Bandsaw classes - green wood to useful turning blanks.

[John K Jordan]

i'm about to do my 6th bandsaw class in my shop.

From the synopsis:

PROCESSING LOG SECTIONS INTO USEFUL TURNING BLANKS WITH A SHOP BANDSAW
I will show various methods of how to work without getting hurt and how to dry blanks successfully.
It will be more useful if you have a bandsaw (or plan to get one) capable of sawing 12" or thicker.
We'll have some discussion of setting up the bandsaw what blades to use for wet wood.
This will be demonstration and instruction only, no hands-on.


These have been far more popular than what I imagined. I show five different ways to cut up green log sections and oddly shaped chunks with an emphasis on safely, describing the consequence of what can go wrong in a heartbeat with a single wrong move.

Discussion includes bandsaw setup, alignment, guides, tension, type of blade, dust collection, sharpening blades, and miscellaneous useful and necessary tools and accessories. We go into basic wood anatomy, how wood shrinks when it dries, inspecting logs and planning the cuts, how to air dry and prevent checks and cracks, and various ways to test for dryness. What I teach is based on my reading and experience over the last couple of decades in prepping and drying thousands of turning blanks.

Since one incentive for hosting this is to get people to cut and bring blanks to our annual club wood auction (I'm the auctioneer) I also show how to make a blank more attractive and thus more valuable to a prospective buyer. We sometimes have some lively bidding wars!. The auction brought in over $1800 last year, which helps with club programs including community educational and charity programs. And since many people don't know how or are unable to get good wood it puts useful turning blanks in their hands.

Good clean fun!

From the last class:

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(Sorry for the tiny pictures - these are what was sent to me.)

If your club doesn't have a wood auction (in addition to a wood raffle) it might be something to consider.

BTW, this is not a hands-on event with only me touching the bandsaw so the likelihood of injury is small. I and the club, however, are covered by the insurance policy that AAW offers to chapters for mentoring sessions. If your club doesn't get this inexpensive insurance it might be something else to consider!

JKJ

[Zachary Hoyt]

That's really neat, good for you for helping out your fellow woodworkers like that. Cutting a log while it is still round (like in your picture #3) is what makes me nervous, I like your wedges. I've mostly only cut smaller round pieces on the shop bandsaw and have done larger wood with either the chain saw or the band saw mill, but I can see that if you're making bowls and things the shop band saw would be the way to go.
Zach

[John K Jordan]

...Cutting a log while it is still round (like in your picture #3) is what makes me nervous, I like your wedges. I've mostly only cut smaller round pieces on the shop bandsaw and have done larger wood with either the chain saw or the band saw mill, but I can see that if you're making bowls and things the shop band saw would be the way to go.
Zach

I also have a Wooodmizer sawmill and chain saws and use what makes sense with the size of the wood. One point of the class is very few people have more than a bandsaw and maybe a chainsaw so how do they make good use of those? Also, it's surprising how many haven't learned about wood structure, stresses and shrinkage, and even how to adjust the bandsaw.

I show three ways to safely cut down the center of a round log section. The length doesn't matter much, I've cut them maybe 4' long if not too heavy. One way is with the wedges - I save corners from rounding bowl blanks and make special wedges as needed. (The wedges can be further secured with hot-melt glue if desired.) Truth be told, the wedges are not necessary IF you are cutting exactly down the middle of a well-shaped log but they do add a measure of security, especially for someone without experience.

The second way is to see if one side of the log will naturally rest securely on the workbench without wobbling. If not, or if the stable point doesn't position the pith for an optimum first cut, you can make a flat spot on one side. An axe or hatchet will work (I keep sharp hatchets by the bandsaw.) Or quicker, prop the log to keep it from rolling and use a chain saw to skim off some wood, moving it lightly and horizontally from the side and from the end as needed. I test flatness with a flat piece of plywood. I have one Stihl electric chainsaw I can use inside the shop.

A third way is to get two pieces of plywood about the same length as the log or so (not really important) and at least as wide to reach somewhat above the round centerline of the log. I use 1/2" pine Radiata plywood scraps, soft enough so no pilot holes are needed. Set the log on the workbench and wedge if needed to hold it in the desired position for the first cut, set the plywood on edge at right angles to the workbench top and against the bark, and put at least three screws through the plywood and into the log right at the level it contacts the log. I use short deck screws that don't penetrate far enough in the useful part of the wood to ruin any blanks. With a plywood support on both sides the log is incredibly stable and well supported for the cut.

For those nervous about any of these, the method in the 4th picture is good! Cut the log section short enough that it will fit on the bandsaw resting on one end, draw a line, and cut down the line.

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From there we go into how to straighten one edge so it can rest against the fence, then decide what kinds of blanks to cut. I usually allow four hours to cover everything but even that is not always enough, depending on the discussions. Also, people sometimes bring in wood and ask how it could be cut and we usually end up working on those.

BTW, this is the kind of pile I'm looking for after a good evening of processing with the bandsaw. :)

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(Plus a tub or two full of smaller pieces for finials, magic wands, tops, general spindles, or even pen sized!)


JKJ

[Steve Nix]

What is your go to blade cutting green wood.

[John K Jordan]

What is your go to blade cutting green wood.

I use 1/2" 3tpi. I mostly use Lenox since a local company makes them to order at good prices.
They usually keep the stock on hand but this time I had to buy a 100' roll which gave me eight blades.
I usually buy Flexback steel blades and sharpen them several times before discarding.
I also have a couple of BiMetal in the same tooth pattern and a couple of Lenox carbide I use on occasion.
I keep 4tpi blades also but the 3tpi are a little better for thick wood.

BTW, good dust collection under the table also helps with green wood. Without it some species and cuts can quickly accumulate a mess of stringy fibers around the lower guides.


For anyone interested, here is a sequence of cuts for a log section laid on its side.
Spalted maple, first measured carefully and cut down the pith.
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Triming one side to fit nicely against the fence.
I check the flatness with the stick.
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I decided to cut this little log into quarters.
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Some of the blanks from just one of the quarters.
I didn't get a lot of small pieces around the edges since the outside was punky.
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Here is a short sassafras log section cut standing on end. It was a nice size, about 18" in diameter I think, big for sassafras.
I cut down the pith first, then made the first squaring cut on one edge.

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The blanks I got from the entire chunk.
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JKJ

[Reed Gray]

So when are you going to do a video???? I think the most watched one of mine is about prepping blanks with the chainsaw.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

So when are you going to do a video???? I think the most watched one of mine is about prepping blanks with the chainsaw.

robo hippy

I barely have time to feed the animals, can't even think about a video. Oops, gotta go mix up feed for the peacocks...
(I mix game bird feed with 3-grain scratch, bird seed, and black sunflower seeds.)

JKJ

[Don Stephan]

I'[m wih you Reed, we haven't had a peacock egg/hatch update in months - he may have sold them all and watch 3 hours of TV every night (LOL). I'm sure Sir John would be willing to help with your first video. . .

[John K Jordan]

I'[m wih you Reed, we haven't had a peacock egg/hatch update in months - he may have sold them all and watch 3 hours of TV every night (LOL). I'm sure Sir John would be willing to help with your first video. . .

We have a TV or three! The last time I watched more than 5 minutes was maybe 13-14 years ago.
I still have peacocks for sale - how many should I send to you? They are too big for a Flat Rate box now.

JKJ

[Don Stephan]

Divorce would be too expensive. Sorry John.

[John K Jordan]

Divorce would be too expensive. Sorry John.

How about some peacock feathers then? If you have a live-in home decorator that might put a feather in your cap. :)

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JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

Do you always cut your blanks into square blocks? I know you say you don't make a lot of larger bowls, are they for spindles? What I've been doing is cut the pith out with my chainsaw (like what you are doing in the first picture of the sassafras). I then cut it round on the band saw with the bark facing up. I drill a shallow 1/4" hole on the face in the center for a pivot. I have a jig I made up that has a 1/4" that keeps it lined up with the front edge of the blade and I can adjust to make what ever diameter I can get out of it. I'm always looking for different ideas on how to do things as I'm more or less self teaching myself (the worst way to learn).

Here's a picture of some I cut up not that long ago. The bark is facing down while I was sealing them.
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[John K Jordan]

Do you always cut your blanks into square blocks? I know you say you don't make a lot of larger bowls, are they for spindles? What I've been doing is cut the pith out with my chainsaw (like what you are doing in the first picture of the sassafras). I then cut it round on the band saw with the bark facing up. I drill a shallow 1/4" hole on the face in the center for a pivot. I have a jig I made up that has a 1/4" that keeps it lined up with the front edge of the blade and I can adjust to make what ever diameter I can get out of it. I'm always looking for different ideas on how to do things as I'm more or less self teaching myself (the worst way to learn).
...

I prefer to cut rectangular or square blanks for smallish bowls, lidded bowls, yarn bowls, platters, lidded boxes, and for a variety of things in spindle orientation such as calabash bowls. Lots of smaller blanks for wand and blanks for finger tops, ornaments, finials and such, and blanks for students and practice (since I think it's important to learn spindle turning first!) When cutting blanks for auction I try to cut some as thick as possible with or without wane, a few with bark.

One big reason I like to square up and make cuts on all six sides when drying blanks is to examine the entire blank for cracks and defects. Another reason is to let me (or prospective bidders!) evaluate the color and figure.

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I'll cut some round for bowl blanks. Some people who don't have a bandsaw love them since they are ready mount on the lathe. For these, I flatten the top and bottom and mark the circle with a big compass or one of those clear plastic disks with a bunch of concentric circles. But I find some people prefer the larger thick blanks left squared since that give them the option to either face turn as for a bowl or slice up into end-grain squares for other things.

The adjustable jig sounds like is a nice idea, do you have a picture? I've used disks of thin plywood but you need a different disk for each diameter.

Since I like to turn dry, I often cut 8/4 to 10/4 blanks 8-10" wide and put them up to dry. This lets me make the squarish platters, cut into spindle squares if needed, or especially, to make Beads of Courage boxes since it nearly eliminates warping and lid problems.

I make the Beads of Courage lidded bowls/boxes from a stack of dry disks, pre-hollowed before gluing to make hollowing a big dry blank a LOT easier! Most of the BoC boxes I've posted in the past are made with this method, like these, some with thinner wood such as in the third picture.

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While getting to the edges of the wood I cut smaller and smaller blanks until I get down to pen blank size - I don't usually make pens but there are a bunch of people who do!

BTW, if the blank permits and I'm making turning squares instead of bowl/platter blanks I don't remove much pith. The first cut halves the log down the pith further cuts might be down the pith the other way so the pith is on a corner. A bit gets sliced off in the squaring but a bit of pith or juvenile wood along one corner doesn't usually hurt anything since it gets turned away. This allows making slightly larger blanks than if more pith was removed on the first cut.

I've turned my share of bowls (with and without natural edge rims) from green wood and if I focused on that I'd probably work a little differently. But there must be plenty of turners who want the squared blanks since they are always in demand at the auctions!

JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

This is the only picture I could find. It's when I was mocking it up on my POS Harbor Freight bandsaw. You can't see it well but there's a flat piece of steel between the two pieces of plywood that slides. Under the plywood is a steel frame the plywood is screwed to. It had two arms that went on each side of the bandsaw table (you can see the vice grip holding it). The bar has a threaded rod that has a knob you tighten once you slide it to the diameter you want. On the outside edge I have a single leg to support the weight of the blank. I've since retired that bandsaw and had to change things some as my new saw has a much larger table and a fence.
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[ChrisA Edwards]

Didn't see date or price or if this is something an outsider might attend.

I would love to attend something like this and Nashville isn't too far away.

[John K Jordan]

Didn't see date or price or if this is something an outsider might attend.

I would love to attend something like this and Nashville isn't too far away.

Chris,

I'm a little bit north of Knoxville.

That other woodturner John Jordan is near Nashville. I cut blanks to dry and turn, he cuts to turn wet. :)

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Looks like the drive from Lebanon would be about 2.5 hrs unless you drive a Porshe with no brakes.

Attendance is limited since I only have room for about 5 people in my shop without someone standing for 4 hours where they can't see well.

So far I've just advertised to the Knoxvillle turning club members and then I pick a date such that those who signed up first can attend. At the moment there are five more on the waiting list for class #7. I do these classes because I love teaching and people and so many aren't quite sure how to set up and use their bandsaws safely for this.

My fee for quality time in my own shop is a good story or a good joke.

BTW, my other favorite things to teach are beginning or remedial skew lessons! (and thin spindles)

If you want to drive over sometimes send me a PM or email with dates you are possibly available and if I can fit another class in then I'll put you on the list. I plan another class either in late March, earlier April, or sometime in June or later. Or just come visit and drop in! I've had lots of visitors from SMC, WoodCentral, and various places from across the US and the Pond. Do you know this very pleasant hairy guy?

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If you can possibly visit in on the 3rd Tuesday in March (the 17th) you could come to our annual wood auction that evening then to my shop the next day. We could spend a morning with the bandsaw basics and/or any other turning things (skews, sharpening, thin spindles, smoothing without power sanding, turning metals, chain saws, chip carving?)

Or if your club has a good bandsaw and more space and is interested in a larger class I might consider that. I allow at least 4 hours, more if branching out a little. My schedule for 2020 is filling up quickly but not yet saturated.

JKJ

[ChrisA Edwards]

I'm new to this whole wood turning thing, so I'm trying to get as much knowledge as possible.

I've seen the other John Jordan in passing at the TAW meetings in Nashville, but never spoken to him.

The guy in the lower phone looks like Mark St.Leger, who was at the TAW Symposium a couple of weeks ago.

I'm retired, so my schedule is pretty open, so I would love to hear when you plan to do some of your classes and possibly get on the list for one.

Thanks.

[John K Jordan]

The picture of the two John Jordan's was taken at my house. When I first started woodturning people confused us sometimes - we both live in TN, are the same age, and play with wood. People have even sent me things thinking he wanted them and a guy recently sent him some carvings made for me! I see John at symposiums and such. This is a picture at the TAW when a surprise snow grounded many people for a day. Doug Thompson (Thompson Tools), the other John Jordan, the amazing John Lucas, and me.

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I asked JJ if I could have his sign if he gives up woodturning some day. :

Marrk StLeger came to visit the farm once and brought his wife, grown kids and their families. We hung out with the llamas and he got the nickle tour of the shop. What a thoughtful, pleasant, and creative guy! Next time I get up his way I'm gonna stop and visit his place.

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If you send me your email address and phone number by PM I'll put you on the contact list and let you know when I do another session.

JKJ




I'm new to this whole wood turning thing, so I'm trying to get as much knowledge as possible.

I've seen the other John Jordan in passing at the TAW meetings in Nashville, but never spoken to him.

The guy in the lower phone looks like Mark St.Leger, who was at the TAW Symposium a couple of weeks ago.

I'm retired, so my schedule is pretty open, so I would love to hear when you plan to do some of your classes and possibly get on the list for one.

Thanks.