recess instead. This worked better for the large blank. I still used a tenon for the other two and the size (I think) allowed the tenon to work.

SO.... I can anounce that I have officially cored my first nested set .......AND I repeated it again with the other half of the log!

This system works pretty good. I can see (after watching Reed) how the new gate piece would be a benefit, but believe me ....it isn't a have to have part!

The negatives: A bit of a learning curve to imagine how the knife is proceeding into the blank and it cuts a pretty wide slot (which seems like overkill to me).

Here's the pics to prove it:

204089204090

[Chris Burgess]

Wow that is amazing. And the Cedar is awesome, I bet the shop smelled great working with that stuff. One day I will start purchasing nice yoys to acompany my lathe.......one day.

[Scott Hussey]

Wow - after seeing that cool work I need to get myself a coring system.

Scott, what kind of lathe did you do this on? I've heard that anything under 2 hp and it's trouble - was curious to see what you experience is?

[Scott Hackler]

Scott, the lathe is a Nova 1624 with a 1 HP motor! I turned it at 1000 (ish) rpm per Reed Grays suggestion that lower HP lathes should turn up the rpms. I do think that my particular Nova has to be mismarked because I have NEVER stalled the motor (I have squeaked the belt, though). Anyway, cedar isnt a hard wood to cut so I will see what happens with something a bit harder....later.

[Scott Hackler]

Oh and BTW, for those who dont know: Those blanks have been turned to finish thinkness and sanded, so NO they didn't come off the McNaughton thaat way!! I did one set finish turned and sanded to 400 and the other half of the log, I just smooth turned the bowls and even upped the thicknesses. Both were at 14.6% wet and I wrapped both up (nested) in newspaper and they are now sitting on the shelf. I will wait until next month and unwrap to see what they look like.

[Reed Gray]

1000 rpm is a bit fast, and I guess I wasn't too specific about speeds. I probably use speeds in that range on smaller pieces, and if the blank is balanced, then it isn't a problem. With harder wood, it could cause problems as in catches, and things flying off the lathe. I have never had a lathe with any kind of readout. You want torque, so low speed range is preferred if you have pulleys. 1 hp is a bit minimal, but it can be done. If you can take a 3/8 or 1/2 inch scraper and cut with it, then you can core. I think it was Steve Russel who used a 'pulse' method where he would let the speed build up, then plunge in, gently, till the lathe slowed a bit, then pull back out, repeat till done.

My favorite McNaughton tool rest is my first one with 2 gates. The spear point blades are a big improvement over the older dog eared type where the cuter was all on one side of the blade, instead of centered. I do use the medium curve blade on probably 90% of the bowls I core.

robo hippy

[Harry Robinette]

Scott
I've been coring bowls up to 12" on my General 160-18" with 3/4 hp DC drive hooked to the reeves drive and have no problems.When I need to go big I just stick it on the Vega 2600 and really through shavings.I sharpened my tools like Reed said and they work allot better. I've also been using Anchor Seal in a spray bottle to lube the tool and it seams to be working allot of guys use WD40 but I don't like silicone in my shop.
By the way those coring you did look great the McNaughton system IS NOT THAT HARD to use some people just try to hard I think.
Of course all of this is just my $.02

[charlie knighton]

congratulations, Scott, nice nest

[Richard Jones]

The negatives: A bit of a learning curve to imagine how the knife is proceeding into the blank........

Very nice, Scott.

I have done quite a few on my McNaughton now and that imagining is The Key as far as I'm concerned. Initial results from a new "jig" for this have been great. Will post about it after I do some more.

Reed's DVD is great, you can pick up tidbits every time you view it.

Rich

[John Keeton]

I can hear the cracks popping from here!!! Scott, looks like you were successful in this venture, and I just hope that a goodly portion of those cedar bowls stay together for you.

Lots of new toys recently for you! I need to talk to the wife before you go to the next symposium!!!

[Tim Rinehart]

The spear point blades are a big improvement over the older dog eared type where the cuter was all on one side of the blade, instead of centered.

robo hippy
Reed, I have a used set of these with the 2 gates and with what I think you're describing above with the 'dog-ear' cutter. From memory, it cuts mainly to outside of tool and is flat on approach. Can these be modified to the spear fashion, assuming they've seen little wear and still have all the factory meat to them? I've only used mine a couple times but would like to do anything that improves their performance. I thought I had heard you once say you liked the original cutters (prior to spear points), but I may be thinking of someone else.
Thanks for any insight on revising these cutters.

[Scott Hackler]

Shoot, my McNaughton pre-dates the two gates! The "gate" portion is round stock with a slot cut in it for the knife. This piece sits in a hole in the rest that will slide back and forth. Looks a lot different than the new style.

On the lathe, well I guess staring at the sticker on the side is too simple because it clearly states 1.5 HP! Doh! I will slow it down next time to the next lower speed when I use the McNaughton again. My speed ranges are wierd numbers and the next lower is (I think) is something like 804 then down to 650ish.

John, I will be surprized if the bowls crack. Although I didn't dip them in the Dna first, they are wrapped up tight to slow the drying. I have had real good luck with cedar and probably a 90% success rate....BUT all the others got the Dna soak. So we will see.

I forgot to meantion that, by accident, I found that Reed has a bonus amount of video AFTER the McNaughton demo video! I usually shut off things when the cedits start but I got distracted and another video started up! It has Reed showing blank prep, sharpening different tools and using different tools. Very informative and worth watching as well. :)

[Jim Burr]

Those are great Scott!! You really mastered it right out of the gate!

[Jon Nuckles]

So much for the stories of the long learning curve with the McNaughton! You nailed it. There is something about seeing a nested set like your first picture that I really like. Thanks for posting it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking set of bowls Scott. Looks like it didn't take you long to get it down for sure. Don't ya just love the smell of cedar in the shop? I am like you and have had great luck with cedar. Well done Scott.

[Randy Gleckler]

Great job on coring, I have recently acquired a Mcnaughton set as well and have been looking forward to giving it a try.

[Scott Hackler]

Randy, I would highly recommend buying Reed Gray's DVD on the McNaughton. I have never cored a set before (I did half way watch the One Way demo in St Paul, though) and after watching and listening to his tips, I successfully cored a 3 bowl set AND a second 3 bowl set out of the other half as my very first attempts! Now I probably would have "figured" it out, but I would have likely only gotten one core out of these smaller blanks. FYI

[Reed Gray]

The old dog eared style blades can have the tips reshaped, but they are still off to one side of the blade. Some times you have to correct your cut path to the inside of the kerf, and you can not do that with this style of blade no matter how you profile the tip. You can buy single blades from Craft Supplies. I use the medium curved blade for 90% of the cores I take.

For lubricating the blade, I used Pam, that canola oil spray to keep things from sticking to the frying pan. It is food safe. Others use WD40 which shouldn't be a problem as you will turn it all away, but not for me. I have heard of keeping a spray bottle handy that is filled with soapy water. It should work as well. If I lubricate, I always have a 3M type synthetic pad that is saturated with Mahoney's walnut oil close by and that works great as well. Most of the time I don't bother. Some woods will be very sticky, and you can get some build up on the blade.

As I say in my video, when I first got it, I read what instructions that were there, went out to the shop, got some dry maple and walnut, had big catches, things were flying off the lathe, and I was a bit upset. I put it back in the box, and it gathered dust for a while. Our club was trying to find a demonstration for the next meeting, and I asked if any one had the system and knew how to make it work. One guy did, and after seeing it in action, a lot of things clicked. It still took a while to figure out. Any one who has tried to use it swears at it. Any one who figures out how to use will swear by it as the best, most efficient coring tool out there.

robo hippy

[Jeff Nicol]

Scott, Nice to see that you did not have to toss a few fits after chasing bowls around the shop! When I first got mine, I looked online to see what I could see then found a fellow creeker who had a Robo Hippy coring video that he would let me have cheap as he was done with it and said I may as well watch it and see what I could do with my system. I picked up a lot of things that have helped me along the way, and mine is the old style without the adjustable bottom support on the gate which keeps the tool handle from dropping, a good idea! While at the Symposium I bought Mike Mahoneys updated video on the Mcnaughton and he has the newer gate system on that one, so now I have watched 2 great turners show me the ins and outs of the tool and both have a little different approach but with almost identical outcomes. I use both methods and some woods work better one way than the other. But no matter which way you mount the blank to be cored it is a great and versatile tool for the production or casual turner.

Great work Scott,

Jeff

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats on your new tool! Looks like you are going to get some serious use out of it! Great looking bowls! Looking forward to seeing them once finished!

[Kathy Marshall]

Really nice set of bowls Scott and that wood sure is purdy! Congrats on a successfull 1st and 2nd coring! It's got to feel great to have some extra bowls instead of extra piles of shavings on the floor!

[Russell Eaton]

Those are some good looking bowls Scott. I have the Woodcut system on long term loan and I have had decent luck with it. Looks like you are off to a good start on saving some nice wood instead of making it into sawdust. Congrats on the "tool".