dicklaxt
02-15-2007, 02:54 AM
If you are going to let wood age in log form, cut you log sections lengths one and one half times the diameter. ie: 12" diameter- then length should be 18". This will prevent a lot of deep end checking and the centeris usable.
You should also remember that wood in log form dries at the rate of 1"/year ,thus a 12" diameter will take approx 12 years to dry to 8 to 10 percent moisture.
I find if I rough turn a bowl to 1" thickness and store it in a paper bag with wood turning chips it survives to a turnable state in a few months(8 to 10),some woods are more stable than others and do not distort much while others will move as much as an inch. when a bowl is rough turned it most always becomes egg shaped as it dries. The 1" thickness will allow you to turn it back to round once it has dried. I have let rough turned bowls just air dry and they are ready to turn in 4 to 5 months but with a greater risk of checking.
Bowl blanks shold be turned over occasionally, I use two weeks as a gauge,the moisture in the wood tends to gravitate to the low side thus the high side dries faster causing more checking.
Here's a couple of things you can do to a green turned bowl that checks and splits badly after you have turned and applied a finish,to save it as a unique turning /coversation piece, you can use a propane torch and completely char the edges of the split and then apply a wipe on gloss finish to this area or use your hand drill and drill some eyelets along both sides of the split and lace it up with rawhide,nice effect.
Bowls and goblets turned green and left to dry with out a finish will oft times warp and distort to same very nice looking shapes,then apply a wipe on finish or hand rub a paste wax,,,,,these are keepers if you like the odd looking turnings.
dick
You should also remember that wood in log form dries at the rate of 1"/year ,thus a 12" diameter will take approx 12 years to dry to 8 to 10 percent moisture.
I find if I rough turn a bowl to 1" thickness and store it in a paper bag with wood turning chips it survives to a turnable state in a few months(8 to 10),some woods are more stable than others and do not distort much while others will move as much as an inch. when a bowl is rough turned it most always becomes egg shaped as it dries. The 1" thickness will allow you to turn it back to round once it has dried. I have let rough turned bowls just air dry and they are ready to turn in 4 to 5 months but with a greater risk of checking.
Bowl blanks shold be turned over occasionally, I use two weeks as a gauge,the moisture in the wood tends to gravitate to the low side thus the high side dries faster causing more checking.
Here's a couple of things you can do to a green turned bowl that checks and splits badly after you have turned and applied a finish,to save it as a unique turning /coversation piece, you can use a propane torch and completely char the edges of the split and then apply a wipe on gloss finish to this area or use your hand drill and drill some eyelets along both sides of the split and lace it up with rawhide,nice effect.
Bowls and goblets turned green and left to dry with out a finish will oft times warp and distort to same very nice looking shapes,then apply a wipe on finish or hand rub a paste wax,,,,,these are keepers if you like the odd looking turnings.
dick