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Help Needed - how to make end flat/square

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stevebett74:
Hi all - new member here . I don’t have a band saw or mitre saw - so I cut logs by reciprocating saw . Basically I start with logs that are not truly square / flat at either end . I see all these videos with people using a band saw to create one flat end - then they put it on a faceplate or jaw chuck . My question is - if I mount the wood on the pointy centre bit at each end - how do I then make firstly one end square /flat so I can put it on a faceplate . Then when I turn it round attached to a faceplate on the headstock - how do I then make the other end flat / square please ??
Simple question - I guess I could use a parting gouge first of all to make one end square / flat - but any tips / ideas / videos welcome please as I’m new to woodturning . Thanks

Twisted Trees:
Parting tool, skew, spindle gouge many ways of achieving it, I am more concerned that you appear to be intending to put the end grain on a faceplate. Bad plan especially if new to turning.

What are you attempting to turn?

stevebett74:
Thanks for the reply - I'm just finding my way and maybe will make a bowl to start with - or something like a long candle stick.

""Parting tool, skew, spindle gouge many ways of achieving it""

This is what i would like to know - i don't have a bandsaw etc - so i make the wood roughly flat at each end - but want to know exactly how do i make the end flat/square please

I keep looking on youtube but everyone seems to have a band saw or they start with a square blank - i need to use my lathe to make the end square.

Any tips or videos etc would be appreciated - thanks!

Twisted Trees:
It is such a basic thing I don't think I have mentioned it in any YouTube video's I have done, though I am often doing it without comment.

There are 2 ways of turning a piece of wood commonly called Spindle orientation and Bowl orientation spindle is where the grain of the wood runs along parallel to the bed of the lathe and is typically used in candlesticks, rolling pins, pens etc. Bowl is where the grain direction is across the bed and is typically used in bowls and the like.

Different tools are used in each orientation, get it wrong and it could be dangerous. Can you get along to one of the many AWGB clubs? where more tailored advice maybe a bit of instruction can be given? https://www.awgb.co.uk/clubs/

I asked what you were trying to make as the advice I could give is completely different depending on the orientation of the wood on your lathe, you answered with 2 projects that are completely different orientations which makes giving you any specific answer safely an impossible task.

Lets start from the beginning. Choose spindle or bowl project, tell me how you intend to put it  on the lathe from a reciprocating saw (which cuts much flatter than many of the natural edge blanks I start with by the way) what tools you have to use and how you intend to use the tool...

Better still go get an intro lesson from one of the many teachers around the country and you may save yourself months of failure and potentially serious injury even a small piece of wood at 1000rpm is potentially very dangerous.

As I said trimming up the ends between centres is very easy to do but there is myriad ways of doing it which depend on many factors. So your opening question is impossible to answer.

Twisted Trees:
Here is an extreeme un-flat end being made flat! about 7 minutes into the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg2iia5SiC8

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