No Bandsaw? No Problem!

Most woodturners will cut half-logs into rounds on the bandsaw before mounting it onto the lathe, and for production turners the time saved in doing so is a must—and the money saved would even pay for bandsaw. But for the hobbyists who cannot afford the space or budget for a bandsaw, that should not keep you from taking advantage of all the free wood from local trees that are cut down.

See how a special roughing cut (that I call a "pivoting cut") can make quick work of rounding out half logs directly on the lathe.

[forawolf]

My man, why did you stop uploading these beautiful, hugely informative and thoroughly explained videos? You're teaching so much and the comments are the proof, great work, hope you bless us with more content, you've earned my subscribe

[carsonwells]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My band saw has just bit the dust and it may be some time before I can afford to replace it, and the time and labor you just saved me is truly appreciated. Tips like this are fantastic. It is so simple, you wonder why someone else had to point it out to you. But I guess even the smartest man alive can't think of everything. Thanks again for sharing that with us.

[kevingeaney]

You've got so many strings to your bow Brian:- techniques, video production, clear voice and instructions, and a day job as well!

[garsonprice]

Two thumbs up, Brian. Some comments below indicate your detail in explaining is extreme. However, for your average hobby woodturner, you are spot on in video production, explaining the physics of cutting with different tools and blank orientation, clarity, etc. Please don't change a thing in your wonderful videos. Salute from east coast, Canada! Thank you!

[jimmysymons]

SHALOM and Hi MR Brian.I've been doing boxes for the last 30 years, BUT only
on a metal Lathe, British 50's.I am now a pensioner, + a few. I have decided to change it
into a wood lathe; A new box of tricks.New tools all different cuts.New teacher.

AND SO to you , I've always say..Bring on the teachers and thank you have a good day.JIM

[nathangold]

I really appreciate the multiple angles you show with your cameras. So often turners don't position their cameras so you can tell what angle the tool is sitting on the too rest.

[johng]

This is exactly what I wanted to try turning as a beginner. I’m an old tree guy always dealing with logs thanks Brian.

[gordroberts]

Thanks so much Brian. Watching your instructional series has saved me months of trial and error learning. Cheers, Gord

[CyrusTabery]

You are such a fabulous teacher Brian! Thanks! I thought to myself "has a powermatic 3530 but no bandsaw? Lol" and "I am glad I have a 17" bandsaw"

[jeffoldham]

brian I don't have a large bandsaw and im getting into cutting green wood like this for bowls and you have helped me so much n understanding what to do, , , thanks again

[DeseretRider]

What impressed me (as a rank amateur) is how a sharp and well designed tool aids his process----good job Brian. Thanks for sharing

[woodydellcreations]

This is a fantastic video... your explanation of the angle of approach is fantastic as well as the camera angles that you provide. I am very new to woodworking and turning. I have found the learning curve to be very steep but also very rewarding. Videos like this one are amazing and I'm very grateful for the work you put into making it! I don't have a working bandsaw right now so I was very intrigued, unfortunately my lathe starts spinning around 800 rpm... so I'm not too sure I'm going to try this method until I gain more confidence and skill in my abilities.. but really wanted to thank you for a fantastic video.

[Lee-qpgf]

Great video, Brian. You do an excellent job on all your videos explaining techniques.

[awildeep]

The amount of fatigue avoided by using a bandsaw seems worth the investment. Your hands have value which I would think would be well above the cost of a used quality bandsaw.

[ALegit]

helpful tips. i was always catching endgrain

[timhyatt]

I didn't have a bandsaw for a number of years -- i used to rough the corners off with the chainsaw so it was closer to being round (mostly I got my bandsaw, i found that spending 5 mins at the bandsaw, saves me 20-30 mins of roughing at the my lathe is only midsize, having the saw means I can do larger bowls that start approaching the 12" max the lathe can do....before that most of my bowls were only in the 8-10 range at

[stormy]

Thanks! Very helpful! Your teaching style is how I learn this type of skill. Luckily, there are lots of other people who teach differently for those who learn differently on the internet.

[mosephina]

Two other techniques are to cut the blank into an octagon as you have done in another of your videos, Brian. Also, a lesser used technique is to place the full log between centers then shape the log into a ball. Finally, rotate the ball 180 degrees before cutting in half with a chainsaw while on the lathe. This one works especially well. you just have to be careful. It's best to start with a small diameter log of about 9 inches. i believe it is David Ellsworth who uses this technique, but I'm not certain. I have done it myself, and it does work well. The trick is to get the pith oriented perpendicular to the bed ways before cutting with the chainsaw...electric chainsaw is best for this.
As a side note, we all seem to be adapting the techniques of the professional/production turners. In my opinion, this is a mistake as it causes us to be in a hurry. Side ground bowl gouges are a good example of this. The object of that gouge is to remove material quickly. That works great for the production turner. But, this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. What's the hurry?

[alansimpson]

Thank you for making me aware of this technique.

[DKWalser]

Brian -- Thanks for the informative video. I wish I'd had that pivot cut in my arsenal when I roughed out my first half-log blank. Trying to turn it round it out with a push cut almost cost me some fillings! Talk about a brutal cut.

Rather than using a screw-chuck or a face plate to mount the blank on the lathe, I suggest mounting the blank between centers. This allows you to find the balance point on the blank (which lets you turn at a higher speed). More importantly, it allows you more creative freedom. With a screw-chuck or face plate, you're stuck turning the bowl on that axis. When you start between centers, you can shift the axis to better balance the grain or to take advantage of (or avoid) some other feature in the wood. YMMV.