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Wood-Cut Coring problems

K

Kris Ware

Joined
Apr 15, 2025
Messages
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Location
Oswego, NY
I just bought the wood cut coring system.
I can’t get it to cut. I think I’ve done everything. Stellite tooth is sharp. Hight is good. I have to put a lot of pressure to get it to cut and when it does cut it diggs in and catches and either stalls the lathe or rips the bowl off the chuck
The blade angles up slightly. The rep at Rockler says this is normal
Anybody have any suggestions?
K Ware
 
NOT NORMAL! Well, the catch part anyway. The cutting tip does angle up slightly, but I don't see that as a problem. They are scrapers. If anything, I would want mine maybe 1/4 inch at most above center line. I would use medium woods like cherry or even poplar for first coring efforts. Green wood for sure. I don't use it much, but the old 2 blade system worked like a charm.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
NOT NORMAL! Well, the catch part anyway. The cutting tip does angle up slightly, but I don't see that as a problem. They are scrapers. If anything, I would want mine maybe 1/4 inch at most above center line. I would use medium woods like cherry or even poplar for first coring efforts. Green wood for sure. I don't use it much, but the old 2 blade system worked like a charm.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
Ok thanks for the reply
Funny you say that. The wood I’m using is wet black cherry. I will try again tonight and post a pic
It’s pretty frustrating tho. To get it to cut at all I have to use a lot of pressure and then it just catches every time!
 
Usually when I have trouble like that I have forgotten to tighten something up or my tenon is too small. Make sure everything is tight. I set mine up so the blade is about 1/16" above center. Check your center bolt and make sure it's really tight. Mine was not tight enough and when I tightened it more it helped. Looks like your tenon is sized good. Are there any knots in the wood your coring? That causes problems also. I also made a handle extension so I can put downward pressure on the handle as I'm pulling it into the cut. My experience with black cherry is it's one of the easiest woods to core.
 
robo hippy said:
NOT NORMAL! Well, the catch part anyway. The cutting tip does angle up slightly, but I don't see that as a problem. They are scrapers. If anything, I would want mine maybe 1/4 inch at most above center line. I would use medium woods like cherry or even poplar for first coring efforts. Green wood for sure. I don't use it much, but the old 2 blade system worked like a charm.

robo hippy
Click to expand...

Most coring systems are a guided/captured scraper contraption. It shouldn't hook upward, because that would be the same as trying to use a conventional scraper with the handle down. You might get away with it doing very light sidegrain cuts, but as you progress deeper in, coring becomes all endgrain. A scraper with an upward hook becomes grabby and can be violently self-feeding. Setting it up above center makes the angle angle even worse as the diameter gets smaller.

Grind a slight negative rake on just the very tip of the cutter before you break something.
 
Could be teething problems as you are doing something new to you.

Is the belt on the correct setting? It should be on the slower speed setting.

As for stalling, this is usually due to pushing too hard, and not letting the blade cut bit by bit.

Is the tailstock shaft locked down and is the morse taper piece really locked into the tailstock shaft? If this isn't done, then the unit can move ever so slightly and it doesn't cut very well, if at all. I usually gently tap the morse taper bit into the tailstock shaft to lock it into position.

Is the shaft that goes into your toolpost hole, 25.4mm (1 inch). This is critical with the Revo toolpost clamping system. I have the Revo 24/36 lathe, everything is pretty much the same, except for the size difference. If you have a 25mm shaft (63/64ths) it won't clamp the shaft securely enough on these lathes.

I have an earlier Woodcut three blade coring system. I find the best way is to have a gloved left hand and have my left hand resting on the blade to lessen the vibrations in certain sections as you work your way to the centre, or nearly to the centre. I have my hand gloved as the temperature of the (sometimes) steaming wood, is uncomfortable.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to change the blade at this stage, Woodcut have a pretty good idea of what they are doing.

Have you seen any of the tutorial style of videos referenced on Woodcuts site? From memory they pretty much go through everything required, step by step.

Power shouldn't be a problem, while I usually run on my Revo 2436, which has around 2230W, your unit will be around 1500W, which is ample. A few weeks ago I was coring on a lathe with my Woodcut corer on a 750W machine, patience was the go.

Is the tenon of a decent size? With green wood it is possible to rip the tenon off if it isn't long enough, I know as I've done that. Looking at your tenon it looks wide enough, but I'm not sure about your tenon depth. These days, I'm now a very generous tenon length maker with very green wood.

I also find that as the cutter starts to cut end grain, meaning you are getting closer to the centre, I need to up the revs a bit to keep the cutting speed relatively the same as when I started the cutting on the outer edge. If I don't up the speed slightly, I've found I can bog (or stall) the lathe momentarily.

I also find that I'm constantly pushing the blade in, then pulling it out to clear it. Failure to constantly do this, usually makes life harder.
 
I’ve been in contact with rockler about this whole issue. I asked them about the upward angle and they are supposed to get back to me today. They mentioned sending me new cutters. The odd part is both cutters have an upward angle so I can’t help but think they are supposed to be that way. (Seems odd tho)
I have everything tightened down good. My chuck is a nova 4” chuck.
My lathe is 220v 2 hp lots of power with the pulleys on the low setting.
You should see it! It vibrates and rattles bad. Then vilently catches and breaks the tennon or stalls the lathe.
I cant figure out what im doing wrong
the pic shows the upward angle of the stellite cutter.
 

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They suggest a negative rake for "harder woods" and I do not consider cherry to be very hard. some of the harder woods we have like black locust or osage might be considered hard. The original cutters where slightly concave on top. I am trying to find the blades to mine and give it a shot. I did pick up the newer 3 blade system. The owner does check in to this forum from time to time. I am a bit puzzled by the upward cant of the cutting tip. You know your cutter is ready to go if you can feel a burr on the tip. Do use a coarser stone, 120 or so. They don't make them coarser than that. You can also just barely touch the tip to a grinder wheel.

Stellite is an excellent cutting material, and I would rate it as comparable to tantung which I put on my Big Ugly tool, and I have put tips on some of my old McNaughton blades with it.

robo hippy
 
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