Guide for Turners

[Matt Evans]

Is there a guide for Turners, specifically for processing lumber into blanks? I am looking for something that is concise, detailed, and doesn't have the preconception that the reader already knows what materials (wax, denatured alcohol, etc.) are used at any particular stage. The problem with a lot of books and articles on nearly every subject is that the author assumes that the reader will know the basics, or what the author thinks are the basics. Truth be told, most people starting out in a new hobby don't know the basics, or the terminology. Saying something about "DNA" to me means about the same as me saying "perique" to someone who doesn't smoke a pipe, or answering questions with "42" to people who aren't geeks.

I can take a log and turn it into flat boards. No real problem there, since the checking and splitting is minimal due to the relatively small thickness of the wood. Bowl blanks, or in my case, mallet blanks, are another story.


Here are some specific questions that I would love to see answered.

1. What is the optimum length of time to harvest the wood after the tree has been felled? As soon as you can? Weeks? Months? Is there a difference according to wood species?

2. Once you have the blank rough cut with a saw or whatever you use, what is the next step?

3. When can you FINALLY use your bowl blank?

[Ryan Baker]

- Leave the logs whole until you are ready for the blanks
- Saw up blanks and seal the end grain with something like Anchorseal
- Most of the time when cutting blanks you want to cut out the pith
- For most turning projects, it's best to rough turn the blank while still green. Then there are many ways to dry the blank before finish turning. Sometimes it is better to turn to finish dimension while green. Sometimes you really need dry stock before you start.
- To dry a blank, the rule of thumb is one year per inch of thickness plus one year. It's often not practical to air-dry turning blanks without rough turning them to a much thinner dimension first.
- Drying without cracking is all about making the water loss slower and more even throughout the blank.

There is a ton of info here about how to dry blanks. Spend a few hours (or days) reading and you will find everything you need to know.

[Barry Elder]

My basic answer would be to find a woodturning club in your area and get answers from the pro(s) in the club. Woodturners are more apt to share their knowledge and tips than any other group of people I know. As far as your questions, I don't think you can get a specific answer to each because of all the variables involved.:)

[John Beaver]

Matt, Here's a couple of articles that might help.

http://www.customwooddesign.com/turninggreenwood-1.html

http://www.johnjordanwoodturning.com/John_Jordan_Woodturning/Understanding_Wood.html

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=turning&file=articles_473.shtml

[Paul Atkins]

I think you have found the guide. Just ask a question and you have many answers in a few hours. Lots of questions get asked more than one time, and maybe in a different way. The search function is a help too. I think a glossary would be nice though. Maybe there is one and I haven't found it yet. I still think of Little Old Lady when I see LOL.