1st NE Bowl (couldn't wait until finished)

[Kathy Marshall]

This is from a piece of cherry Cathy Schaewe sent me (Thanks again Cathy!). It's been sitting in the box it came in just waiting till I felt I was ready to give it a go.
I'm not done turning it yet, but I was so excited that it's going so well that I couldn't wait to post pics! http://www.woodturnersresource.com/yabb2files/Templates/Forum/woody/cheesy.gif

1st pic is the blank mounted and ready to start (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#).
2nd pic is the bottom formed and with a coat of sanding sealer.
3rd pic is starting the bowl, establishing the rim thickness.
4th pic is hollowing, not quite half way yet.

This piece was a challenge, it was still just a tiny bit green. It had started to check and cracks started forming as I was turning the bottom. First I tried just filling the cracks with CA but I couldn't keep up with them (the cracks were forming quicker than I could find and seal them). So then I had a bright idea, here I am in Phx, I think the temp was around 106 today (no AC so the shop would be able the same) and humidity was probably in the 10 -15% range (I was drying out as quick as the wood was), so I started wiping it down with a wet paper towl every time I stopped the lathe to check the blank, sharpen tools etc. Once I started wetting it down I got ahead of the cracks and was able to turn quite a few of them out. The bigger cracks I filled with coffee and CA. The bigger ones go through to the inside and I'm filling and sealing them as I go. When I stopped for the night I wet down the inside of the bowl and then gave it a light coat of sanding sealer to hold the moisture in. Don't know if it will help, but hoping it will prevent any more cracks from starting or growing until I can finish turning it tomorrow.
Since finishing the bottom and sealing with sanding sealer, no new cracks have developed and none of the existing ones have increased.

Oops, forgot to add the size, about 7" wide x 4 3/4" tall, give or take.

[Richard Madden]

The bowl is looking good, Kathy. Be sure and post some pictures of the finished product. One thing I would suggest unless you already did it would be to wrap the bowl in a plastic bag when you're not working on it. I have often times sprayed the piece with water before covering with a plastic bag.

[William Hutchinson]

That's a wonderful gift that you're turning into a lovely NE bowl. I'm looking forward to viewing the finished piece.

[John Keeton]

Kathy, that is a beautiful piece of cherry, and one more example of Cathy's generosity! Looks like you are doing a great job with it and I look forward to seeing it finished.

[Dennis Ford]

The bowl looks good, you are really getting into the vortex now.

[Ken Glass]

Kathy,
You are most definitely toast, as for being pulled into the vortex. . Trying a N.E. after only a few turnings is proof. Do post a finished picture when done.
Also take Richards suggestion and bag it, after a few spritzes of water to keep it from changing shape and cracking. Well done.

[Tony De Masi]

That's going to be one sweet NE. I so as others have suggested in wrapping the turning in a plastic bag when leaving it for some time. Works quite well.

Please post finished pics too.

[Cathy Schaewe]

I'm impressed - I have all that cherry, and a lot of ash now too, and still haven't gotten up the nerve to try a NE bowl! That is looking fantastic!!!

I'm going to guess that the heat there is what is making it crack as you turn, since I don't have any problems with that here, no matter how green the wood is. (It may crack later, of course!!:))

I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[George Guadiane]

That is an outstanding first effort.
Be sure and post pictures when it's finished.

[Allen Neighbors]

Kathy, that's wonderful!! Ditto, the plastic bag thing. And, may I suggest one more? On your next one, instead of spritzing or wiping with plain water, use a mixture of 50% Ivory concentrated dish washing soap and 50% water. And keep it wet, until you are about finished with the hollowing. I use an old 409 spray bottle. The soap mixture will not dry out as rapidly as the water, and after you finish hollowing, when you begin to final sand the outside it will sand much easier, and smell good, too.
You are really doing some advanced things, for so young a turner!! :)

[Kathy Marshall]

So here are some pics of the basically finished piece. It's got a couple coats of wipe on poly and I will be adding more.
I guess I'm going to need to turn something to work as a jam chuck to turn of the tenon and finish the bottom, any other suggestions for mounting on a jam chuck?
You'll notice it's still in the chuck, I don't need the chuck for anything else just yet, and I find it makes a nice handle for moving it around (between the shop and the house, etc, to hot to leave it out there) when the finish is still wet.

I'm very happy with how it turned out! When not working on the finish, I will take all the suggestions to heart and store it in a plastic bag in the house. I just hope it makes it with minimal or no changes.

Thanks to Everyone for all the great comments! The vortex is deep and I'm falling fast!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Very nice piece you made Kathy, especially for a first one and a blank with splits before you even started to turn it, but you pulled it off very well, 162057

However if you could have started without all those splits 162058 it would have been easier and probably better looking, yes spraying with wet water (soapy) does help quite a lot to prvent splitting while turning and a plastic bag I will always use if going away from the lathe, even for just a coffee break, saran wrap around the outside while turning, will also help, but for now, Have fun and take care :D