Spend half a day in the woodyard learning to safely use and maintain your chainsaw. Chainsaws are used to acquire free on ground (FOG) wood for woodturning blanks. This demo is a combined RWS and FLWT event and is free of charge.
The beginning session focuses on the chainsaw itself — maintenance, cleaning, sharpening, starting, and stopping. The second session covers safely using your chainsaw. We will demonstrate cutting logs (bucking) into blank rounds, splitting blank rounds in two with a rip cut, and finally removing excess wood to leave a blank ready for the lathe. Blanks that will not be turned immediately (within a day) will be sealed with Anchorseal. In the last session, subgroups get hands-on experience under the watchful eyes of mentors.
There will be plenty of logs, including hard and soft maple, black cherry, ash, English walnut, and maybe red oak — much of the hard maple is spalted. In addition to logs, there are plenty of split blanks that made it through the log splitter and were too good to burn; you can search the pile for the blanks you want. Everyone leaves with blanks ready for the lathe.
Time and interest permitting, we can also demonstrate the lumber mill making bowl blanks.
What you'll need
- Eye protection — face shield in addition to eyeglasses
- Hearing protection
- Gloves
- No open-toed shoes
- Bring your safety chaps. If you do not have them, there should be plenty to share
- Chainsaw, if you have one. Cordless electric is fine. We can share saws.
- Chainsaw file and sharpening jig (if you have one).
- If you have a chunk of wood, you're not quite sure how to process, bring it to the workshop — I'm sure there will be plenty of suggestions and help getting it processed into a turning blank
Who should attend: This workshop has a little something for everyone, from experienced chainsaw users to individuals who haven't yet decided to purchase a chainsaw. It will be a learning experience even if you just intend to cut firewood or brush.
Everyone will leave with useful chainsaw knowledge and many will have lathe-ready blanks.