Saturday Woodturning – October 2025

Brad Haste kindly volunteered to demonstrate the best way to cut up a log to make woodturning blanks. He arrived at Naenae MENZshed to a very rainy Saturday morning, so we decided to setup in the doorway, where we had some shelter.

After going through the obligatory round of Safety precautions for chainsaw work, Brad demonstrated how to face up the Log (to get rid of any existing cracks), then split the log lengthways making sure to maximise the wood for turning, while getting rid of the pith.

From there Brad demonstrated the same process, but for a crotch piece of the trunk.

Finally Brad set the prepared “green” blank up on the lathe and roughed out a bowl to about 25mm thick, ready for drying at home. It was surprising how much moisture came out of the bowl blank while it was turning on the lathe – it was like it was raining inside.