McNaughton Newbie

[Duff Bement]

I just received my McNaughton system and have have watched Mahoneys video 2 times. I have a couple of questions, before starting out .
(1) Is it better to use something harder like maple or walnut or a softer wood like box elder or maybe cedar?
(2) In the video he makes it look easy but are there any tricks or rules on how to keep a uniform wall thickness or am I going to have to make a few funnels before I get the hang of it?
If you have any other tips or cautions they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Duff

[Steve Schlumpf]

Duff - congrats on your new system! I don't have a coring system yet but am interested in finding out what others have as far as suggestions for you. Every little bit of information helps! Be sure to let us know what you think of the system once you get it up and running!

[Darryl Hansen]

Make certain you have the tool perpendicular to the surface when you start. that would mean swinging the edn of the tool outboard. Also note that Mahoney does move the gate as he progresses.

[Hilel Salomon]

Duff,
I have the McNaughton system and-for the most part-like it. I also use the Oneway coring system. On the McNaughton, I prefer to use green wood as I have to sharpen the knives too often during a dry wood coring.Since you can't use your tailstock w/the McNaughton, you also need to have a really good chuck hold. Green Cherry and Maple are especially nice w/the system and I'm sure you will like it.
Mahoney's dvd is fine, but Bill Grumbine's second dvd, I think, helped me more.
Regards, Hilel.

[john taliaferro]

i almost always use tail stock, to lazy to pick core up from floor. its easeyer to set up than the oneway. i to have both and use both.they have their place,but i cant tell you how i decide which to use.

[Jason Clark2]

I've had my McNaughton system for about 2 1/2 years and I use it on a regular basis. The Mahoney video was a real eye opener after struggling to comprehend the (useless) written instructions. Having said that I do things differently than Mahoney. I core from the largest to the smallest rather than smallest to largest. I don't trust myself to "shoot the gap" between the largest and 2nd largest bowls without ruining one or the other. This does require me to put a tenon on each piece in order to flip it around and core it again.


Like others I use the tailstock to support the piece whenever possible and have placed a small block of wood on the 1" tool post to prevent it from being forced further into the banjo which would result in the cutting tip being lower than the center line. As for getting a uniform thickness in your core, I tend to go a bit shallow on my cores so I don't go through the bottom. I may not get as many bowls from a large blank (3 instead of 4, 4 instead of 5) but I don't ruin the largest bowl in the process. Any unevenness can be cleaned up with a shharp bowl gouge in a pass or 2.

I core wet and dry, hard and soft, and everything in between. Wet woods tend to core easier butthe long wet shavings can tend to pack tightly in the kerf. I don't think that coring softer woods like Box Elder Burl is significantly easier to core than harder woods like Mesquite or Desert Ironwood.

Jason

[Skip Spaulding]

Duff, I agree with Jason, I start big and go down. I also use the cutter without handle. I don't stall my lathe or snap my blank out as often. Practice!!

[Darryl Hansen]

There is a problem with making funnels with coring systems. I used a simple but handy thingy to find the tip of the Mc Naughton tool. From a box store I purchased a 1/4" wide x1/8" thick piece of aluminum flat strip. I bent it 90 degrees and made one leg as long as the diameter of my lathe swing. Then I cut the other leg to the length of the cutter tool I was using. With the thingy long leg held against handle lip the end of the other leg will be at the point where the cutter tip is. No more funnels.