This is my second attenpt at wet bowl turning after gathering valuable advice from a forum topic calling on bowl turners.
Special thanks to Dorje, Mot (and his excellent CyberSkillShare series on bowl turning) and a very detailed and helpful tutorial by a fairly new member of LJs, SteveRussell (he isn’t new to bowl turning by any means, and I believe we haven’t heard the last from him in terms of sage advice).
This is the second and largest log section from a sweet haul of boxelder that I found laying on the ground at my sister-in-law’s outdoor wedding (Thanks, Trisha and Don and their hosts, the Petrovich family in Chicago, IL). I have two more sections left and have decided to see if I can get more of the pile at a future date.
On the first go ‘round, I determined that I am not very likely to appreciate the form taken when the wet bowl warps in drying, so I left a stub tenon on the inside of the bowl and turned a much more shallow dovetail recess in the bottom, so that after about a month in a paper bag (turning the bag inside out every day or so), the bowl should be ready to turn to it’s final shape.
This time I also soaked the top around the heartwood/sapwood dehiscion line with thin Hot Stuff cyanoacrylic glue. The other bowl started to shed the little bit of heartwood that was attached and that is right where most of the red-streaking in this bit of boxelder resides. I lost a fair amount of height in that shedding, and ended up with a dainty little bowl, which is in my projects for view.
I also left this bowl much thicker, in the hope that I will be able to shape it a bit more. So, it’s back in the bag for a month, and we will see what develops. I’ll keep you posted!
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
7 comments so far
Bob Babcock
home | projects | blog
1807 posts in 613 days
posted 482 days ago
Very nice….the figure in the bowl almost looks like a landscape.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
Dorje
home | projects | blog
1749 posts in 524 days
posted 482 days ago
Alrighty! Here we go again! Back on the horse…this should be good!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
Don
home | projects | blog
2586 posts in 704 days
posted 482 days ago
Looking forward, to the next installment, Doulgas.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/
SteveRussell
home | projects | blog
78 posts in 488 days
posted 481 days ago
Hello Douglas,
Thanks for the kind words… :-) Your bowl has really nice color! I can’t wait to see it finished. It’s rare for me to get Box Elder with that coloring, so it’s nice to see it being turned. Good luck to you and best wishes in all of your woodturning endeavors!
Steve Russell
The Woodlands, Texas
-- Better Woodturning and Finishing Through Chemistry... http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com
MsDebbieP
home | projects | blog
12244 posts in 688 days
posted 480 days ago
oh it’s lovely already!!! A month? I wouldn’t have the patience :)
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Douglas Bordner
home | projects | blog
2705 posts in 591 days
posted 480 days ago
Between wood and pixels I’m always behind on something so I just shift focus and the time flows by. I get to look the bowl over everyday or so, and it becomes a science project to see the chnages that take place as the drying is ongoing.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
oscorner
home | projects | blog
4573 posts in 838 days
posted 480 days ago
It is a longer process, but I really think you should try soaking your bowl in water with just a little dishwashing liquid. Wiegh it down so that it is completely submerged and put it in a container that has a lid, so you can keep it closed. Leave it like this for a month, making sure it is covered by the solution. After a month drain the water out and keep in closed container for another couple of weeks. The piece will be discolored somewhat, but when turning greenwood you always leave enough thickness to allow for a finished turning, later. I’ve used this process and have never had a crack. The paper bag method with green shavings has left me in tears more than once.
-- Jesus is Lord!