Issues with Red Oak

[Brett Bobo]

For practice with turning larger bowls, I acquired some red oak but I encountered some problems on the first bowl and I'm not sure if it's me or the material. Is cutting oak more difficult because of the grain patterns and is tear out more common? After completing the bowl, prior to finishing, I left it inside to dry out and some cracks developed. Actually, one of the cracks went completely through the wall. Does oak tend to dry more unevenly than other woods? Granted, I'm new to turning so there's probably error on my part but for example, the wall thickness was consistent from top to bottom.

Thanks,
Brett

[Dennis Ford]

These are common problems with red oak (white oak is worse IMHO). It is possible to turn nice bowls, vases etc from red oak but it does not turn as easily as some other woods and the drying has to carefully controlled.

[roy knapp]

I turn alot of red oak but its mostly natural edge bowls and finish to size after they dry i then finish sand and finish with wipe on poly. I put all my hollow forms, bowls and platters in the freezer and after leave them dry at room temp. I did a 19 in. plater out of red oak, stayed nice and flat in the freezer (3 weeks) but when it was drying at room temp (about 1 wk) it warped but it did not split or crack. Now i have 2 blanks (2in-18-18in) compleatly seal with anchor seal and will leave them untill fall then work them.

[GLENN THOMAS]

Brett,

It seems like the only wood I have been able to get my hand on lately is oak. The one thing that has helped me save more bowls and blanks is anchor seal. Before using the anchor seal it seems like I would lose about 50% of them. Just this past January I roughed out about 100 blanks and so far I have only lost about 15 to 20 from cracks. I have also noticed that the more knots the blank has the more likely it is crack. Most of the ones I lost so far are full of knots. If you can practice you shear cuts and leave a good surface on the oak most everything else will be a piece of cake. Keep practicing the shear cut on the the oak, I think will pay off.

GT

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pretty common with oak. I have had about 50/50 luck turning oak.

[Thomas Canfield]

Brett,

I have roughed out some Live Oak, Water Oak, Sweet Gum, and Bradford Pear in the 18" diameter size and sealed with Anchor Seal to dry for about a year. There were some checks developed in several, and I filled the cracks with a mix of epoxy, instant coffee for color, and sanding dust. Wetting the sanding dust with DNA helps to thin the mix and fill the cracks better, but you have to watch getting too much and mix not drying hard. I don't know a fast way to dry the rough turned bowls. I have even had to do an extra pass on the exterior after starting to round up the interior due to the relaxation of the larger sections. Trying to turn thin with the wet wood does result in the bowl going out of round very fast at the larger diameter and drying taking place during the turning.

[charlie knighton]

Brett,

oak is fun, the day the tree is cut down, cut up into blanks, put in cardboard barrels with dry shavings, leave about 6 months, not !00%, but at that point you have very little shop time in each piece

when turning, turn to finish thickness, bowls will probably still warp a little, knots will still crack only in knot, hopefully, hf should be good, i like up to 1/4 inch thick

enjoy

i agree that the size of oak is much better than many other woods and the size is common