What Would You Suggest?

[Peter Blair]

Greetings everyone. I have attached a couple of shots of a really nice Japanese Prune Plum crotch that I had rough turned, coated with Anchorseal and bagged. As you can see it still developed a crack. I think it is about finished moving now, my first thought was to toss it in the 'burn' pile.

I had a buyer for it already but now I don't know what to do. I have shown it to the perspective buyer and they are not as concerned about the crack as I am. I know some of you put epoxy with additives like coffee grounds, brass, etc.

I guess my question is would you try to save this piece and if so how?

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[Steve bellinger]

Pete with the natural edges on this sharp looking winged bowl, i don't think it would look bad just the way it is.

[charlie knighton]

leave it as is, you could offer him 10% off, i do not see much Prune Plum, much less Prune Plum crotch

[Jim Burr]

Some of the usual methods may work...espresso powder and CA, colored/dyed epoxy. I use both on a regular bases and have outstanding results!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I would consider a couple things......1. Finish it as is. 2. Finish it after filling the cracks and voids using DNA thinned epoxy mixed with crushed instant coffee crystals. 3. Finish it after filling the voids with crushed stone dust and thinned epoxy.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I don't usually offer my opinion in matters of taste but I have an opinion on this one. Unless you suspect the crack will continue to widen and ultimately ruin the bowl, leave it as is. People put a value on aged items and you have a natural there. If that buyer doesn't want it someone else will. Cracks are a natural part of fruit wood and even more so with crotch. If you really feel you need to do something with it, practice your flat work skills and cut and insert a bow tie in a contrast color wood.
Are you planning to sand out the tool marks?
faust

[Peter Blair]

Greeting Faust. This is a bowl that I rough turned and so as you suggest it is/was due to go back on the lathe to finish it. A bow tie is an interesting idea, thanks I had not considered doing that. I am toying with cutting about 1/2" out of the bowl with my table saw and gluing in a contrasting piece of wood which would then of course be turned to the same shape. might look a little strange. On one of my previous Japanese Prune Plum bowls that developed a crack I inserted a hand carved purple plum into the crack. Another idea I had was to insert a carved replica of a leaf from the same tree. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

A carved leaf sounds ideal to me, a nod to the type of wood (in case anyone forgets in the future hand me down stages), as above, leaving the crack shows the integrity of the piece - it's not a tool gouge done by the maker, but a reaction to it being turned. I'd take it as it was, with or without final finishing!

[Sid Matheny]

That is a keeper but I would fill it with an epoxy mix of some type or the crack may open up more later.

Sid

[Fred Perreault]

Peter, that's a beauty in the making..... at the few craft shows I do here on Cape Cod, there are some folks who dismiss bark, fault lines and warpage as unsightly. But, far more people are attracted to the various natural looks of some bark, insect holes, color changes, wild figure, etc. that we can sometimes incorporate into our finished turning. I would not change the rough out much if it is sound enough for finish turning.

I guess one could think of it this way.... even some of the ugliest of us guys still found a lovely bride and happiness.

[Steve Schlumpf]

This will be a really nice piece once finished! If it were mine, I would use a mixture of CA glue and sanding dust from the same wood - to blend in the crack with the surrounding wood.

[Josh Bowman]

It looks pretty good as it is. I'd like to see more pictures. I really like gnarly looking stuff. But as Steve said, CA will allow you to cut more on it. Look forward to finished pictures.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I am in the process of using CA glue and dust to fill and try to blend the smaller cracks as Steve suggests but may also be forced to use epoxy to fill some of the larger soft areas. I'll know more in a few months when it is dry enough for me to finish. I'll post more pictures at that time.

[Peter Blair]

Once again. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and comments and patience.

After I started this Thread, I bagged the piece that was in September, unbagged and mounted it today.

It probably isn't the best piece I've ever turned but it is by far the most challenging. I sure learned a lot while this was spinning past (most of the time) my fingers.

Here are a few shots of the nearly finished piece. Please excuse the phone photo's.

C & C are as usual always appreciated.

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I did as Steve suggested and filled the cracks only with CA and dust from the Piece.

By the way, in case you don't want to go to the top of the Thread it is Japanese Prune Plum wood from a tree I took down for our neighbour.

Finish it BLO but expect to spray with shellac and then decide what to do for a final finish.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Filling cracks with some material to disguise or enhance a natural crack is often not successful in the long run. Wood will always continue to move with humidity and temperature variations, and the inclusion will most likely fail unless it moves with the wood. I do like the idea mentioned of a butterfly, a traditional repair method, because that would strengthen the wall of the form, and add visual appeal as well.

[Steve Mawson]

I believe you did good. Turned out very nice.

[robert baccus]

Too late now but i would have left it natural and charged extra for the "character".-------------old forester

[Peter Blair]

Finally finished this piece, Japanese Prune Plum crothch. Took a lot longer than I had planned. It continued to move a little and as a result I didn't get a consistent 'rim' thickness. Even at that I still fairly pleased with the final result. Finished with multiple coats of pre/cat lacquer buffed as best I could with 0000 steel wool.
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Comments as usual are greatly appreciated

[robert baccus]

Fantastic--perfect--good for you! the world has enough round bowls. art has nothing to do with perfection, only perception.--------------old forester

[Fred Belknap]

Pete I like it. The color sure is nice and the two rings kind of tie it all together.

[Allan Ferguson]

Looking very good.