Spalted bowl

[Thomas Heck]

Here is a pic. of a bowl I turned tonight. I think it is dogwood. I had some trouble getting it completely smooth in places. Still learning, there was areas where the wood must of been soft and kind of came out.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice looking bowl. Whenever I encounter punky wood or soft wood I either mix epoxy with Denatured Alcohol to the consistancey of milk or I will mix white wood glue with water. With either I soak the soft spot and let dry. Sometimes I will saturate it with shellac. Then I go in and finish turning. There are lots of ways to harden it. Sharp tools are a must. Keep at it and they will become easier to do.

[John Keeton]

Pretty wood, and a tough transition at the bottom. Bernie has some good advice on punky wood.

[Donny Lawson]

Nice piece. Punky wood is something that takes extra time and care to work with but can look great in the end. I usually either dig the punky wood out and leave it natural or add some thin CA and return.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thomas - Welcome to the Creek!

Pretty wood! Punky wood is a challenge to everyone - especially when on steep sided forms such as this one! Looks like you did pretty good with it! Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Jim Burr]

I'd say you're moving along just fine Thomas! Use those tips and you will be a Master Bowl Maker in no time!

[Thomas Heck]

I appreciate all your replies. I'm just learning and need all the encouragement and help I can get.

[Nate Davey]

Yep punky wood is tough, but you did alright. Beautiful wood, glad to see you stuck with it. If you can turn that stuff nicely, you can turn anything.

[Thomas Heck]

I find I have a hard time sharpening my tools. I'm not sure if I'm getting the right angle. I have a grinder I got at sears and the finest of the two wheels that came with it is what I have been using. I also have a buffer on the other side.

[Marc Himes]

Sharp tools are a must. Many of us use the Wolverine system with the Vari-grind adaptor. There are others in the catalogues too and there are many ways to sharpen. The AAW has a nice sharpening video that goes over several different approaches. We spent the last two meetings at our local AAW chapter on sharpening and you may find joining a local woodturning club to be helpful.

[Baxter Smith]

Thats a pretty piece of wood Thomas. Wood with soft spots can be tough with a very shallow profile. You picked an even tougher shape to go with it. Keep turning!