In article ,
Gary Kunstmann wrote:

What is the safest method to trim the excess from red oak 2 X 2 spindle
blanks before turning?

Safe how? Not cutting you fingers off safe, or not ruining your blanks
safe?

In the speedy but watch your fingers category, set up the tablesaw and
rip them into octagons. Given the timesavings on the lathe, this is
actually worth doing often enough, but you have to be able to use a
push-stick and set up tablesaw for it to be safe for you.

Jointer can also work and eat fingers, but is slower.

Safer for fingers - use a hand plane. Drawknife also works, but you can
split the blank if it has grain running the wrong way (or you cut the
wrong way, more like.) If clumsy you can also cut yourself with a
drawknife.

Build a router sled over the lathe and rough in with that.

Belt sand the corners off (but that involves dust and perhaps dulling
your gouges with grit on the wood, and it's slow.)

....or throw them on the lathe and use a roughing gouge....

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