O.K - I Got A Chainsaw - Now What?

On your way to or from work, the store, grandmother's house - you begin to notice cut up pieces of trees on the side of the road. You begin to notice the sound of a chainsaw in your neighborhood - and can distinguish that sound from a leaf blower or lawn mower. After a while you hear that sound and head on over to watch. Maybe you can snag a free piece of wood to turn.

It eventually occurs to you "Hey! If I just had my own chainsaw - I could have all the free wood I want for turning!"

Now you have a chainsaw.

Now what?

How long should I cut this stuff up into? How, or should I, cut this log in half? There's something about the pith and cracking. How the hell do I hold this thing still while I try and cut it?

Well help is on the way - or more accurately - some help is on the way, thanks to a presentation by John Brugo of the West Bay Area Woodturners and a day long demonstration by Dale Larson.

How long should I cut my pieces of a log?

How do I keep this thing still while I hack and hew?

OK, HOW do I cut my logette? Ripping a log is different than cross cutting it.

How Should I Cut It Into Two Parts (bowl blank 1 and 2)?

Let's START with a nice Symetric Growth Rings IDEAL "logette"

Now let's look at Real World (Reaction Wood)

Crotches are different (Say WHAT!?)

Trunk burl & Epicormic Buds (

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