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Wish me luck!

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I’ve been impressed by some big turnings and have not done one over 13 inches. I secured a big blank of Norfolk pine, which I’ve turned before, and this one will max out my PM3520. Tree was cut yesterday and it is really wet and heavy. I’ll have to remove bark first and will probably use a large faceplate even though that is not recommended for end grain turnings. Probably won’t do it this week—will need help getting it on the lathe. It’s 11 inches in height. Oh, PM3520 headstock does slide but then I’d lose tailstock support if I pushed it to the edge. Suggestions appreciated! IMG_8804.jpeg
 
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I'd start between centers, so you can adjust the axis easily. Even still, you will need something to carve away some of it just to get it spinning.
 
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For "carving away", I set chunks of wood on my big osage orange "table" outside the shop and use the chainsaw. I use a corded electric and remove wood selectively, not by cutting, but by swinging the saw to pass the teeth of the chain back and forth over the wood. I often put down two 4x4s and the round fits nicely and securely between them. Take some of of one side, rotate a little and repeat until it's turned all the way around, then refine.

I've turned 15-1/5 pieces on my Jet1642, inboard with tailstock, and 19-1/2 pieces on the PM3520b with a little care about the roundness.

Or take it to someone with a sawmill with motorized debarker! A big commercial sawmill near us can feed a big log into one end and a long cylinder comes out the other end!

I know you said you planned to turn it end grain orientation, but one caution if you decide to turn face grain instead of end grain: the wood may warp significantly as it drys unless it's turned green to finish (and kept wet when idle). Some species can warp so much a piece that was roughed on the lathe can no longer fit for finish turning!

Lissi Oland, who often turned things in excess of 30" on her custom lathe, said she always used big sheet metal screws in either end or side grain because the threads were sharper than woodworking screws. She showed me an extra large face plate with LOTS of holes, drilled into thet wood, then put a fairly long screw in every hole. Or do what a friend of mine does - flatten the end with a plane, dry it some with a heat gun, coat both the wood and the face plate with woodturner's double-sided tape, stick the face plate on the end, AND use lots of screws. He said the biggest problem he had was getting the faceplate loose from the wood since the tape stuck so well! (He injected acetone into the tape to loosen it; I found a very slow, steady prying worked.) He turned some large bowls outboard using this method, no tailstock.

JKJ
 

hockenbery

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13 inches. I secured a big blank of Norfolk pine, which I’ve turned before, and this one will max out my PM3520

probably use a large faceplate

Most endgrain Nip will look best with the pith centered and knots lined up.

I see part of one knot. If you have a ring of knots in the piece you need to think about where you want them to show in the piece.and you want to line them up - this means start between centers.
I’d consider starting with the pith at the center on both sides.

I often trimmed pieces like yours on the lathe. Looks like the are sides less that 10 inches from the pith. I’d mount it so one of the close sides is to the bottom. Trim it to spin. Turn it round.
Then I put a line on the knot closest to the head stock and the one closest to the tailstock. Then it rotate the round so the closest to the headstock is above the one closet to the tailstock. Loosen the tailstock and rotate the piece about its horizontal axis to get the two knots in line vertically. ( might have to turn some wood off to rotate). This first rotation usually tightens the spread of the knots. repeat couple of times with the new knots. In 3 rotations it usually good as you will get ti. But sometime more fiddling will get the knots closer to the same plane.
Then shape the bowl and put on the tenon


WAYS TO TRIM
If you are skilled with an angle grinder and one of the carving or sawing blades that will quickly take off the small bits needed to get it turning free.
I’ve used an electric chain saw - THEY CAN THROW OIL

I now have an air body saw that would make fast work of the trimming. Mine is a harbor freight cheapie. Hack saw blade cut in half worked great
Sawzall should work too. I don’t have a sawzall - they are similar to an air body saw. Bigger capacity.
 
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IMG_2358.jpegI know how to line up NIP (see attached picture). This piece I plan to turn has only one partial knot. And while I appreciate what you wrote, I like the pith off center like the other picture. To center piths would significantly reduce size of the turning. No angle grinder owned by me, but hacksaw blade is a good idea.IMG_3697.jpeg

 
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I’ve used an electric chain saw - THEY CAN THROW OIL

I just need to say I’ve used chain saws, reciprocating, and rotary cutting tools to shape and remove rough wood. I might be concerned about a oil from a chainsaw except for two things. First, very little oil will come from a properly adjusted chain saw. If the saw is “throwing” oil, the pump may not be adjusted properly. For example, the recommended method to test the oil pump before using any chain saw is to aim the tip at a clean board or smooth rock a few inches away and run the saw at a very high speed - watch for oil spattering on the wood. (If seeing NO oil, you may have a real problem!) I have done this many times, almost every time I begin to use the saw, and I do see oil but it’s an very small amount. However, when it’s run at normal operating speeds, there is no or almost no spatter from the tip. By design, there is always a small amount of oil being pumped into the gap in the chain for necessary lubricant. (If you pick up a saw and there’s a puddle of oil on the floor, it can be a sign of the oil pump, or more likely the tubing or connections.) Secondly, almost any oil from the chain will come off the tip, not off the horizontal cutting section. Third, If any oil is “thrown”, or more realistically lightly spattered on the outside of the wood, it will not soak deeply into green wood (since the pores are already full of water) and that surface of the wood will almost certainly be cut away with no harm. (A dry wood boards with open pores is a different story)

The other thing I found is reciprocating and rotary blades are sometimes more difficult to control than moving the chain back and forth on the surface - assuming the log is supported so it doesn’t roll, of course. (Note that the bar must be held vertically with the chain at the bottom, not with the bar on it’s side with the chain cutting down the log. Maintain a good grip with both hands!)

Another way I’ve used often to remove irregularities before the next step (in my case, mostly preparing logs sections for further processing on the band saw), is to use a good old fashioned hand hatchet. I have a razor sharp SOG I keep on the shop wall which does a great job at removing bark and smoothing lumps and knots. This does take some energy and some time but works well. I’m also not opposed to using a mallet and a wide chisel, again razor sharp. (And all this is easier if the bark is split/pealed off first.)

BTW, one thing about using any sharp tools on the outside of the log section is, depending on where the log has been, its important to clean the surface. In my bandsaw video I briefly show using a wire brush to brush off any dirt which may contain abrasives (sand, fine rocks, etc.) Before I work on log sections that have been on the ground, a great way to clean the wood is stand the chunk up on a clean surface and hose it down with a strong stream of water from the hose, or better, if it’s handy, hit it with a small electric pressure washer. (In some cases, a strong pressure washer can also take off the bark for you. Wear eye protection!)

All this should go without saying but best to say it: if new to chain saws or other cutting tools, get some help/training from an experienced person! I once got a call from a girl I worked with who wanted to come visit - turns out she had signed up for a chain saw carving class starting the next day. She had never used a chain saw. Ackkk! I set up some logs and spent the better part of the rest if the day, starting with the basics of starting the saw safely, stance, grip, safety equipment, etc, basic cross cuts, hard emphasis on kickback with graphic examples what could go wrong, then longitudinal slicing, cross and radial plunge cuts, cutting with the tip without kickback (needed for carving), and everything else I could think of. She somehow got through the course without any 911 calls!

JKJ,
 
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