# Prepping wood for turning



## carbonleg (Apr 14, 2021)

I am fairly new at turning. I have searched on web for an answer. Why do most turners not cut the corners off wood before turning? It seems difficult for the tool to cut the edges off to get down to round. Is it just too much trouble or preference.


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## T. Ben (Apr 14, 2021)

I am fairly new to turning also and if i can,i cut square bowl blanks round,i do not round off pen blanks.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Apr 14, 2021)

IMO it's just personal preference. Nothing says you can't. I do on my pot call before I start.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 14, 2021)

I almost always round my bowl turning blanks over on the bandsaw first before mounting on the lathe. It just makes it easier rough turning them to get them into round and balance. Spindle stock I just mount up square and have at it to round them over.


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## Jonkou (Apr 14, 2021)

carbonleg said:


> I am fairly new at turning. I have searched on web for an answer. Why do most turners not cut the corners off wood before turning? It seems difficult for the tool to cut the edges off to get down to round. Is it just too much trouble or preference.


Depends on what kind of turning you’re doing. For spindle work it‘s quicker and easier to use a purpose made roughing gouge to remove the edges to get the piece round. Exception would be a large, say over 4” diameter, it would save time to remove the edges with a table/band saw. Don’t know what you’ve seen on the web but for faceplate work, ie a bowl, it’s quicker and easier to start with a blank at least round as can get with a chainsaw, better yet a band saw. Here’s an example of a prepped 9 x 5” bowl blank. Once mounted it’s one pass to true it, lay out your reference lines and directly on to shaping, its the most efficient method when you know what you are going to make from the blank. Hope this helps.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Useful 1


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 14, 2021)

A similar method for a large platter.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 2 | Useful 1


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## William Tanner (Apr 14, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I almost always round my bowl turning blanks over on the bandsaw first before mounting on the lathe. It just makes it easier rough turning them to get them into round and balance. Spindle stock I just mount up square and have at it to round them over.


I agree with Greg. It is faster and easier to start with a round blank for a bowl or platter. It is more enjoyable to start with a balanced work piece on the lathe. That is why most turners acquire a band saw pretty quickly if they don't already have one. A rounded piece easier on the old body, especially on the shoulders.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Mike Hill (Apr 15, 2021)

A lot more pleasant working with an already somewhat balanced work place. Also can turn bigger pieces. I can turn a 14" round on my lathe but not a 14" x 14" square.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## carbonleg (Apr 15, 2021)

William Tanner said:


> I agree with Greg. It is faster and easier to start with a round blank for a bowl or platter. It is more enjoyable to start with a balanced work piece on the lathe. That is why most turners acquire a band saw pretty quickly if they don't already have one. A rounded piece easier on the old body, especially on the shoulders.


I agree with the old body. Round makes it so much smoother to start cutting.


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## carbonleg (Apr 15, 2021)

William Tanner said:


> I agree with Greg. It is faster and easier to start with a round blank for a bowl or platter. It is more enjoyable to start with a balanced work piece on the lathe. That is why most turners acquire a band saw pretty quickly if they don't already have one. A rounded piece easier on the old body, especially on the shoulders.


Yes, I have small bandsaw, not much help. Sawsall is my only choice at this point.


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## DLJeffs (Apr 15, 2021)

I've started mounting square blanks for reel seat spacer on the mandrel and then knocking off the corners on my disc sander before putting it into the lathe. I have a 3/4" metal washer on each end so i try to see how close I can come to the washer using the sander without sanding holes in my knuckles. I think it saves me at least one sharpening exercise on my cutting tool. Plus it just seems a lot less stress on both the blank and on the lathe. I think it also is a little faster than using my metal lathe to round the blank because using a metal lathe I have to be pretty gentle with the depth of cut.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Karda (Aug 22, 2021)

I agree round or at least corners cut of is a lot easier and faster


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## phinds (Aug 23, 2021)

carbonleg said:


> I am fairly new at turning. I have searched on web for an answer. Why do most turners not cut the corners off wood before turning?


Where did you get the idea that they don't do that for bowl blanks ?


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## Mike Hill (Aug 23, 2021)

carbonleg said:


> Yes, I have small bandsaw, not much help. Sawsall is my only choice at this point.


Can also round off corners with a right angle grinder and something like an arbortech turboplane, a coarse kutzall shaping disc, or one of those chainsaw carving disc. I used an arbortech a couple of weeks ago to round over a rather large and long blank. In reality, you don't need power. I have also used a handsaw often, and either a hatchet or chisel to split off the corners. A hand or power plane would work also.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 23, 2021)

A chainsaw or electric chainsaw is also another way to knock the corners off.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Karda (Aug 23, 2021)

I have seen turners on utube not round off the corners. not rounding is an option. With something small its don't make a lot of difference My preference is rounding


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## barry richardson (Aug 23, 2021)

Generally, big stuff, yes, small stuff no. One of my main motivations for cutting off corners is it makes less chips and mess to clean up. Also, catching a tool on a corner can cause your spur to spin out, or the faceplate to loosen on larger pieces...

Reactions: Useful 1


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