Approaching the learning curve -Bowl # 3 for me..

[Mark Norman]

I like to take pics to document the progression and as an aide in learning.
I completed bowl #2 last night and I like it a lot,,,it warped on me some because I turned green and did not rough it out and let dry. Just anxious I was..I'll wait till it finishes doing what ever it wants to do and get a pic to post.

So tonight when I returned home from work to find my artwork just mildly distorted,,, I decided I need to just rough out a few, stuff em in bags of shavings and let em sit to finish turn another day.. I picked out a piece of wood just a bit bigger than bowl #2 and fired up the trusty chain saw to get it sorta round like.

The piece I chose for tonight's turnings...
(The wife had my camera so I got cell phone pics. Not real quality but works)

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/woodbowlbegining.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/chunkowood.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/sortaround.jpg

Real rough...

But round....almost.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/walnutrealrough.jpg

OK,,, now its round...

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/walnutoutsideturnedrough.jpg

Its got a nice blond spot on the dark brown that makes for a nice accent. I hope it stays...

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/100_1898.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/100_1896.jpg

I brought it in the house and was warmly received with rave reviews by the kids who had nothing but nice things to say about it and how they loved it. Warmed my heart it did..

So and goes my learning curve, turn green thick and let dry. I will look into getting some DNA real soon but for now this piece gets stuffed into a paper sack with today's date and a bunch of the shavings...

I figure if I rough out a bowl every day or two then in a month or so I will have a bowl to finish every day or two.

On my desk for pics just before stuffin it in the bag...

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/100_1893.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/100_1895.jpg

Comments and critiques are encouraged.

I need to find a mentor near-by, but for the time being I guess you guys (and gals) will have to do.

My post is lacking smileys because they count as images and I have several of those...

[David Walser]

Mark,

That's a very pretty piece of wood. Assuming the wall thickness is consistent throughout, it should have a decent shot at drying without checking. I like the shape you are giving the bowl. I think the nice, broad rim will frame the wild grain very well. Good job.

[Mark Norman]

I got real lucky getting some nice wood to jump start my turning career.

The piece it about 7" dia and I turned it to 3/4". Its fairly consistent in wall thickness but I just used my calibrated finners to judge:)

The piece determines the shape as I turn. I found out tonight good music is nuch better than political talk radio:eek:

[alex carey]

Every now and then I try and listen to talk radio but generally I too end up blasting music. That really is the way to go. The bowl is looking good, that walnut really is some nice wood.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mark - so far so good! Should be a very nice looking bowl once finished! As David already mentioned - the key to roughing turnings is to keep a consistent thickness. When one part is thinner - that part dries out first and creates stress.

Glad to see you are having fun!

[Mark Norman]

Making calipers...

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thats going to be a great looking bowl when finished Mark. Steve hit the nail on the head with consistant thickness.

[Richard Madison]

Good to see the new Marks-Way lathe in action. That's some beautiful wood. Might want to try waxing just the end grain of a couple of your rough-outs and see if that makes a difference in how successfully they dry. It may be a while, but I predict segmented work in your future. That way you get to build something and you get to turn something.

[John W Dixon]

Mark, that walnut truly is gorgeous! Looks like you're off to an excellent start!

John

[Wally Dickerman]

Looking good. I hope that you're applying some sealer to keep it from cracking. It'd be a shame to loose some nice wood like that. I would apply Johnson's paste wax or Anchorseal to the outside only. A very heavy coat. If it's pretty wet, put if in a brown paper bag for a few weeks also.

Wally

[Jim Kountz]

Looks like that one should be a keeper for sure Mark!! Looks good. Are you doing the DNA soak? If not it may be considerably longer to dry than a month I would think.

[Brian McInturff]

WOW!! Stunning. I bet you had a smile on your face the whole time you were turning.:D

[Mark Norman]

A big smile Brian --->:D

I brought a gallon of DNA home with me tonight so I'll go find a suitable plastic bowl to soak it in.

Thank you all for the kind word of encouragement in my new hobby that is the vortex:D I'll say it again, I'm glad I found the creek when I did. I need all the support and expert advice you guys have to offer.

So with the DNA, I just soak for two days and then return it to the bag of shavings for a month? Then weigh it every few days till it stops shedding weight? I guess I'll need to get a scale for the task.

[Jeff Nicol]

Mark, The Vortex is deep and all consuming!! I just love that batch of walnut you have on hand to "Practice" with!! I turned a nice vase the other day, it was from the stump of one of the trees we cut down earlier. It was the darkest walnut I have ever seen! It looked like ebony coming off the lathe. But the cool part is that one half has some sapwood and there are some yellowish streaks in it too, so lots of character, but not like yours! Keep up the good work, you may never sleep again!

Jeff

[Mark Norman]

Thanks Jeff,
It wont be long before I start turning HF's and building segmented works.

I love having a contrasting color in the grain like you mention on your vase it adds a certain dimension to a piece.

I was so lucky to have come across that load of fine wood so early in my turning career but with it comes a lot of responsibility and steepened the learning curve greatly.

Funny you mention a loss of sleep. The last two nights I was up past midnight and my self imposed bedtime for the last twenty years has been eleven...I am beat!

I just submerged the piece into a ss soup pot full of DNA and boy does it bring out the color and grain in the wood. I'll go get a pic of it;)


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t116/triangle5/wood/turnings/100_1902.jpg
If I could step away from the lathe (and the pc) long enough, I would clean up and organize my shop some. It sure does need it.