"bowl saver" tip
Gary Bills in NC
>How to determine the depth of cut a �bowl saver� will go.
This tip is for people with a �bowl saver� (McNaughton, Woodcut, or Oneway) and a lathe with a sliding head.
Start by placing the headstock about midway on your lathe. True up the face of the bowl. Then place the bowl saver rest very close to the face of the bowl at the place you want to start your cut (I put mine about 1/16�). Now slide the headstock back a few inches and push the knife ahead as if you were going to save a bowl. Push the headstock towards the knife until it just touches it. Now measure the distance from the rest to the face of the bowl and that is how deep the knife will go into the blank. If it isn�t the depth you want, then start over and adjust the bowl saver rest and repeat the measurement.
I have a PM 3520 and McNaughton Centre Saver and I can usually determine the depth of my cut within �� using this method.
Also, I put a groove to fit my chuck near the center of the face of the blank before I core it. The core is then ready to chuck when I�m ready to turn it.