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Matt Wolboldt
06-05-2009, 11:30 AM
Hey Guys, A friend of mine received a cherry turned sculpture that was freshly turned. As it so happens it has of course started to crack. Is there a way to arrest the cracking. Though it looks like a bowl, it's pretty much just a solid piece of cherry. Any help would be appreciated.
Cody Colston
06-05-2009, 11:33 AM
That's typical radial cracking where the outside dries and shrinks faster than the inside. There's nothing I know that will arrest it. A heavier finish may slow it down but eventually it's going to occur.
Matt Wolboldt
06-05-2009, 11:34 AM
That's what I figured, and knew deep down that it couldn't be stopped. She got it in an art trade, and so I'm trying to resurrect it in some way.
Richard Madison
06-05-2009, 11:41 AM
Eventually as the inside dries some of the cracks may close up somewhat but probably not completely. Depending upon thickness, it may take a long time for the interior to dry.
Steve Schlumpf
06-05-2009, 11:49 AM
That's to bad... but nothing I am aware of is going to stop the process. Maybe in a few years you can fill in all the cracks with something.
Bill Bolen
06-05-2009, 12:49 PM
Well if it is a solid piece of Cherry you might treat it as a "rough out" and put it in a brown paper bag for 6 months to slow the cracking. After that amount of time enough water should be gone that it could set out and finish drying. Then you could patch the cracks with sawdust and CA. Just a suggestion...Bill...
Matt Wolboldt
06-05-2009, 1:26 PM
Thanks for all the help. I was going to try to brown bag it and hope for the best.
curtis rosche
06-05-2009, 1:33 PM
is that a bullet next to it? what ever you do i wouldnt put anything into the cracks unless the peice has stopped moving. i have a few peices i did that to, and the peice kept moving after i filled the cracks. now it looks like there is dried snot in the cracks. it would take way to long to try to cut it all out and redo.
Bernie Weishapl
06-05-2009, 4:41 PM
I am not sure anything can be done but fill the cracks when it quit moving. A piece that thick and big is going to take a long time to dry. Someone said 6 months but I am thinking a year or more.