Branchin Out

This turning was done wet.  After the outside was formed, I drilled hole in the inside and used an Andre Martel hook tool to  do the hollowing.

Tags: Drying bowls, End turning

I mixed equal parts of Kirkland Dishwasher Soap (Costco)and water.  I submerged a maple NE  bowl that had been drying for over 2 years.  It seemed to lubricate the piece and it was extremely easy to chisel.  It came out very smooth.  Hardly any sanding.  Yesterday I soaked a 12″ salad bowl of maple into the solution for a couple of hours.  When it dried (about 8 hours) I put it on the lathe and finished it to the end, ready for oiling.  The piece was rough turned about 2 weeks ago.  There has been a little coloration change with the end grain but it still looks great.  Very easy to turn.

Try it you may like it.

Tags: Drying bowls, Soap treatment to wood

Visited Vedder Mountain Hardwoods.

This Arbutus bowl was turned from a crotch, wet and allowed to do its Mother Nature thing.

Drying bowls - Today, I got a call about how do you prevent cracking on roughed out bowls.  The following are what I do to reduce some of the cracking.

1.  I rough turn the wet bowl blank to its approximate shape and leave the thickness to approximately 10% of its diameter.  I make the wall thickness the same throughout - this reduces stress on the wood.

2.  I round the top edges of the rim of the bowl - the sharper the edge the easier it is to crack.

3.  Seal the end grain of the piece.

4.  I bring the piece in from the outside rough turn it and return it to the outside so there is no sudden change in temperature.

5,  Water from the inside of the bowl wants to run out the end grain so I place the bowl upside down for the first while.  I use louvered doors as shelves so air can circulate inside and out.

6.  I have tried boiling, microwaving, freezer, alcohol, wd 40 and always go back to air drying.  Shortly I am going to try the soap soaking method that Ron Kent uses.  I will let you know how it works out.

Tags: Drying bowls, Rich Schmid Wood Turner, Wood Turning, wood turning techniques, woodturning