This is my first attempt at turning green wood. I have been encourage and coached by a friend and new Lumberjock, Terry. I roughly turned the blank into the shape I wanted. I left the wall thickness approximately 10% of the bowl diameter. I may have left a little too much? After turning the bowl inside and out, I submerged it in denatured alcohol. I will let it soak for 24 – 36 hours, flash the alcohol off for 2 -3 hours, wrap it in a brown paper grocery bag, date it, and allow it to dry for 4 – 6 weeks. I will then finish turning, sanding and finishing.
I am certainly open to any other suggestions and or feedback.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
7 comments so far
Grumpy
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4804 posts in 294 days
posted 75 days ago
Trifern, there is a way to season wood (this sort of size range). You do it in a microwave oven, preferably not the one your wife uses for cooking. If you are interested I will send you the recipe, whoops the instructions.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
lew
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904 posts in 198 days
posted 75 days ago
Trifern,
Have had pretty good luck just skipping the alcohol and wrapping the roughed blank in 6-8 layers of newspaper. After a month or so, re-wrap with new newspaper and put on back on the shelf for another month or so. Depending on the thickness of the walls/bottom, you may have to leave it dry even longer. Recently made a 12” dia. maple salad bowl and it was still wet at the wall/bottom transition after 4 months. I have read where some turners pack the hollowed out bowl with shavings to stabilize the drying process. I don’t know if it helps because I haven’t had enough experience with that procedure.
Lew
Douglas Bordner
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2447 posts in 506 days
posted 74 days ago
Trifern,
Now you are in trouble. Ever roadside log or downed tree will become a fascination. It’s pretty addictive, this urban foraging…
Here is a link to a great author, Howard Lewin – with a lot of information on the subject, including a pitch about letting nature take it’s course in the final shaping of the bowls. http://www.customwooddesign.com/turninggreenwood-1.html
Another great resource is a LJ member Steve Russell, who is a professional bowl turner and an avid teacher with a very informative monthly newsletter and a website chock full of freebies and other goodies.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
teenagewoodworker
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1932 posts in 211 days
posted 74 days ago
looking good trifern! don’t know much about turning but I’ll be interested in what other have to say. thanks for the post.
Terry
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18 posts in 76 days
posted 74 days ago
Glad to see you have had a chance to get at that blistered Maple. You have a very nice shaped bowl. Can’t wait to see the end results. I ordered a Woodcut bowl saver so I dont all mine onto the shop floor. You may have to come up one night and see how it works.
-- When the chips are down that means the buffalo is empty.
trifern
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3252 posts in 210 days
posted 74 days ago
Grumpy, send me your recipe. I would be interested in reading it.
Douglas, very interesting links and articles. I really appreciate your help and information.
Terry, send me an email or call me. I would love to see your new toy in action. I have been curious to see how the coring tools work. I would also like to see your laser hollower work as well.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
jockmike2
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4011 posts in 689 days
posted 73 days ago
Hey Tri, I just now saw your new quest. I’ve turned green before but never did anything to it, except a couple bowls I put them in some Polycryl, a product you can get from Woodcraft Magazine, it’s supposed to fill the dead cells and harden them. It works, but too darn expensive. Good luck.
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com