Shorten the "Journey to the Center of Gravity"

Finding the center of gravity of an oversized, irregular log or turning blank often involves chucking, testing, and rechucking dozens of times. To speed up the process, I came up with this jig that mimics the headstock and tailstock of a lathe.

First, you chuck the blank into the jig as you would in your lathe. Then, simply let the blank rotate. The heaviest section will settle at the bottom.

Rotate the blank 180°, lock it in place with the locking screws and use your chainsaw to nibble away material on the heavy edge. Release the locking screws and repeat the process until the blank is balanced and ready to turn on your lathe.
—Philip Olsen, Kaslo, B.C.