Coring

[Herebrooks]

Hi all: I'd like to request input on coring. I've been thinking lately that it would be adventageous, if not less messy, to take a core out of my bowls rather than spending the time and mess taking the chisel route. I believe the Mcnaughton would be simplest and take less time setting up. What have you "corers" discovered. I'm not opposed to reusing the core but it's not my main objective. Thanks, Bill

[MichaelMouse]

Fellow corresponding turner cores, and gave the same reason - time - to justify it.  I ran a timer on three exemplars, and found he saved two minutes while making a blank.  Of course, he had the core, which is good when the wood's not ordinary.  Later found he wasn't counting setup, only scrape time.  If the core's not exotic, make tinder/mulch.

[robo hippy]

I did production bowl turning for a number of years, but don't do that any more. A coring tool is essential for that kind of work. I don't core anything under about 4 inches thick and 10 inch diameter, mostly because the smaller bowl cores aren't worth the effort, unless it is spectacular wood. I do prefer the McNaughton system, but it has a learning curve, and best bet is to have some one experienced with it show you how, and start with smaller pieces of medium hardness wood like cherry. Not really hard woods like locust. or really soft woods like poplar. To get really efficient with it, you have to do a bunch of them. I could finish turn and core a 3 bowl set from wet wood (about 6 by 13 inch diameter) in about 45 minutes, but again I did production work. Time saver? Well maybe a bit, but the extra bowls, if you sell are well worth the effort. Every one who has used the McNaughton swears at it. Every one who has learned to use it swears by it. I have a video up on You Tube on how to use it, and so does Dale Bonertz. If you get the system, the standard set of blades will probably core about 90% of every thing you will ever core. The other systems, Oneway and Woodcut, work off a pivot point, and are almost person proof. They are both fairly spendy. 

robo hippy

[n7bsn]

..... Every one who has used the McNaughton swears at it. Every one who has learned to use it swears by it. .....
robo hippy

How true! It's the only system that allows me to "core" plates.

With a large blank, set-up to put away, coring takes me less time then reducing the insides to chips, and my speed is nothing like Robo's. But then I have everything staged, including a stop collar that lives on the gate.

Any coring system can pay for itself, quickly. One of the production Myrtle turners I know paid for his Oneway 24-36 & coring system with the first production run, just on the wood he didn't turn into chips

[Arlin Eastman]

I had the whole McNaughton, but for me it was to steep of a learning curve so I traded someone for the bowl saver. The bowl saver now comes with another cutting blade and I only have the two blade one.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant...de=packard

[EightFingers]

I have the McNaughton and I use it quite a bit. The knives eventually bend, requiring a fairly expensive replacement since once bent are really difficult to fix.

[robo hippy]

Most of the bending with them is a torque or twist bend. Clamp the tang in a good sized vice, and use a large adjustable or monkey wrench to torque it back to level/straight. Not too difficult. I show that in my video. I have done it a bunch of times....

robo hippy

[Herebrooks]

What sizes bowls are you coring? Does size factor into the twisting of the knives? Thx

[EightFingers]

Thanks Robo, I'll try it again. I just need to find some one with a large vise. My problem was figuring a way to clamp them down.
Herebrooks, usually I core bowls larger than 12" diameter.