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Laguna Lathe

Thomas Schlenker

Thomas Schlenker

Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
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Location
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Looking to buy a heavy duty wood lathe. Possibly something with a 20" swing for bowl turning, variable speeds. I was looking at a 3520B Powermatic lathe however does anyone have any input on heavy duty 20-24 Laguna Lathe?
 
I went to their web site and checked it out. I am guessing that it is not set up for outboard turning, but over the bed turning. I prefer a sliding headstock as that is what I have turned 99% of my bowls on. Just better for posture and ease of turning, plus my lathe sits in a corner so outboard turning is not an option. I watched their lathe video, and cringed. The guy turning the bowl needs some serious lessons on tool sharpening, bowl turning, and general safety.

robo hippy
 
I've asked about the Laguna and never had anyone respond. On the other hand tons of people have the Powermatic and it still has a good reputation. Laguna doesn't have a very good rep when it comes to problems with their machines.
 
Laguna earned a bad reputation several years ago for not being responsive to customers who bought their large bandsaws and needed customer support or replacement parts.

My only personal experience with Laguna was talking to one of their reps at a woodworking show in Dallas about 25 years ago as the show was winding down to the last couple hours. The rep thought that I was one of the other vendors and was on a rant about Dallas being a southern hick town and that nobody here knew quality woodworking machinery when they saw it (meaning Laguna, I presume). By the way, it didn't surprise me when he said that he didn't make any sales during the show.

Over the years, I've only heard one other vendor complaining about not selling anything at a woodworking show and that was Bridge City Toolworks. They may have had a valid reason to be disappointed, but in their case the woodworking show was probably not the right venue since they serve a niche market.
 
I probably know 15-20 woodturners who own laguna bandsaws.
I don't know of any woodturners who own Laguna Lathes.
Steve Russell might own one he used to promote them at the woodworking shows 5 years ago.

The way to sell lathes is to have well known woodturners use them.
Introduce the machines at the AAW symposium and regional symposiums
Get the machines sold by craft supplies or Packard....

This sales model has been used successfully by ONEWAY, Powermatic, Stubby, Robust, Vicmarc....

Laguna had a booth at one if the AAW symposiums a few years ago selling bandsaws.

The AAW trade show is probably the best place to compare top of the line lathes.


Al
 
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I do have the Laguna 16HD bandsaw, and consider it a great investment and time saver for sawing up bowl blank slabs. However, from what I have seen of the different bandsaws out there, they are not designed for what I, as a woodturner do. I have yet to see one bandsaw that has an effective dust collection port. I plan to talk to Brent English (Robust) about maybe having him look into making one to my specs. I mentioned it once to him, and I could see the wheels spinning.....

Laguna has had a bad rep for customer service. Some what earned. I believe that Woodcraft is now carrying their bandsaws, and maybe their lathes. Woodcraft does have good customer service.

robo hippy
 
Thomas-

Have you looked at Oneway lathes? I have a 2036 Oneway (all most 10 years old) with the big bowl attachment. Am very satisfied with it .

Gary:cool2:
 
Oneway makes a good lathe. I prefer the sliding headstock. The 3520 is a good lathe. Robust also makes an excellent lathe. Depends on how much you want to spend. The new big PM lathe now has a sliding headstock.

The market for bowls and platters above 14 to 16 inch diameter is pretty small. You may consider a 16 inch lathe. Most will allow you to turn outboard, which will do an adequate job for a few bowls in that size range, but not for production turning.

robo hippy
 
Robbo Steel City made a lathe with excellent dust collection however I think I heard that they went out of business. Anyone know if that's true. We do need someone to design a bandsaw for turners. Big table, moderate throat, lots of depth for resawing, maybe an extension table on the outboard side for resawing longer logs into spindle blanks, lots of HP, a circle cutting guide built in. Boy this could be fun. Maybe incorporate some sort of flesh sensing device to stop the blade.
 
john lucas said:
... We do need someone to design a bandsaw for turners. Big table, moderate throat, lots of depth for resawing, ....
Click to expand...

Take a look at the MiniMax MM16 or one of its larger brethren. I have the MM16 and it has a massive table and very large throat along with powerful motor that can easily saw through anything that I can hoist onto the table.
 
john lucas said:
Robbo Steel City made a lathe with excellent dust collection however I think I heard that they went out of business. Anyone know if that's true.
Click to expand...

They claim to have two distributors in Texas, but neither of them still list Steel City in their product line.
 
John,
It is robo, as in the old movie Robo Cop. Used to play with hammers and my tool belt while wearing a big knee brace. "Hey, it's robo hippy!" I liked it and kept the name. Robbo is an Australian turner. It confused them as well.

I am thinking you meant the Steel City bandsaw, and not lathe. The dust port in my Laguna is down in the back corner behind everything. I cut the cross hairs out, opened it up to a 5 inch line (3 hp Oneida DC system) and it still doesn't work. I am thinking a floor vent type flange (opening 3 inch wide, by 8 to 12 long, and the hose goes out the back, like the thing I have on my sanding hood. This would go in the bottom door on the lathe, right on the bottom of the inside, which is where all the shavings collect.

robo hippy
 
Your right I did mean the bandsaw. They used to have the main office about 70 miles from me and I went to check out all the equipment. Wasn't impressed by their lathes but the bandsaws had great dust collection. They had sealed all the doors and worked very hard at it. Liked their table saws also but couldn't afford any of them at that time.
I always wondered how you got the name Robo Hippy. I can't print the nicknames I've been given. 🙂
 
robo hippy said:
... The dust port in my Laguna is down in the back corner behind everything. I cut the cross hairs out, opened it up to a 5 inch line (3 hp Oneida DC system) and it still doesn't work. I am thinking a floor vent type flange (opening 3 inch wide, by 8 to 12 long, and the hose goes out the back, like the thing I have on my sanding hood. This would go in the bottom door on the lathe, right on the bottom of the inside, which is where all the shavings collect.

robo hippy
Click to expand...

Reed (or robo) my MiniMax MM16 has really good dust collection (the best that I have seen on a bandsaw), but I did need to make a minor mod to get it to work the way that it should. As it is originally configured, there is too much air leakage below the table because they did not want to have a baffle that might interfere with tilting the table. That can be easily handled by using either sheet rubber or flexible plastic to make a baffle that improves air flow through the table insert. Being basically frugal (sometimes mistakenly identified as being cheap), I used cereal box cardboard and duct tape to make a perfectly functional flexible baffle. Even so, some of the sawdust still winds up in the cabinet because with a blade speed of 4000 FPM, it is hard to get the swarf to clear the gullet in the brief time that the blade is passing through the DC box. I've considered putting an air knife next to the blade to help clear the gullets, but that is way down on my list.
 
When I am slabbing up log sections for bowls, I square up the ends first, lay out bowl lines on top, then cut them long grain, so when I open up the lower part of the bandsaw, it reminds me of the old Star Trek 'The Trouble with Tribbles' as in a bunch of hairballs in the bottom. Wet wood will not wisk away like dry wood will.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
When I am slabbing up log sections for bowls, I square up the ends first, lay out bowl lines on top, then cut them long grain, so when I open up the lower part of the bandsaw, it reminds me of the old Star Trek 'The Trouble with Tribbles' as in a bunch of hairballs in the bottom. Wet wood will not wisk away like dry wood will.

robo hippy
Click to expand...

I had almost forgotten about that little problem. It is like having a bowl of spaghetti plugging up the DC port. My little portable single stage DC with its four inch hose just couldn't handle the stuff. Not fun digging that stuff out of the impeller.

Those little strings of wood are kind of pretty.
 
Give The Nova DVR 2024 a look.

I was in your same spot about a month ago. There is not a good place to go and compare lathes (besides the symposium, but Some of us just can't make it to California). I was wanting a lathe with a big swing, and I ended up going with the Nova DVR 2024. I love it. Some other people had some gripes about it, but personal preference. The PM 3520B is very nice, as well as the Oneways, and robusts are I'm sure. But, if you are like me, you are on a budget. The Nova is built well, has a good warranty, and has a good reputation for customer service. My biggest gripe is that I wish it came standard with about a foot longer bed, but the bed extension is available. I just need to purchase it. Anyways, if you want a good lathe on a budget it is $2999 about everywhere. Woodcraft has them, or you can buy them on Amazon.com with no sales tax and free shipping. Very easy to assemble also. 8 bolts, and 6 screws and you are in business. hope this helps.
 
DON'T BUY ANYTHING made by LAGUNA!

I bought a Laguna lathe - DON'T DO IT!

The inverter on the lathe literally blew up 4 days after the warranty date.

The Laguna service manager told me Laguna knew of the problem, but they would NOT warranty it. Other Laguna lathe owners suffered through the same issue. Some got a replacement lathe, only to have it happen again. To fix it cost 25% of the original cost of the lathe.

  • Poor customer support.
  • No intention of fixing a known problem.
  • They just don't care if the customer is satisfied with their product, they just want to make a sale and after that you're on your own.

DON'T BUY ANYTHING LAGUNA!
 
Tom Hamilton said:
I bought a Laguna lathe - DON'T DO IT!

< SNIP ! ! >

DON'T BUY ANYTHING LAGUNA!
Click to expand...

Don't hold back Tom - tell us what you really feel! 😉

😀
 
I second Tom H.'s advice. I bought a bandsaw from Laguna, the LT 24 X 24, and love it. I also got their "in-house" Timbermaster sliding table accessory. I had real problems with it after paying around $2000. The reason for the problem was simple, but I got a strong dose of their policy Tom describes as "you're on your own". I was looked on as a complainer. The mitre bar was machined so that it would not slide in the slot of the saw that they sold me! My problem? --I don't think so. Not after the 2G. I got no support and had to fix the mitre bar myself.

I would not trust them for any future purchases.

Now, the other question: why would you guys, even production turners, spend so much time on blanks w/ a bandsaw? A chainsaw can do it way more quickly to get it round enough for between centers to get your recess or tenon. Yes, I think that Reed (correct me if I'm wrong) makes a blank from a slab with the bandsaw and then drills w/a Forstner bit the recess on the inside side of the bowl to then turn another opposite recess for the foot of the bowl in order to finish. But I still don't get how this actually saves time or effort. I chainsaw a blank roughly round, turn a tenon or recess between centers, then go on through the usual steps to finish. A gouge needs no special DC. Get your broom, or more likely shovel, out at the end of the day.

I use our bandsaw for other things than blanks. It is a great machine and I highly recommend the saw but not the company and it's CS. For slabbing it's great, though I should've gotten a horizontal like a Woodmizer instead for that.

Goodness, I would never think of buying a lathe from Laguna unless one is into suffering and self-destruction! I'm still turning on my starter lathe from Grizzly, and gladly. At least they have great CS.

Mark
 
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robo hippy said:
I went to their web site and checked it out. I am guessing that it is not set up for outboard turning, but over the bed turning. I prefer a sliding headstock as that is what I have turned 99% of my bowls on. Just better for posture and ease of turning, plus my lathe sits in a corner so outboard turning is not an option. I watched their lathe video, and cringed. The guy turning the bowl needs some serious lessons on tool sharpening, bowl turning, and general safety.

robo hippy
Click to expand...

Is this the video you're referring to, Robo?

(click on "videos" link just under photograph)

http://www.lagunatools.com/lathes/lathe-1847#

It looks like he's using a roughing gouge for bringing a big bowl blank to round. I've never done this, but from the input I see from others here, this particular thing is a very dangerous thing to do. Why? From what I understand, the roughing gouge is for spindle turning only.......correct?

Most all my bowl blanks are closer to round when initially mounted to the lathe, and those times where I've had this much "dead air" in the bowl blank prior to bring it to round, I've been very uncomfortable with it. In the video, that far out of round in combination with the roughing gouge looks like a disaster to me......is this what you're referring to?

To tell you the truth, I've had a good Sorby roughing gouge for 25 years.......but, it probably hasn't seen an hours use in that quarter century! 😱 The roughing gouge has never seen much use, because other tools have have suited all my needs........

ooc


Mark Levitski said:
Now, the other question: why would you guys, even production turners, spend so much time on blanks w/ a bandsaw? A chainsaw can do it way more quickly to get it round enough for between centers to get your recess or tenon. Yes, I think that Reed (correct me if I'm wrong) makes a blank from a slab with the bandsaw and then drills w/a Forstner bit the recess on the inside side of the bowl to then turn another opposite recess for the foot of the bowl in order to finish. But I still don't get how this actually saves time or effort. I chainsaw a blank roughly round, turn a tenon or recess between centers, then go on through the usual steps to finish. A gouge needs no special DC. Get your broom, or more likely shovel, out at the end of the day.

Mark
Click to expand...

Mark......I think it's a matter of safety, and not saving time and effort. I always get the bowl blank as round as possible with a band saw, prior to mounting on the lathe. Besides this, the further out of round, the more balance and vibration problems will exist.

I realize, of course, that many turners have the "dead air" space while turning on a regular basis. It is a matter of necessity for them, because their style of turning requires it. This is something I avoid as much as possible, because I perceive it as a safety issue.

ooc
 
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I use the bandsaw for roughing blanks because I don't want to wake up my neighbors on a Saturday morning at 6 am. Of course I'll be retired in 5 weeks and can work on weekdays but they still work and probably don't want that noise that early either. Now midday might be a different story.
 
odie said:
Is this the video you're referring to, Robo?

(click on "videos" link just under photograph)

http://www.lagunatools.com/lathes/lathe-1847#

It looks like he's using a roughing gouge for bringing a big bowl blank to round. I've never done this, but from the input I see from others here, this particular thing is a very dangerous thing to do. Why? From what I understand, the roughing gouge is for spindle turning only.......correct?
Click to expand...

No, but it sure helps if you know how to use the tool. This guy, and others, like the one who wrote the infamous "SRG" condemnation are the reason you hear such things.

As I see it, you have two choices with any tool. Learn to use it or shelve it. Sadly, some think that pontificating from ignorance is a third. Note that any size gouge used as he's using the rougher would hack as badly. The guy hasn't a clue. Yet, even with a (pun intended) hack at the handle, he doesn't do more than beat himself up, because he follows the second commandment of turning. When used as a cutting tool, as the third suggests, there's a lot of shavings and no strain.

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n28/MichaelMouse/?action=view&current=PicturesfromGregs022.flv

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n28/MichaelMouse/?action=view&current=1012052.mp4

As to bandsawing, it reduces the strain on the turner and the equipment enough to justify the investment of two minutes or so, as I see it. I even recommend a second round for balance if you're dealing with a lathe that isn't firmly grounded or rigid. Could mean spending another two minutes, though undercutting with the chainsaw across the end grain will do 90% of the same for no extra charge. .
 
If that's not a roughing gouge, then what is it?

The wings look way too tall for it to be a bowl gouge........? 😕

For bringing to round, I use a regular bowl gouge. This works well for my purposes, but my bowl blanks are never as far out of round as we see in that video. I make first contact using the side of one flute or the other in a "push cut" fashion.....(Never at a right angle, or held 90 degrees to the surface, as we see in that video.) My usual method is to use both wings, so as to take advantage of the full amount of sharpened edge.......using left flute from left to right, and right flute from right to left. This is pretty much just a utilitarian procedure, with the object simply to produce a fresh straight surface, while bringing the circumference to round and parallel to the lathe axis.

This roughing cut of mine is done with the tool rest close to center, and handle held low at a steep angle........but, all of this will vary, depending on the spindle height in relation to how tall the turner is. (If the tool rest is close to center, the gouge will be above center. This works well for my purposes. No matter what the tool rest height is (within reason), the cutting tool itself can be held at the correct presentation for the best cut.

ooc
 
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OK, I had to watch the video since everybody seemed to be enjoying it so much. It appears that finesse is not one of the things that the guy has in his bag of tricks. I guess that is why there is sandpaper. 😀 I need to watch him do the inside of the bowl again -- maybe I will learn a new technique.

My thoughts about the lathe:

  1. Regarding the NASCAR paint job, I guess that they want to make sure that everybody knows that it is a Laguna.
  2. When he demonstrated the sliding headstock, sliding tailstock, and sliding toolrest (gee, they all slide 🙄), the sound caught my attention. Maybe it was the room acoustics, but they all made a sound like sliding a heavy table across a rough concrete floor.
  3. The motor is really small and doesn't have a cooling fan. Instead it has cooling fins. According to the guy, it has an internal encoder. That and the square form factor makes me think that it might be either a BLDC (brushless DC motor) or a stepper rather than an AC induction motor.
  4. The accessories -- faceplate, drive center, and live center look just like the ones that came with my Delta Hunk-O-Junk 1440 -- cheapest of the cheap.
  5. It appears to be a good mid range lathe, but I didn't see the price tag. It certainly doesn't look like it is in the Powermatic class.
 
My big bandsaw is a real time saver. The chainsaw can do a fairly good job of roughing out a bowl blank, and in fairly good time. The big bandsaw can do a much better/accurate job than the chainsaw, and does it in the same amount of time, if not faster. I use a 1 1/4 inch Lennox bimetal blade with teeth about 3/4 inch apart. The saw has a 4.5 hp motor. Take a chainsawn log slab, lay it flat on the table and square both ends to the table. Draw out slab thickness with strips of plywood, then stand the slab on end and cut the slabs. Draw circles, and cut them on the small bandsaw. This eliminates 90% of the roughing cuts, almost all of the noise, gas, and is far safer than the chainsaw. I used to do the chainsawn blanks, but really, it is faster.

The debate about the (spindle) roughing gouge will go on. Standard high wing or the continental/broad sweep as MM calls it, will work fine on bowls, IF you know how to use it properly. When you look at the Laguna video, you see the handle lowered, and he is trying to rub the bevel just like you do when you rough a spindle. This is a controlled cut, IF you are very sensitive to being able to feel the bevel rub. The danger is in coming off the bevel. You have the handle lowered, which extends the tool farther off the tool rest, and if you come off the bevel, suddenly you have a scraper pointed up into the spinning wood. Just like sticking you finger into the spinning fan. Point it into the spin direction, OUCH! Point it away from the spin, and your finger falls harmlessly out of blades (Momma told me never to put my fingers into the ceiling fan blades, but I could not resist, love the tick, tick sounds, like putting playing cards on your bike wheelsl). I can do that same cut with a scraper, bevel rubbing and handle lowered. I can control it, but it is way too risky. Rolled onto its side, the SRG gives a nice controlled slicing cut, and the wings are out of the way and will not catch. When it comes to serious roughing, a lousy tool. Me, I love scrapers for this cut. They call them roughing cuts for a reason, they ain't supposed to be pretty.

robo hippy
 
odie said:
If that's not a roughing gouge, then what is it?
Click to expand...

If you mean the "no," it's the answer to the question posed at the end of the quoted text. As in no, the roughing gouge is not just for spindles. Even Hippy seems a little shaky on how to use it on a spindle. Which, BTW, is precisely the way it's used on faceplate work. So take a think. As with your pocket knife, a drawknife, a plane or shave - ANY edge, really, you don't want to chop, but to slice. Remember that razor blade which won't cut the skin used broadside, but will go to the bone when it's drawn along? Same thing.

Here's the tool in use on a spindle. Note that he's whittling, just like you do with your knife, and for the same reason - starting in the middle is the way you get long splinters. It would be better to hold the tool to the rest overhand, but for the sake of photography .... http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n28/MichaelMouse/?action=view&current=PeelandPare.mp4

What kind of surface results from PROPER use of the tool? http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/Whittled-with-Rough.jpg Without half trying. Continuous shavings don't leave ridges. That's reason two for seeking the shaving. Reason one is that you don't bounce much. The same surface can be obtained on a convex surface rotating in faceplate orientation. A few seconds of arc isn't really significantly different that straight line on a spindle.
 
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OK, thanks for the clarification, MM.......

Yes, I did think you meant the tool being used in the video wasn't a bowl gouge. I wasn't completely sure it was.......

ooc
 
I am not at all confused or shaky on how to use the tool, commonly called a 'Roughing Gouge' which some want called a 'Spindle Roughing Gouge'. What is shaky to me is how people are taught to use it. There are a number of turners who teach to use it on spindles in the exact same method that you would use to make a planing cut with a skew, or a plunge cut with a parting/bedan/beading and parting tool. Start with the handle down low, flutes are pointing straight up, rubbing the bevel, and gently lowering the handle till it just starts to cut. I never do this and prefer the slicing cut, where the cutting edge is skewed to the rotating wood rather than square to it.

I guess another part of the confusion is that just about any tool can be used in roughing and finish cuts. It depends on how the cutting edge is presented to the rotating wood.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
H

The debate about the (spindle) roughing gouge will go on...
I can do that same cut with a scraper, bevel rubbing and handle lowered. I can control it, but it is way too risky. Rolled onto its side, the SRG gives a nice controlled slicing cut, and the wings are out of the way and will not catch. When it comes to serious roughing, a lousy tool....

Me, I love scrapers for this cut. They call them roughing cuts for a reason, they ain't supposed to be pretty.
robo hippy
Click to expand...

Robo,
I suspect you and I can both turn wood with a sharpened spoon.

The video shows a guy fighting through continuous catches. A very bad example for anyone to emulate.
As you simply put the spindle roughing gouge is not a good tool,for bowls. In the hands of an inexperienced turner it is dangerous.
MM gets bouncing when roughing so it does not work for him as a roughing tool either.

The responsible advice to novice turners is to use only bowl gouges or scrapers on bowls.

i just love the 3/4 - 1 " shavings I get with my 1/2 bowl gouge.

Properly used the side ground bowl gouge will rough a bowl with no bounce and no force on any part of your body.
I often demonstrate bowls on half logs cut round on the band saw. The first roughing cut takes off the top of the bark edge at one ( sometimes both ends of the blank)
The side ground gouge makes a clean and smooth cut even though it is almost all air. No bounce just a cut as the wood comes by.
It isn't a bevel riding cut as there is only air. Beginners can master this cut on their first bowl.
The whole edge of the blank can be shaped smoothly while it is an interupted cut with the only tear out on the back edge of the cut where the tool come out into air.

My advice, NEVER use a spindle roughing gouge. A catch with the spindle roughing gouge can be devastating.
Even if you are skilled enough to get away within it just isn't he best tool for the job

Al
 
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OK, after thinking about it a little, and after your responses, I can see a couple reasons to use a bandsaw for blanks. The one I thought of would be the main reason IMO: if you do not have you own logs to work with and either purchase or trade wood that is already slabbed or in blank form, then you have an existing flat surface to work with to lay on the BS table. Turners that use import or exotic wood usually have this situation, unless they get part of a log.

The noise and the sound, yes, I can imagine where you live and who your neighbors are would affect your decisions. Granted. I enjoy the electric chainsaw I use in the shop for those reasons.

The safety issue is a concern to some I guess (understood, Odie). I grew up and currently live in a rural area where many, many people use chainsaws routinely and do not show up as routinely in the ER. The would take safety seriously, but no more seriously than operating a BS. I would venture a guess that more injuries occur by percent of users by bandsaws and tablesaws than by chainsaws. There were probably hundreds if not thousands of people today in my area that used a chainsaw (I could hear a couple in the distance near my place). I bet they felt very comfortable with that. They probably would be a little more tentative and cautious if I asked them to operate a BS.

Reed, I have a 1 1/4 blade on the saw now and cannot for the life of me figure out how I'd cut a 16" circle with that blade without making a many-sided polygon. You just keep gnawing off corners until it's mostly round? That's kinda what I do w/ the CS. I usually just "stop sign" it, then off to the lathe. Fast for me, but I guess it's what you're used to, huh.
 
Mark Levitski said:
The safety issue is a concern to some I guess (understood, Odie). I grew up and currently live in a rural area where many, many people use chainsaws routinely and do not show up as routinely in the ER. The would take safety seriously, but no more seriously than operating a BS. I would venture a guess that more injuries occur by percent of users by bandsaws and tablesaws than by chainsaws. There were probably hundreds if not thousands of people today in my area that used a chainsaw (I could hear a couple in the distance near my place). I bet they felt very comfortable with that. They probably would be a little more tentative and cautious if I asked them to operate a BS.
Click to expand...

Hello Mark.........

Actually, I was speaking about the safety issues involved with turning badly out of round wood on the lathe, as opposed to turning wood that is initially mounted on the lathe in a much more uniformly round shape.

I would have no problem with using the chainsaw itself......I have two of them, and for a few years, I earned my living with a chainsaw on logging crews......so, I am familiar with their use.

ooc
 
Mark,
I figure the 1 1/4 inch blade will cut an arc of about 4 to 5 foot diameter. I have the big saw for resawing/slab work, and a smaller one for cutting circles. If I am over 6 inches high, I will nibble the corners off on the big saw. My small saw is an older PM with a solid cast iron frame, and can not have a riser block fit into it. Some times I do wish it cut up to 8 or so inches high.

robo hippy
 
OK Odie, sorry. I misunderstood you. I turn so many winged and voided pieces that out of round doesn't bother me too much -- I've gotten used to it. Wouldn't recommend it for the beginner though.

I forgot to mention that I only work with native (WI) woods and always in log form to begin with, so I don't know what I'm talking about with much else. If I were producing blanks in numbers to sell, then I think I would definitely be slabbing with a mill then using an upright BS to make the blanks. Is that how all those blanks for sale are produced?

Got it, Reed. 4-5 foot radius sounds about right. Table top blanks? 😀
I too have a 14" BS as well as the big one. I have a narrow blade for the big BS but I always seem to leave it set up with the wide blade for other things.
 
Hello folks.

I am still a novice, but I thought I would throw in my 2 cents. The rounding out with a band saw is the way to go for me. I have had some logs too thick to go under the throat on my saw, so I've rounded them the best I could with a chain saw, and they are a bear to rough out. They are for me anyways. If there is a better way I wish I could figure it out. As far as the huge radius cuts you were talking about, Highland woodworking sells a woodturners bandsaw blade that is awesome. It is specifically made for cutting thick, green wood. The Kerf is far wider than the body of the blade, so you cancut really sharp radius. The smallest I have cut was a 5" blank. I threw the half log on the saw, and cut a hole in it pretty much. I've never seen a blade like it. It of course leaves a very rough cut, but it is not made for finish work. It is well worth the 20-30 dollars. You will wonder how you ever did it before.
 
I think most blanks for sale are done with a saw mill. Too labor intensive otherwise. I did look at some once, and thought, "they didn't cut that out right/properly". Opinion, but I don't like knots or voids in my bowls. Grain orientation is secondary. Probably because my bowls are all warped, and it fits with "that's so organic". That is why I prefer logs, then I can cut them out as I wish. Most of what I sell are utilitarian bowls. Like Mike Mahoney says on his web site, his bowls are guaranteed because they are free from natural defects. Those are a gamble, especially knots, which, over time will eventually fail.

robo hippy
 
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