# Making a bowl coring system



## rizaydog (Jun 1, 2007)

I have been considering making a bowl coring system similar to the McNaughton tool. I have read several posts here that talk about making a similar system, but not a lot of detail. I would be interested in any thoughts or ideas on this subject if anyone would like to share. Thanks


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

It depends on the tools you have available to make one. I already had the basic McNaughton system so I just made additional cutters with different arcs. That's not hard to do. Making the tool rest is a little harder and might require a metal lathe. I have been looking into possibly redesigning the tool rest but I need more experience using it so I don't reinvent the wheel.
I sent an article to Woodturning design on how to make the tools but I don't know if he will run that. It's kind of a specialized thing that not to many turners are interested in.


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## rizaydog (Jun 1, 2007)

John,

Thanks for your reply. I hope to see the article. I came across a video on youtube that might be of interest. It's noting like the Mcnaughton tool, but it is very nice. Take a look at it and let me know what you think:





It looks fairly easy to make if you can bend metal. It looks like both the cutting blade and the support underneath are the same ark. I think that they are simply 1/4's of a circle.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

that looks like a homemade version of the Oneway coring system. Oneway's is a little more beefy or heavy duty. The oneway system is very easy to use but quite expensive if you buy all the cutters.
all cutters are simply a part of a circle. some are large and maybe only 1/8th of the circle and the smaller ones are 1/4 or larger of the circle.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

I like the video -- but couldn't stop my attention wandering back to his bandaged left thumb ... stood out almost as much as this one :thumbsup:


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## rizaydog (Jun 1, 2007)

Yeah, it kinda sticks out like a sore thumb. It is similar to the oneway. This one doesn't have the added tool rest and catches the core for you. Pretty slick.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

My biggest problem on making one of those is bending the larger metal for the support. His isn't as large as the Oneway support and I may be able to do that. I have a pretty jury rigged bender that required a lot of hand strength or leverage so I'm limited in the thickness of metal and especially how wide it is. I also don't have a way to heat it so it's all cold bent. I do have welder which helps.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I just watched the video again. That's very doable with what I have. About the only downside I see is not being able to start the cut at an angle to change the shape of the bowl. That's one of the advantages of the McNaughton system. The disadvantage is the learning curve for the McNaughton. It's difficult to learn. 
I think if you made the base adjustable to it will slide in relation to the lathe bed you could start the cut at an angle. This is for shallower bowls that are not necessarily half a circle like his are. I believe it could be done.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

john lucas said:


> I think if you made the base adjustable to it will slide in relation to the lathe bed you could start the cut at an angle. This is for shallower bowls that are not necessarily half a circle like his are. I believe it could be done.


I think you're right, John -- and it looks like one of the steps he did at the beginning was to slide the pivot column up to the face of the blank and lock it down. If he'd moved it back a few inches, it would have given an angled entry cut and removed a shallower piece like an orange cut off-center.

I couldn't tell if he repositioned the column between each coring - to continue cutting hemispheres, he'd have to move it closer to the headstock as the blank got smaller. It's possible he didn't, as the smaller bowls shown at the end appear to be shallower.


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