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Bowl Saver System

I have that system, perhaps not exactly that version, but a 3 bladed version; works a treat.

I have heard that the bowls from this system are boring, but it is possible to have various depth and angle differences by thinking laterally. Regardless, it is a hoot and certainly saves timber and also greatly reduces your shavings wastage problems, if you have that kind of problem, that is.

The picture with the three bowls, shows the sister blank (other side of the tree trunk) where I also managed to get three more bowls for a total of six as opposed to two bowls in a normal situation. In the background is a eucalyptus tree trunk (Spotted Gum is the local name), where I also managed another six bowls.

These pictures are all from September 2019 when I was inundated with substantial amounts of green (wet as) tree trunks, due to storms in the area. Much the same is happening right now with summer storms everywhere, a woodturners heaven.

You may have noticed that the cored blank on the lathe, looks to be a little bit on the thick side, it is. The reason is that it will allow me to change the shape of the blank from a continuous curve as designated by the curved blade, to a more nuanced shape which will be more to my idea of what I think the finished bowl, in this particular case, should look like.

I'm giving a demonstration of this coring machine at my woodturning club next month, you're welcome to visit..... 😊

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I had all 3 coring systems, I had the original Woodcut and it works just fine, it does what you want it saves chips on the floor. It was my second favorite. The Oneway in my opinion is by far and away the best of the three and is the one I kept and it is a lot more versatile than it is given credit for.
 
I do have the old 2 blade Woodcut coring system, and the newer 3 blade system. I would opt for the 3 blade system since it does have a larger blade, in response to customer requests. The thing I don't like about it is that you need the tailstock on the lathe, and for bowl turning, I don't have it on the lathe most of the time, well never really.... The Oneway coring system is nice, but the factory cutting tip, to me, gets worst design ever. Many have opted for the Core Pro from Hunter tools. I prefer the McNaughton, but there is a "learning curve"....

robo hippy
 
I’ve had the 2 blade version for ~ 6 yrs. Works well. If you plan to core larger bowls, the 3 blade would be the choice. It has a lot of flexibility to bowl shape, depending on how things are lined up and which blade is used. Also, thicker walls can be cut allowing for more shape change. Easy to set up and use. I made a laser pointer device similar to the one Woodcut sells, and it makes set up much easier than the templates.
 
When I write that the Oneway is more versatile I mean it can do things like the McNaughton not just thicker bowls that you change the shape by turning afterwards. You can do different shapes like the McNaughton by how you set up the Oneway. Like the other you can make shallower or steeper bowls. I liked the Woodcut Bowl Saver but it is limited by having to connect to the tailstock.
 
I had the bowl saver two blade version and found it to work very well. The only problem was that the largest core was not as large as I would have liked. It did however make a more useable smallest core than the Oneway does. If you have a lathe that is 16” or smaller it is a grate choice.
 
Doug Freeman said:
Same can be done with the Woodcut. The tailstock mount allows considerable movement, but it is more restricted than the Oneway.
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Doug I used that system for about 8 years and with an extreme amount of maneuvering I could get 4 skinnier bowls sometimes But they were all the same shape. If I remember correctly there was only about 1/2" of movement left and right when hooked to the tailstock. I cored a lot of bowls with it and like I said I liked it but it just is no where close to being as versatile as the other two.
 
Bill Blasic said:
Doug I used that system for about 8 years and with an extreme amount of maneuvering I could get 4 skinnier bowls sometimes But they were all the same shape. If I remember correctly there was only about 1/2" of movement left and right when hooked to the tailstock. I cored a lot of bowls with it and like I said I liked it but it just is no where close to being as versatile as the other two.
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You may have had an earlier version. Mine has ~ 2-1/2” of movement left and right of the tailstock, pic below. The Oneway and Woodcut will always give a curve the shape of the blade curve since both or pivoted. Changing the pivot position changes dia and the portion of the 90 deg sweep they both have that cuts wood becomes the bowl form. Blade radius and pivot point determine the shape. They work the same, its just geometry. If you had more than 2 blade sizes with the Oneway, that gives more flexibility to the cored bowl shape, just as the 4 blade Woodcut has more flexibility. There is a limit to how far the pivot can be moved to the front side of the lathe - the blade Is limited in how far it can reach/cut, and still get the bowl broken off the tenon left in the center.

I paid $410 for my unit with toolpost 6 yrs ago. I “think” the OW unit with 2 knives was about double that then - I know the OW was significantly more expensive, so I chose the Woodcut. Today the 2 blade WC and the OW with 2 blades are the same cost, though it appears a shapening jig or different cutter needs to be included with the OW. At todays prices I would likely choose the OW.

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With the Woodcut system, I could take some good sized cores, but found that I had to break off a 2 or more inch wide tenon. Makes me think of seeing the first coring systems, other than Robin Wood's forged ones, and they were a straight tool that would take a cone. They used crow bars to break out the core. The curved blade ones are much better.

robo hippy
 
Doug Freeman said:
You may have had an earlier version. Mine has ~ 2-1/2” of movement left and right of the tailstock, pic below. The Oneway and Woodcut will always give a curve the shape of the blade curve since both or pivoted. Changing the pivot position changes dia and the portion of the 90 deg sweep they both have that cuts wood becomes the bowl form. Blade radius and pivot point determine the shape. They work the same, its just geometry. If you had more than 2 blade sizes with the Oneway, that gives more flexibility to the cored bowl shape, just as the 4 blade Woodcut has more flexibility. There is a limit to how far the pivot can be moved to the front side of the lathe - the blade Is limited in how far it can reach/cut, and still get the bowl broken off the tenon left in the center.

I paid $410 for my unit with toolpost 6 yrs ago. I “think” the OW unit with 2 knives was about double that then - I know the OW was significantly more expensive, so I chose the Woodcut. Today the 2 blade WC and the OW with 2 blades are the same cost, though it appears a shapening jig or different cutter needs to be included with the OW. At todays prices I would likely choose the OW.

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Hi Doug, thank you for sharing this detail and further to this I'd like to add (disclosure my family owns Woodcut Tools) the Woodcut Tools rationale for this products design and to achieve different shaped bowls is as follows
To change the shape of the base of the bowl you are coring simply slide the Tailstock along the track of your Woodcut Tools Bowlsaver or Max 3 or 4 to achieve the shape you require.
To change the shape of the top of the wall of the bowl you are coring we recommend you core a thicker wall with your Woodcut Tools Bowlsaver or Max 3 or 4 and then use your Bowl Gouge to achieve the shape you require.
 
Hi Harold and all, further to the points al ready made about the Woodcut Bowlsaver product something that isn't mentioned is a) the Woodcut Bowlsaver product features a Stellite cutter, most turners will never need to replace this. Stellite is commonly found in saw mill operations and is recognised for it's durability, especially ability to withstand knots and stones in wood and it's ability to be hollow grind when sharpened with CBN to produce nice thick shavings and b) the knife rotates on a post which means when you re enter the knife it returns to exactly the same position.
 
I believe I bought the Woodcut from the owner of the company at an AAW Symposium. To the best of my recollection I paid a little over $300. To set the record straight I have not bad mouthed it as it works just fine. All I'm saying is that it is not as versatile as the other two brands. I believe I wrote an article about it (I'll check) and have written articles on other Woodcut products which are very well made and some have no real competition.
 
Well, I have not experimented with this much, but I would guess the Oneway is more versatile than the Woodcut since you have a greater range of lateral movement. The only problem I can see with lateral movement is that the blades are shaped for specific radii. With the Oneway, the support finger is angled to fit a specific radius. With the Woodcut, the blade has a slight arc to it rather than being straight up and down. If you go a longer way off of the center line, then there could be some issues with the blade getting caught/bound up in the kerf. Not really a problem since you just adjust it a bit more to one side or the other to open up the kerf. I still like the McNaughton best. I can remove the first core in about the time it takes me to set the other systems up. They all work. Finding what works best for you is the key.

robo hippy
 
Bill Blasic said:
I believe I bought the Woodcut from the owner of the company at an AAW Symposium. To the best of my recollection I paid a little over $300. To set the record straight I have not bad mouthed it as it works just fine. All I'm saying is that it is not as versatile as the other two brands. I believe I wrote an article about it (I'll check) and have written articles on other Woodcut products which are very well made and some have no real competition.
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Thanks Bill if you purchased after 2005 that would have been my (late) father Peter who you purchased off at the Symposium
 
I've had both the Woodcut and the Kelton corers, acquiring them in that order. Once I 'mastered' the Kelton I passed the Woodcut along. No complaint about the Woodcut, but it does need to be used inboard with the tailstock and that may suit many turners, but I do all of my bowl and hollow form work outboard and prefer to work in that position.

There is newer version of the Woodcut, so I can't comment on that, but I found the Kelton with the full set of bars (yes all of them!) to be more versatile for my purposes.

However, the full set of Kelton bars is a large investment that I had to give careful consideration to in terms of just how much value I would get from them over their and my life cycle... 🤔 ...so far they and I are are still going and I'm well ahead on my return on investment.

My suggestion to anyone who is considering a coring system is to try them all out somewhere before they buy, ideally with someone who is a proficient user.

Also, the Kelton straight bars that come with each set of bars have been of no use to me, but ended up with multiples of them in different lengths. If you can buy the curved bars individually, a few at a time, that would be the way I would go.

I core with a 1.5HP motor and it's right at its limit with the biggest cores. 2HP, or more, would be better.

Like the Woodcut, you have to keep the tips sharp and have a method of cleaning the shavings out of the cut as it gets deeper.

I haven't used the Oneway system, so comment on that.
 
As for the stellite, it is a wonderful material. I did get some samples years ago from up in Canada, and I did make one Big Ugly tool out of it. It holds an edge like the tantung I was using. The traditional Big Ugly tool came from the Oregon Coast. The myrtle/California Bay Laurel is a rather abrasive wood. They would sharpen after breakfast, turn till lunch time, sharpen again and turn till quitting time. Apparently the place that made the tantung is no longer in business. I do wish some one would make the Big Ugly tool again!

robo hippy
 

robo hippy said:
The traditional Big Ugly tool came from the Oregon Coast. The myrtle/California Bay Laurel is a rather abrasive wood. They would sharpen after breakfast, turn till lunch time,
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Robo,

Are the Myrtle Wood factories still open along the Oregon Coast? I say "factories" plural because I believe there were several of them. They had gift shop type items made from myrtle wood with bowls being the biggest items. Their sales pitch was myrtle wood only grows 2 places in the world, along the Oregon coast and in the "holy lands". That may have been a scam.

When I was in college in Seattle between quarters we'd head down to San Francisco where the action was with the anti-war protests. The coast route was more interesting than the straight shot down I-5. Those myrtle shops were a nice rest stop. One I remember had viewing glass separating the sales area from the production shop. I recall a giant dedicated coring machine maybe 7 feet high that could have weighed a ton with the operator swinging a 4 foot handle. I don't recall any hand turning.
 
The myrtle/bay laurel shops are fading into the past. The turners are getting older, and they are not finding anyone who wants to take over their businesses. The California Bay Laurel trees, some times called "pepper trees" down in California, grow from about San Francisco up to about British Columbia, but the best stuff is N California coast and S Oregon Coast. It is not even remotely related to the myrtle that grows in the holy lands....

robo hippy
 
I did have some one looking into making the Big Ugly tool. I do remember researching tangung, and I think there was a place in Australia that was making it. A wonderful metal for woodworking. I did send a couple of pieces to Kel McNaughton. He had heard I was making tips for his coring blades. I only made a couple for myself. I do like it better than what ever he has on his blades. I don't know if he is still in the business or not.

robo hippy
 
IMG_7404.jpegOne of the points that may bear mentioning when debating what coring system to use is the time and effort the different systems may take to set up and take down. I just worked through six large elm blanks, each of which was cored to create two bowls. My process is to use a woodworm screw to turn the outside of the bowl and create a tenon, then mount it by the tenon, face off the top of the blank, then set up the McNaughton in my banjo. This only takes a minute or so to install. I’ve not used any of the other systems, but my guess from seeing demonstrations, is that it’s quite a bit more involved to mount the corer base to the lathe bed, and adjust the Morse taper in the quill. I’d think that doing that six times or more through one run of bowls would get pretty tedious and time consuming. IMG_7407.jpeg
 
The McNaughton is the easiest to set up followed by the Woodcut and lastly the Oneway. The Oneway weighs about 5 or 6 times more than the McNaughton and at least twice that of the Woodcut. The main thing for me was How I felt using each system. I felt and still feel very safe using the Oneway and basically the same using the Woodcut. I never felt safe while using the McNaughton with their narrow light weight shafts with very little support in the cut and it scared me. When you don't feel safe using something you are not going to use it and that was why the McNaughton was the first to go. Now I cored many pieces with the Woodcut but I also had the Oneway and you really do not need two coring systems so I passed on the Woodcut to a friend which is still being used today. If you are asking why did he have all three systems it was because I was writing articles and I was going to do an article on the three of them but someone beat me to it. I have now upgraded the Oneway with the handles that Glenn Lucas sells which does speed up the use of it and not to mention the Korpro that makes the Oneway a real smooth and fast coring machine with the ability to make as many a nested set as the McNaughton. Use what works for you.
 
Neil S said:
Also, the Kelton straight bars that come with each set of bars have been of no use to me, but ended up with multiples of them in different lengths. If you can buy the curved bars individually, a few at a time, that would be the way I would go.
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I only have a short handle thin kerf parting tool, so on a few occasions, having a much larger parting tool came in very handy for me. I have used it freehand a time or 2, but replacing the tool rest with the captured guide gives the ability for a very deep parting cut.
 
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