More newby questions...sorry...

[Josh Bowman]

:oWell, I turned 2 more bowls this afternoon/night. Gosh this is habit forming. I just stuffed a 55 gallon trash bag full of shavings! When those shavings come stringing up the flute and on the floor it's very satisfying. I've included 2 pictures of my last bowl. The question I have concerns the knot/crack. Does that make it trash or can it be glued once it dries and returned?
Also please feel free to be critical of anything else, including the form etc.
Thanks for all the help. I can't wait to get a bowl dry and return/finish it.:D

[David DeCristoforo]

Read the recent threads on making "coffee filler". You do drink coffee don't you? If not, you need to start right away. Can't make a decent filler with tea or fruit juice...

[Aaron Wingert]

Knots can be a great thing! I almost look forward to them because it presents an opportunity to fill the cracks/knots/bark spots/voids. You can use anything from charcoal to turquoise to coffee grounds, not to mention metal shavings, pepper, wood dust, colored epoxy, coral dust, etc...........

5 minute epoxy is popular, as is inlace resin. Some smaller cracks can be filled with thick CA and various filler materials.

I'd wait for the bowl to fully dry before filling the voids, then turn it to final shape.

[Aaron Wingert]

And by the way, there are no such thing as newbie questions that require you to apologize for asking! Ask away, we were all newbies once. Most of us are still newbies in one thing or another related to turning.

[John Hart]

I'm with Aaron. Let it dry....let the crack do what it wants to do....then, if it's not too bad, fill it and use its character in your final turning.

You think turning is addicting? Wait til you start spraying lacquer!!! (hic, 'cuse me :o):)

[David E Keller]

Josh, I agree with the others(except for Mr.Hart trying to lure you to the lacquer:eek:). It looks to me like that is actually the pith of the tree where the crack is located... If so, that's something that you'll generally want to eliminate from face turning blanks for bowls and vessels. It's almost guaranteed to crack.

One word of advice based on some mistakes I've made... When rough turning a bowl blank, try to have an idea about the finished product. I've got a ton of blanks that I eagerly roughed out when I first started turning stuff other than pens. I truly enjoyed the roughing process, but many of the blanks are going to be fire starters because I didn't leave myself many options with the rough out design. Also, write the species if known and the date on the blanks after you rough them. I've got several that I can't remember the wood type.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

One more option for filling cracks, is super fine glitter. Get it from your local craft store. This is not the same glitter as you had as a kid. It's really fine and not cheap. It comes in different colors, as many as you can afford to buy. I use CA to hold it in. It's just something different than "wood" looking fills. As a mentor said, hide it or highlight it.

Almost forgot the leave the crack as is. That's an option too.

[John Hart]

Josh, I agree with the others(except for Mr.Hart trying to lure you to the lacquer:eek:). ....

Hey!!! Don't be messin' up my doctorin'. I'm here ta help!!;):D

Josh...David's right about that pith. NOT about the lacquer.:)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Josh,

No need to apologize or identify a question as a newby question. You are just one aspiring turner asking advice from others.


Yup! My man John Hart is back. I'm calling my broker tomorrow and buy stock in companies that produce lacquer.

Any favorite brands John? Are you picky?

[John Hart]

....Any favorite brands John? Are you picky?

Rustoleum Clear High Lustre...Rattlecan...smooth dispersion...elegant after-dinner aroma. ;)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Josh - in addition to all the info already offered - I have learned that it is a good practice to slightly round over the sharp edges of the rim. The sharp edge will dry out first and that can lead to cracking and usually does.

Looking forward to seeing one of your finished bowls!

[Karl Card]

And by the way, there are no such thing as newbie questions that require you to apologize for asking! Ask away, we were all newbies once. Most of us are still newbies in one thing or another related to turning.


amen on that one.... I would venture to say that in this particular hobby if you are thinking it, someone else has or is...

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve beat me to it. I have found you can eliminate a lot of cracking by rounding the rim. I would seal the whole bowl with anchorseal, let it dry and see what happens.