Root Platter-Bowl

[reprosser]

I decided to try and turn a platter from a (pecan?) root, but once started, it evolved into a bowl with a large rim...11x3



I thought it was pretty dry, but when I finished turning, I noticed a number of cracks - and they have changed noticeably since yesterday. I am putting on heavy coats of BLO in hopes that it will stabilize. It is really soaking up a lot of oil. (does this mean it is fairly dry?)

I have another 2" slab to try a platter again. Can I rough out a platter, seal, and let it dry like I do with bowls?:icon_scra

 

[PChristy]

Hi Rick, I am just getting onto turning myself and look forward to seeing the answer to this one as well - I am sure some of the advanced DARKSIDERS will jump in here and answer this for ya

 

[ptt49er]

Can't help ya with the drying issues, but that wood is beautiful. If it does end up cracking a little that's ok, it just adds character.

 

[cpowell]

The bowl looks very nice, I love the grain. The off-center rings keep my eyes moving back and forth from the geometric center. :icon_thum

I wonder if the cracking is a result of internal stress relief or from moisture migration? I'm curious how more experienced turners will respond.


Chuck

 

[TracyP]

Very nice looking bowl. You did a good job.

 

[woodArtz]

Very pretty bowl! Nice job on the uneven edge. I like retaining the edge when I can. Really, nice design!!! :icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum

The cracks are an unfortunate side effect of keeping the pith in the piece. There's a ton of movement in that part of the log. For small cracks, I usually use CA glue, but I'm not sure you'll conquer that pith with CA.

 

[NCTurner]

My suggestion let the cracks finish expanding then fill them with thin CA and a ground up stone powder like turquoise or malicite.

 

[DaveO]

I decided to try and turn a platter from a (pecan?) root, but once started, it evolved into a bowl with a large rim...11x3



I thought it was pretty dry, but when I finished turning, I noticed a number of cracks - and they have changed noticeably since yesterday. I am putting on heavy coats of BLO in hopes that it will stabilize. It is really soaking up a lot of oil. (does this mean it is fairly dry?)

I have another 2" slab to try a platter again. Can I rough out a platter, seal, and let it dry like I do with bowls?:icon_scra

Root "wood" and stem (trunk) wood are two completely different beasts. In the trunk of a tree you have the outer cambium layer just beneath the bark that separates the xylem and phloem tissues (they are responsible for water and nutrient transmission between the leaves and roots). The actual wood we utilize is the "abandoned" xylem tissue primarily composed of cellulose and lignin.
In root "wood" that xylem and phloem tissue in in the center surrounded by a very porous endodermis that allows the water and nutrients to pass to the xylem/phloem tissues for transmission throughout the rest of the tree.

Root "wood" is going to be very porous and most likely prone to a lot of movement as it doesn't have the same amount of lignin that trunk wood does to help hold it together.
I think that you are going to have a hard time keeping root "wood" stable. Your best bet might be to turn it uniformly thin and let is dry and do what it wants, and call it ART :icon_thum
You also might try some of the green bowl drying techniques like alcohol, dish soap, Pentacryl soaking. I would think that the Pentacryl soaking would be particularly effective with root "wood" due to it's porosity.

Dave

 

[reprosser]

I was wondering why I had not seem many "rootwood" bowls or other turnings. It looks good, but just does not want to cooperate:BangHead:!

Well, we will see how this turns :gar-La; out. Since I dulled my chainsaw cutting this root up, I guess I will see how far I can go with it. The more practice the better. As someone said " let it do what it will and call it art".

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[jeff...]

Root "wood" and stem (trunk) wood are two completely different beasts. In the trunk of a tree you have the outer cambium layer just beneath the bark that separates the xylem and phloem tissues (they are responsible for water and nutrient transmission between the leaves and roots). The actual wood we utilize is the "abandoned" xylem tissue primarily composed of cellulose and lignin.
In root "wood" that xylem and phloem tissue in in the center surrounded by a very porous endodermis that allows the water and nutrients to pass to the xylem/phloem tissues for transmission throughout the rest of the tree.

Root "wood" is going to be very porous and most likely prone to a lot of movement as it doesn't have the same amount of lignin that trunk wood does to help hold it together.
I think that you are going to have a hard time keeping root "wood" stable. Your best bet might be to turn it uniformly thin and let is dry and do what it wants, and call it ART :icon_thum
You also might try some of the green bowl drying techniques like alcohol, dish soap, Pentacryl soaking. I would think that the Pentacryl soaking would be particularly effective with root "wood" due to it's porosity.

Dave

Can you say that again in English - thx

Root wood makes for some interesting looking thin veneer - but is murder on blades - lots of junk like rocks and sand - simply not worth messing with unless you could sell it for what it's worth.