• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Center Saver, Bowl coring

Ira

Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Messages
21
Likes
0
Location
New Boston, NH
I am in the market for a bowl coring system such as the OneWay or McNaughton tools and would like to get some opinions and input on the different tools available. I have a OneWay 2436, have been turning some large diameter bowl lately and all I see in the piles and piles of shavings on the floor is a lot of wasted material.

Thanks,
Ira
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2006
Messages
170
Likes
0
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I have the McNaughton, and have been very happy with it. It can be a little tricky, but if one gets one of the DVDs that are out there and get the details down, it's manageable if not enjoyable. The rumor is that the McNaughton is more flexible than the Oneway, but I haven't seen a detailed list of what the McNaughton does better. If you do get the McNaughton, you may need to get a post from the NA customer rep if you have an odd sized lathe.

There was a similar discussion in thread:

http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=1746&page=1&pp=10&highlight=mcnaughton

Periodically, on thewoodworkingchannel.com, they have the David Lancaster demo on the Oneway system. It's an AAW symposium demo.

There's also a review of coring systems (a couple years old now).

http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/coring.pdf
 
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
390
Likes
0
Location
Oshkosh, WI
Oneway will send you a DVD on the operation of their system and it's also available for viewing on their web site. That said, I have the Oneway and I like it. I have had some problems with it's fit and finish so I talked to the owner at Louisville and got NO satisfaction.
 

Bill Grumbine

In Memorium
Joined
Feb 1, 2005
Messages
419
Likes
0
Location
Kutztown, PA
Website
www.wonderfulwood.com
I've had a McNaughton for years, and I love it. It took me a little bit of practice to get the hang of using it properly, but since then I have done many demos with it and taught lots of people how to use it, from great hulking brutes to dainty little ladies. My most recent demos were on the Vega bowl lathe at the vendor show in Louisville.

Bill
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
2,557
Likes
25
Location
Annandale, New Jersey
Griesbach said:
I have had some problems with it's fit and finish so I talked to the owner at Louisville and got NO satisfaction.

That's unusual. Clay and company are usually pretty responsive.

I like my McNaughton set. Much better that carrying bags of shavings out of the basement.

m
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
286
Likes
4
Location
Mendota IL
I picked up a Woodcut coring system used here on the forum. I like it and it doesn't require the practice that the McNaughton system requires. I am just more comfortable with the fixed center style like Woodcut and Oneway though I do think you have more flexibility of shape with the McNaughton.
Frank
 

Steve Worcester

Admin Emeritus
Joined
Apr 9, 2004
Messages
2,690
Likes
93
Location
Plano, Texas
Website
www.turningwood.com
Griesbach said:
That said, I have the Oneway and I like it. I have had some problems with it's fit and finish so I talked to the owner at Louisville and got NO satisfaction.
What's the issue?
 

Ira

Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Messages
21
Likes
0
Location
New Boston, NH
Bowl coring

I guess what I am hearing is that each system can be a bit tricky but after a some use/practice they all work fairly well. I have been leaning toward the McNaughton system because it appears to offer some flexibility as far as the route of the cut that the tool makes. I have Mike Mahoney's video "From the Tree to the Table" in which he uses the McNaughton tool, of course he makes it look effortless. The Woodcut system appears, to me, to be the safest but also the most limiting of the coring tools. I think I will get the videos for the different systems and go from there. Thank you everyone for your input.

Ira
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
Likes
0
Location
ottawa,Ontario,canada
Website
www.markscreativeturnings.ca
mcnaughton centre saver

I first bought the mini MCS because I had a customer that wanted a bowl crafted out of Cocobolo and I could not repeat could not waste all the Cocobolo and LVT didnt have the combo in stock so I thought small is better than nothing. Well let me tell you to start with Cocobolo was quite a experience. When LVT did get the combo in stock I paid the difference to get it. I belong to the woodturners club in Ottawa and I volenered to demonstrate it at the Ottawa wood show. Well I tried the standard MCS, well all I can say is I am taking back the offer. If I don't I will be the turner jumping up and down on the MCS at the show. I have a General 650 lathe 1 1/2 horse. I better get some practice in. And I did buy Mikes Video on it, I might have to fly to Utah for some lessons. If anyone is still awake thanks for listening.
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
9
Likes
0
Location
Ottawa, Canada
Website
www.billneddow.com
Center Saver

I have both the McNaughton (all blades) and the Oneway. I bought the McNaughton first and agonized over buying the Oneway. But since I "took the plunge" I never use the McNaughton any more. The Oneway is much less tricky and less prone to getting huge catches. As for the McNaughton giving you more flexibility in the cores you produce, that is simply not true. All the bowl coring devices work by driving a tool bent into a quarter-circle into the wood.
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
882
Likes
2
Location
Wimberley, Texas
I bought the McNaughton, and sent it back. The learning curve was too steep for me. Maybe some expert, in person training would have made it easier, but about all I managed to do was repeatedly stall a 2 hp lathe (belt slip, not motor stall) and repeatedly get the cutter jammed tight, stuck in the cut. Never actually completed a single core. Also surprised and disappointed that the tools did not have removeable tool bits.
 

Donna Banfield

TOTW Team
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
501
Likes
1,298
Location
Derry, NH
Bowl/Coring Center Saver

Ira, don't make any decision based on watching videos. Understand that the people who make the videos are essentially pretty darn good at using the particular tool, so of course, it will look easy to you.

If you have the chance, visit other woodturner's shops, and use the specific coring tools that you're considering. Then you can make a decision based on whether THAT specific coring tool is the best one for you.

I started with a McNaughton. I weighed the cost of both the McNaughton and the Oneway. I opted for the McNaughton because I could purchase the entire McNaughton set for what it would cost for the Oneway base and one knife. I also purchased Mike Mahoney's DVD. Did I have problems? - yes - there is a learning curve. Did I create cores? - yes - eventually I got the hang of it.

But then a fellow woodturner told me he bought the Oneway setup (I have a Oneway 2436, 3hp); asked me if I wanted to try it. I told him, 'No', because knowing me, I'd use it, and then want to buy one. He laughed, but a week later showed up at my shop with the Oneway Coring setup and all the knives. He hadn't even opened up the packaging, but left it for me. So I set it up on my lathe, and (I'm not kidding), with the first time using it, I could core with one hand on the tool handle, with no effort, no white knuckles, no fear. I sold my McNaughton and bought the Oneway setup.

So, that's why trying the tools out first, if it's an option, is a good idea. The Oneway setup was completely effortless, dead-on consistent, and I've never made a funnel (blew through the bottom of a core) with the Oneway, but made a few with the McNaughton.
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,076
Likes
9,487
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
As for the McNaughton giving you more flexibility in the cores you produce, that is simply not true. All the bowl coring devices work by driving a tool bent into a quarter-circle into the wood.

That's what I was thinking when I read that.......Now, I'm not a Geometry expert (am I using proper terminology?), but it seems like any change from a circular path would require a pivot point that changed, and an enlarged cutting swath that would compensate for a path that isn't perfectly circular.

My thoughts on bowl coring, in general:

I've never had one......don't want one either. I'd rather have all the shavings on the floor, than save a few bucks doing something that severely restricts the general shape of my bowls. This is one thing where you have to give up something precious, namely "creative freedom", to save a few bucks......and, it just isn't worth it!

That's my opinion........I have no problem with anyone who doesn't see it the same as I do.........

otis of cologne
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
214
Likes
2
Location
Southern Utah
I guess what I am hearing is that each system can be a bit tricky but after a some use/practice they all work fairly well. I have been leaning toward the McNaughton system because it appears to offer some flexibility as far as the route of the cut that the tool makes. I have Mike Mahoney's video "From the Tree to the Table" in which he uses the McNaughton tool, of course he makes it look effortless. The Woodcut system appears, to me, to be the safest but also the most limiting of the coring tools. I think I will get the videos for the different systems and go from there. Thank you everyone for your input.

Ira

The way Mike does it is with a powerful lathe (3 hp), and a lot of practice. I have used it a bit, not too hard, just make sure you have it good in the chuck. A week or so ago I was coring an 18" bowl with the regular MC set, and my tenon was only 6 1/2' diameter, I had to go slow but it still ripped it off the lathe.( My brother was in the same shop we have it divided in two parts and he got tired of the noise of this lathe squealing and this bowl popping off and hitting the wall).
 
Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
286
Likes
1
Location
Goodland, Kansas
I have the oneway and love it. Very easy to use and like Donna said one hand operation with no fear. I had also used both before I bought and settled on the Oneway.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
I have all 3 coring systems, and I demonstrated them up in Portland at the AAW Symposium. I prefer the McNaughton. For me it is the fastest to core with, easiest to set up, and most versatile.

There is no restriction on bowl design with the coring systems. The only thing that changes is what shape of core you take out of the first bowl you turn. The Oneway and Woodcut are set to standard radius cuts. The McNaughton has some regular curved, and flatter curved blades so you can get cores out of shallow plates/bowls, regular shaped bowls, and deeper vessels. With the straight parting blade, you can take a cylinder and part off plate blanks. You can not do this with the other systems. You can move the center pivoting point a bit, but this does little to change the shape of the core. With the Oneway, if you move it very far from the center, the blade and support finger actually get in the way.

The Oneway is a nice system, and is the most stable with the bigger blades. The support finger under the cutting blade prevents chatter on the biggest blades. If you have ever seen just how far you can reach any tool out over the tool rest, you know about this chatter. The down side for me, as a production turner is that on a big bowl, you have to turn the lathe off up to 4 or 5 times to advance the support finger, the price you pay for the stability. I do not really like the cutter on the Oneway. The tip is a chip breaker, and the sides cut away the broken fibers. It works fine, but is a pain to sharpen. You have to remove the cutter from the blade, and hold it up to the grinder. They have a jig for doing this which makes it easier. You have to sharpen the top side of the cutter, not the face of it. Another extra step. If I was to use this system, I would want a surface grinder of some sort, like a metal abrasive disc on a wheel of some sort. Just sharpening it on a diamond hone doesn't do the trick. I did have Oneway send me a cutter that wasn't ground with the point on it, and I can just sharpen the face of it. I like the way it cuts, and I don't have to take it off the blade to sharpen it, but it is considerably more agressive when it cuts, which is one reason why it doesn't come that way for the general public. I have had excellent responce from Oneway on any questions I have had with their system. I would control depth of cut by making a plywood template to space the system a set distance from the headstock. Pretty simple.

The Woodcut is an excellent small coring system. The emphasis is on small. The big blade is a 5 inch radius. The stellite tips are easy to sharpen, and cut really well. I have had good results with it on 1`hp lathes. The down side to me is the small size, and that you need to hook the tailstock up to the plate it on to core safely. I never have the tailstock on when I turn bowls, or core. It is a minor chore to change blades, you loosen up 2 bolts, and then switch the 2 blades. There is some chatter with it, expecially on harder woods, and when using the larger blade. They also have a laser pointer, but you can also do the plywood templates like you do with the Oneway.

Then there is the McNaughton. This is the most difficult coring system to learn to use, but also the most versatile, and for me, the fastest, once I learned to use it. This is not a tool that you can pick up and just start to use it effectivly. There is a learning curve. If you are getting nasty catches, and stalling the lathe, and getting the blades stuck in a core, and having to force the tool,you are doing some thing wrong. The only time you need to apply pressure is if you want to cut faster, and push harder to make this happen. The hard part is on figuring out what is going wrong, and correcting it. Yes, I have made all of those mistakes, more than once, and have learned to deal with it. Mostly, the blade wants to drift off course (towards the outside) when coring. The blades with the McNaughton are a bit longer, and more flexable than the ones on the other systems, and I think this is why it wants to drift more than the others. Some times you have to open up the kerf a bit. Also, since the system is free handed, you have to do the aiming. McNaughton also has a laser pointer system for the coring system, and I love it. I still have to aim, but the laser lets me know if I am off course and need to correct. No more lamp shades. I cored a set of apple bowls last week. Total time on a green turned to finish set of 4 bowls, the biggest one 13 by 6 inches was about 40 minutes. I could not do this that fast with the other systems. If you get this system, it is best if you can have some one show you how to use it, or get one of the DVDs. One is by Mike Mahoney, and the other is by me. PM me if you want more info. The McNaughton is not for every one, but I think it is the best system out there.

McNaughton now has a micro system out. I just got mine and took 2 cores on it with the apple wood, on a Jet mini 1220 vs. No problem at all, but I need to do several cores before I do a post on it.

robo hippy
 

Angelo

President Emeritus
Joined
Jun 14, 2004
Messages
399
Likes
110
Location
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Website
www.majicbrand.com
Coring System

I have a Oneway coring system I'd work like to sell. I've tried to sell it on this website before but cannot find the post.

If you are interested I'll document all the parts and send you an e mail. If I remember correctly, I have all the parts (and knives) for a 24" swing lathe

Angelo
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
9
Likes
0
Location
Wilmington, NC
I purchased the McNaughton Large and medium system about 4 years ago. I understand that a different cutter shape is now offered that makes coring easier. As a beleiver in the 7 p's (previous prior planning prevents pi_ _ poor performance) I planned the set-up for each cut. A full size drawing was made of the top of the blank. A transparent templete depicting the top of blade guide was placed near the drawing. The cutter bar was placed on the templete and the path for the cut was determined. After determining where the guide location was that yielded the desired cut, the center location was measured for distance from face of blank and from outer diameter of blank. Probably removed over a dozen cores from Norfolk Island Pine logs my wife brought home from Flordia.

Howard Lang
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
181
Likes
1
I've used all three systems. If you are running a 2436 the wood-cut shouldn't even be considered. I own two Mcnaughton systems, you can part off a platter or have a choice of 3 different shape cores. It was hard to use any system with my old 3/4 hp lathe, now I have a dvr xp and it'll core for fun. It isn't a physical exercise, if it is, it's set up wrong. It sharpens easily by hand. I found the system easy to learn, obviously others find the learning curve a bit steep. I like the flexibility designed into the mcnaughton tool post, it will work with three sizes of their bowlsaver.
The oneway setup works well, but there is little variation in what arc you core. It's harder to sharpen, jig or no jig. But it is the most robustly built system of the three.
I can see where some people might prefer oneway over mcnaughton.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
214
Likes
2
Location
Southern Utah
I use the McNaughton, it works great for me. I have had a few struggles with it about 2/3 the way to the bottom. I then asked a friend for advice, and he told me to get a spray bottle, fill it with water and put a few teaspoons of dish soap in it, then spray that in the kerf while you core. It works great and coring goes a lot "cleaner".:D
Wyatt
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
130
Likes
0
Location
Carlsbad NM
I have the McNaughton and like it. I have made the aquantance of a professional tree man and last week he gave me some large pieces of English walnut and ash. In about a week using the McNaughton I have rough turned maybe 34 bowls out of that wood. If I didn't have the McNaughton I would have 14 bowls and lots of shavings.
When I got my McNaughton system I also got the video by Robo Hippy. It was a great help. After viewing the video a couple of times I was able to successfully use the coring system.
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
4
Likes
0
An entirely new concept--the BowlSaw!

I, too, didn't want to waste all that wood in the center of my Ebony bowl blank that I just paid $25 for. But then, on the other hand, as an amateur I didn't want to spend $300+ for the professional model coring units either. So I spent 11 months designing something so new that all the "old-timers" are afraid of it. I called it the BowlSaw, cause that's just what it does. I designed it for amateur bowl-turners like me--and the response from the "early adopters" has been almost universally positive. You can check this out at bowlsaw.com.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
39
Likes
0
? McNaughton for me?

Although I am a novice at best (turning off and on about 2-3 yrs now) everything I have read leads me to the McNaughton system. But then I worry about getting "beaten up" as others have suggested. Still, I am leaning toward the purchase of the McNaughton. The cost of the Easy Core and the limitations of the WoodCut and the Bowlsaw are helping me make this decision but the Bowlsaw might be an interesting tool just to have for limited use since I do like square bottomed bowls and get lots of smaller blanks anyway.
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Messages
173
Likes
0
Location
CarmelHighlands, California
I have the McNaughton and Oneway systems and a Oneway lathe. Having spent some time using them, I have settled on the Oneway system. A suggestion would be to purchase a number of the cutters so that they can be sharpened when one has used all of them. This saves a lot of time. Also, time is saved by coring a number of blocks when the system is installed on the lathe.

With the Oneway, one is not concerned about the thickness of the bottom of the bowl once it's set and therefore can make it a little thinner than with the McNaughton.

I turn exotics and would like to be able to core smaller blocks. It probably would not matter for most turners.

Either way, an awful lot of wood is wasted if one doesn't have one of these systems.

Malcolm Smith.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
214
Likes
2
Location
Southern Utah
I only first used a McNaughton center saver about a year ago, it was a little difficult because I did not have a large enough chuck. After watching Mahoney's videos and trying it, it is really quite easy.
Wyatt
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
214
Likes
2
Location
Southern Utah
Yes it would be if you have at least 4" diameter jaws. I 1/2 hp should work fine, the general rule is 1 hp minimum. I would recommend that your chucking tenon should be at least 40% of the diameter of the bowl. When I got my new chuck I put jaws on that started with 4" and went to 6 1/2 it seemed pretty big. But after coring 18, 19, 20" bowls I think I need some bigger jaws.
Wyatt
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
For bowls up to 18 inches, I use my big Vicmark in a recess. It is 2 5/8 inches wide, and about 3/16 deep. I did a lot of experimenting to get to this point, but it is no problem. For bowls bigger than that, I go to 4 inch wide jaws, again in a recess.

There is a lot of talk about what works best, or holds better, a recess or a tenon. The only real difference is that a tenon has to be turned off. If they are properly made, there is no mechanical difference that I have been able to see.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
214
Likes
2
Location
Southern Utah
One reason I turn a tenon is because I can get a larger bowl. I make a large enough tenon to be the base after I finish the bottom.
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
10
Likes
0
Location
South Carolina
Website
www.douglassmithblog.blogspot.com
I have the McNaugton system for about 6 years. I works good after you get the hang of it. I did have to modify the the cutting head a little to give it more clearance. I found that it was dragging a little causing it to burn the wood as the cut got deeper. Now it works like a charm.
 
Back
Top