| Project by FrankoManini | posted 393 days ago | 569 views | 0 times favorited | 4 comments |  |
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A fellow LumberJock and buddy of mine and I salvaged some enormous pieces of European Beech from the sidewalk in front of the old Telus Buildig in Victoira. We were nearly popping our spines lifting some 5 foot sections of trunk into my truck. Later that night we bucked them into managable lenths, sawed them down the middle vertically, and sealed the ends. I’m just getting around to rough turning them now.
The blank you see on the lathe is about 15” in diameter, and weighs nearly 40 pounds. There was a fair number of bark inclusions in this wood, which is great of the look I am trying to create, but challenging (for me anyway) to turn. In the last picture, you can see the outside shape.
Turning these rough was the easy part. As they dry they will become harder and the bark inclusions will become more stressed. I expect to lose a few to cracking, but hey, nothing is perfect.
-- - If my wife asks, I got ALL of my tools on sale.
4 comments so far
jeffthewoodwacker
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482 posts in 682 days
posted 393 days ago
If you are turning the green wood part way and then putting the piece aside to dry you can seal the partially turned bowl with latex paint – this will slow down cracking. I have also sealed with wax emulsion products. The key is to leave an equal diameter around the bowl in order to allow equal drying of the wood. For bark inclusions I usually seal these up with CA glue. Your bowl looks great so far can’t wait to see the final project.
-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
Roper
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716 posts in 591 days
posted 393 days ago
very nice work. turning green bowls is alot of fun.i wouldn’t worry about the inclusion just make sure your tool is nice and sharp. have fun.
-- Roper - Master of sawdust-
Devin
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89 posts in 406 days
posted 392 days ago
Can’t wait to see how these look after the final turning.
-- If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden
jockmike2
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7222 posts in 1124 days
posted 389 days ago
Turning those biguns is fun huh? I love it.. I am varishing a 14 1/2 in” cherry platter I just finished. I got some big maple and walnut too. I have to turn off the end of my Delta Lathe, it has a 14 in clearance but not with raw wood. Nice start on a nice big bowl.
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com