bowl turning thread

[Chippy]

If there's no splits in them seal the ends with something, melted wax,paint or pva to stop them drying out too fast.

[JLA Arborists]

How long would it take to dry then? I think they're 8-10"

[se7enthdevil]

split them in to half logs and seal all endgrain this will reduce the amount of tension in the wood. 8-10" will take 5-10 years to fully dry.

 

you can convert them in to smaller bits and it can take as little as a year.

[JLA Arborists]

I've heard about boiling green wood to reduce during time and defects. Have you tried that if so did it work?

[se7enthdevil]

never done it myself so not sure what you do exactly.

 

sounds like an awful lot of hassle for what its worth...

 

i rough out my bowls to about 1" thickness then leave them to dry for six months. go to page 13 and 14 to see what i did.

 

after about 200 i've only had a couple fail beyond repair and for any woods that are prone to splits you can coat the end grain for extra protection...

[bellringer]

never done it myself so not sure what you do exactly.

 

sounds like an awful lot of hassle for what its worth...

 

i rough out my bowls to about 1" thickness then leave them to dry for six months. go to page 13 and 14 to see what i did.

 

after about 200 i've only had a couple fail beyond repair and for any woods that are prone to splits you can coat the end grain for extra protection...

 

Do you just leave them on a self in a cool dry place?

 

 

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[se7enthdevil]

if soaking wet i leave them on racking in my workshop to dry until no surface moisture is evident on the surface as there is reduced air flow and the air is still quite moist so it's easier on the drying wood. once dry to the eye i then transplant them to the conservatory where they live under a dust sheet to keep some moisture because if they were unprotected from direct sunlight they will crack very quickly. i keep a hygrometer in the room to monitor the temperature but more importantly the moisture content of the air. if the air gets to dry for too long a period i can dowse the bowls with water if i wish to try and prevent cracking...

 

once they are dry i stack them on the floor ready to be finish turned.

 

i make sure i monitor the weight of each bow from the moment its turned so that i know what percentage of weight has gone from the bowl, i can use this as a future reference for drying wood of the same species.

 

for example, i had lots of hornbeam which lost on average 30-35% of its weight, cherry laurel only lost 20-25% but my neighbours cedar tree lost 55% showing just how different each species can be. still the only way to be 100% sure is to keep weighing each bowl till no more weight is lost then you know its dry.

[Big Beech]

I've heard about boiling green wood to reduce during time and defects. Have you tried that if so did it work?

 

yes it does work. did some last year of some bigish oak burrs.

 

search my posts and you will find a link and possibly some pictures, though cant remember if i posted any:001_smile:

[JLA Arborists]

I'm sat with my sad face on. I was on the way to collect the lathe and it had been given to the woman's nephew (she was selling on behalf of her elderly mother, who gave it away) some good tips though. Will start my stockpile of drying timber ready for when I finally get a lathe

[delabodge]

steve, you can tell your not married,,,lol my wife would string me up,lol,,,got some walnut for you!!