Project Information
In a previously posted project and forum call to experienced bowl-turners, I referenced finding some red-stained box elder logs at my sister-in-law's outdoor wedding in Chicago. I prevailed on the woman that we carpooled with and several log sections hitched a ride back to Omaha. I gave wet-turning a go, and the German in me just could not live with allowing nature's plan to free-form warp. From now on out I will either season the logs (three halves are split and stickered with latex painted ends in the garage for the next go) or wet turn to way over-sized proportions before allowing the drying process to commence. I don't have cole jaws for my mini-lathe, and the dovetail recess I made was warped out of round, so I super-glued a dowel tenon to the middle of the rough turned bowl and re-turned the outside of the bowl, including a new recess. I knocked out the dowel and re-turned the inside. With not great tools and even poorer sharpening skills, it seems that I had a fair amount of sanding to do to get things to the final juncture. This mini-bowl, is the end result. But I will try, try again down the road. Finish is Myland's cellulose sanding sealer, with a final application of Myland's High Build Friction Polish.