Homemade laser or video for mcnaughton center saver

[Dueane Hicks]

Has anyone come up with their own video, or laser system for the Mcnaughton center saver? I've been using the Oneway easy core, but wanted something that could get blanks from a whole mess of burl I just acquired, that is various shapes; so I ordered the mcnaughton system with the standard and large cutters. I know there is a learning curve, and was wondering if a video, or laser would help? The reviews I found for the laser that mcnaughton puts out, are somewhat dismal. I did post the same question on AAW with some good ideas coming back. Looking for links to parts also.

[Peter Blair]

Dueane I made a laser for the Oneway. Really simple, I see no reason the same process wouldn't work with the McNaughton. I think you can see how I made mine here: https://woodbowlsandthings.wordpress.com/?s=laser

[Reed Gray]

If I hadn't already learned to do it by eye, trial and error, and a laser pointer, I would go for the camera set up. That would also be my go to for hollowing.

robo hippy

[Chris A Lawrence]

Here is the parts list for how i made my camera setup.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-3-8-in-Silver-Black-Steel-Structural-Pipe-Fitting-Rail-Flange/1000488621
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-3-8-in-x-Silver-Black-Steel-Structural-Pipe-Fitting-Tee/1000422001
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-3-8-in-x-12-in-Silver-Black-Steel-Structural-Pipe-Fitting-Nipple/1000504547
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-1-1-4-in-W-x-1-1-4-in-H-x-3-ft-L-Zinc-Plated-Steel-Perforated-Slotted-Angle/3054805
I used a 3 ish inch piece of the perforated slotted angle iron to connect it to my handle using 2 6mm machine screws and 2 nuts. The screws replace the set screws to lock the blade in and the nuts are threaded onto the screws first to tighten down on the angle iron. The rail flange is bolted to the other side of the angle iron and the fitting tee goes ontop of the vertical pipe. I made a holder for the camera with a piece of hard wood. Its locked onto the pipe with a 1/4 20 thumb screw.

444812

[Dueane Hicks]

Thank you!

[Peter Blair]

I love my camera set up when hollowing because I can see where the cutter is but when coring I want to set up where it will be, thus a laser prior to the cut seems to work best for me.
I must admit I am confused, with the McNaughton can you make adjustments on the fly? A camera would seem to me like closing the barn door.
Am I missing something here?

[Chris A Lawrence]

I love my camera set up when hollowing because I can see where the cutter is but when coring I want to set up where it will be, thus a laser prior to the cut seems to work best for me.
I must admit I am confused, with the McNaughton can you make adjustments on the fly? A camera would seem to me like closing the barn door.
Am I missing something here?

To an extent you can adjust the path by pulling the blade back a little bit and direct it on a slightly different path. If you pull the blade all the way out you can open the kerf up and make a larger adjustment. I have the entire cutter tip colored in on the screen so i can see the direction it is pointing. It has saved me a couple times from making another funnel instead of a slightly misshaped core.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Chris I was unaware that adjustments could be made on the fly.

[David Walser]

Thanks Chris I was unaware that adjustments could be made on the fly.

This is one of the advantages of the McNaughton center saver. Most others clamp the blade to a toolholder and both the blade and toolholder pivot around a fixed pivot point. You can adjust the size and shape of the blank by selecting the size of blade and where the pivot point is, but once you start cutting, unless you change the pivot point, the size and shape of the blank is fixed. The McNaughton uses a different approach. Instead of fixing the blade to the a toolholder, the McNaughton uses a gated toolrest. This gives you some freedom to change the angle of cut as you slide the blade through the gated toolrest and into the wood. There's not a lot of freedom to change the angle of cut, but there is substantially more than with the other systems.

That's the advantage. The downside is the McNaughton has a steeper learning curve than the others. The others still have a learning curve, but you should be able to reliably core out blanks more quickly with the Woodcut or the Oneway systems than you would be able to with the McNaughton. All are viable solutions.