If you had a choice? Lathe extension or coring system?

[Norm Marentette]

I am interested in buying an extension for my laguna 1836 lathe for Turning large bowls in the 18- 20 inch range. For some reason I just am fascinated by the challenge of it all. Have a tendency to always maximize blanks etc. and like impact pieces. On the other hand I would also like to purchase a coring system from oneway due to the fact I have a ton of walnut to turn and hate to waste it in shavings. I currently have probably 150 rough turned bowls drying for the past 2 years made of various species. I also enjoy hollowing and have the Trent Bosch system which has been great. I am in it for the pleasure more than the profit, although I currently have sold some pieces for a good profit, enough to purchase one of the above. Re-investing in the hobby as I tell my wife. Just can't decide which one to purchase first? Probably would be another year or two before the next purchase. Just wondering which would those of you out there purchase first?

 

[Michael Anderson]

I would say buy the coring system first. I think that will help recoup your funds sooner than an extension. That said, you can probably find a good used coring system for half off or more. Those savings will/should be enough to pay for your extension. Best of both worlds haha.

 

[hockenbery]

I transitioned to mostly hollow forms around 30 years ago.shortly after I got my McNaughton.
I cored about 10 bowls which way more than paid for the McNaughton

You seem stuck between making a science based decision and one of desire.

All the science says coring is the way to turn bowls
You get an extra 1 or two bowls from the inside of a big bowl. More bowls less waste.
If you get into nested once turned bowls you get 5. Saw Mahoney do 14 but he practiced a lot.

The desire to turn a big bowl can be a driving force too.

My suggestion is get the coring system. Make friends with a someone who owns a big lathe.
Should be lots of big oneway owners nearby. One of them will let you turn a big bowl on their lathe.
Give them some walnut they’l invite you back. Turn an 18” bowl. Which you can core with your new corer.

This may satisfy your big bowl curiosity or ignite it.
Who knows by then you may have evolved to all hollowforms.

 

[Ross Berning]

I’d go coring first. With the extension first you’ll be turning away the large cores. With a coring system you’ll save at least some. You could then get the larger coring knifes after the extension if you keep turning the larger bowls.

 

[Dave Bunge]

I'll agree that a coring systems can be very useful. But watch out. It will allow you to make rough turned bowls 2X or 3X as fast Soon your 150 rough turned bowls will turn into 500+ rough turned bowls and your children will start wondering what they are supposed to do with the bounty after you are gone. At least that's what happened in my case.

Seriously, the coring units are very useful, especially when you want to get the most out of a special piece of wood such as a burl. Or when you are making large bowls orientated so the rim is from the center of the log. Often the largest bowl will have some or lots of sapwood in it. The first core, which can still be pretty large, will probably be 100% heartwood.

 

[robo hippy]

Well, it depends. With bed extensions, now many long spindles are you going to turn? If you want one of the lowered bed extensions for turning over sized bowls, I don't know. Bowls over about 14 inch diameter are difficult to sell because most don't have a need for one that size. For coring systems, they are essential if you are a bowl turner. As for the Oneway, the good thing about it is that it is rock solid all the way to the end of the biggest coring blade they have. The down side is the cutter, which to me is worst design ever. Many have gone for the Hunter tip. I have the McNaughton. The Wood Cut is also worth looking into.

robo hippy

 

[David Wyke]

I think you would get more use out of the coring system. I have both the bed extension and the Oneway coring system with 13” and 11” knives. The bed extension for my PM 3520C I got for free because of an issue I had with a different piece of PM equipment. I thought it would be great if I ever turned anything over 20”. After 3 years I’ve never used it and actually moved it up to extend the bed when I started turning hollow forms. It has worked out great for the hollow forms since I don’t have to remove the tail stock now.
I sell several 16”-18” bowls but anything larger would be a special order sale since from my experience people don’t use bowls that large. I’ve been going to art and high end craft type shows for years, not selling but looking at the different bowl turners. Some have 22-28” bowls and they have the same ones in their boot every year.
The Oneway Coring System I use a lot and it paid for its self after only a few cores. I purchased the 13” and 11” because it fit the size bowls I mostly turn. I have plenty of bowl banks under 11” so I didn’t need a s,aller knife. I will say I got to the point I didn’t want to core because of the cutter that came with the knives because I constantly had to sharpen them. Once I bought the Hunter carbide cutter for the Oneway it was a night and day difference. The Hunter Carbide is worth the money! If you decide one the Oneway coring get the Hunter Carbide, you won’t regret it!

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Since you already have an 18" lathe I would get the coring system first since you are getting a lot of wood to core. The bed extension allows you to do more than large bowls. Obviously longer spindles or long hollow forms. If you ever want to do an end table or something like that they are good for that. I had an extension for my 15/24 Laguna and used it to do several end tables that started out at 22" diameter and were turned down to 20" finished size. I also had a coring system at the same time and have used it more than the extension.

 

[Hugh]

With a coring system, you can triple or quadruple your output with the same amount of wood......at least in numbers of roughed out bowls.
If you get a Oneway coring system......spend the extra money and get the Hunter cutter.
In the time it would take you to waste away the center of a 18" bowl, you can core a couple of smaller bowls out of that same block of wood.