Woodturner's Blank Roughing Compass

I tape a timber crayon on a big pair of dividers.

Why don't you just make your own? By the way, do you saw those blanks round, with the flat side up or down? I have been trying to do it, flat-side down. Of course, I'm a newby to sawing out blanks.

Barry

I did make my own! I even told you how.

You're going to have to set the finished piece on something, might as well slab it before you center rip. Gives you a flat surface where you can see the mark in full as you saw. May want to clean it up with a scrub plane to get the angle you want.

If not, sacrifice a 1/4" of depth and make carriers for unslabbed pieces, or, my preferred, a circle-cutting jig. Common item in the standard bandsaw books.

I also have been using a homemade one for years. 2 sticks of suitable length; fasten one end together with bolt and wing nut (use a wing nut for easy tension control and to lock in place for multiples of same size); put nail or screw in end of one leg, grind to a point; tape a magic marker to the other leg.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co

I have a board with an aluminum bar that rides in the slot on the bandsaw table. On top is an adjustable peg for diameter of blank. Drill a hole in the center of the blank to fit the peg, turn the blank over on the peg and slide the blank into the saw until the blade is even with the peg and start turning the blank until a circle is cut. Works a treat. Then I use the peg hole to center the face plate on the blank. Sound confusing?

Barry

I often will cut a small flat on the bark side of the log - this gives you a starting place for roughing and makes it easy to use the chainsaw on the large flat side. I use a grease pencil or a sharpie and a 16" in diameter piece of plywood as a template - this makes the marking easy. I then lay the blank down on another log or across 2 4x4's and cut the blank with the saw - just th ecorners and ends - the rest I rough out on the lathe. It is far easier to rough out th blank on the lathe than on the bandsaw - plus it is more fun!

Ray

Try a School supply store they have a large compass made for use on a blackboard and they work well with the large 1st & 2nd grade type pencils

School supply stores also have a blackboard compass that uses chalk. You pick the color.

I'll second the suggestion of using a beam compass, they are simple & fast to make. I make mine from a 36" wooden measuring stick. Just fasten a nail at 0" & drill holes at every inch mark. A hardwood strip is ok, too. The holes can be of a size to take a small "golf" pencil or a piece of chalk to mark either the flat side or the bark side.

Bill K in AZ

Thanks all for the fine suggestions. And the winner is...

The nail in place of the pencil. Someday I may look into the teacher's compass using the larger pencils but for now I'll just use a nail in the compass I've got.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____

Or, how about a nail, a piece of string and a pencil (or piece of chalk)? BTW, chalk marks wood really well. I use chalk to put in guide marks when I am chainsawing.

Arch, does this qualify as a tip?

You bet Leo, and a tip of the hat to you for all your past tips & advice. You would find many being used in our shops. Arch.

Fortiter,