turning a green bowl blanks.

[Mark Stewart]

I have a few bowl blanks Black cherry, red elder, black walnut, so on) my question is after I start the first part of the turning what do you seal them with to sloy the drying process. (I am new at this can you tell?:embarrassed

Thanks Mark

 

[Mike Davis]

Do a search on here for alcohol soak, the bowls not your liver.

Alcohol displaces the sap then dries in a few weeks, less problems all around.

 

[DaveO]

An alcohol soak will speed up the drying process, and is often used by many turners. Also you can just wrap the bowl up in kraft paper, or a paper grocery bag and let time takes it course. The bowl will dry slowly and generally not to fast to crack it.
The most important thing is how you rough out the bowl. You want to leave it about 1" thick uniformly, that way there is equal stresses as it drys and it will be less out-of-round when you go to true it up.
Another school of thought is to turn it to finished green and let it do what it wants. Again if your turning is uniform it most likely won't crack, but will warp into a piece of un-duplicable art.

http://www.customwooddesign.com/turninggreenwood-1.html



Dave

 

[jeff...]

:no: that's kickback city - don't try it !!!

 

[Robert Arrowood]

Thanks for the link Dave. I'm not quite ready for bowls yet.But I did save the link to my favorites:icon_thum.

 

[cskipper]

Dave, that is an interesting link. Don't think I'd want to try the sawing as demonstrated though.

 

[DaveO]

:no: that's kickback city - don't try it !!!

Dave, that is an interesting link. Don't think I'd want to try the sawing as demonstrated though.

Actually cutting a log in that manor isn't as dangerous as it might look. The key is making sure that your chain bar is longer than the logs diameter. Chain saw kick back occurs when the tip of the bar contact or binds in the wood. As long as you have a through cut you should be OK...with proper experience and common sense.
Personally I like to split a log not standing on end as they show, but laying on it's side well propped up and braced. I find it to be more stable that way.

Dave