Circle Templates

We all make the circle templates to use to rough cut the bowl blanks. I always kept mine in a box stacked up and sitting on the work table. Seemed like they were always in the way or I would be knocking them over.

Well today I figured out a new way to store these. Hang them overhead. I used some heavy wire to make the rack. Then just took the circle templates and cut the little J in them to hang on the wire. It is simple now to unhook the size you need without sorting through a whole pile or box.

Here is how I use them. First the log is split in half, a template is nailed on the log, centered on the log. Then on the bandsaw follow the template. Once cut out pull the template off and place it on the bottom of the blank and tap the nail in to mark the center of the blank. I always mark that small indent with an X using a pencil because the wood seems to rebound from the indent and later you may not be able to see the indent. But this is now your center point of the blank when you mount it on the lathe.