Mulberry bowl

[Deane Allinson]

I got a larger limb from a yard a couple of blocks away. Mulberry I think with some spalting? It turned pretty nice but wants to start moving before I can get it off the lathe. I have been turning some green stuff pretty thin to reduce cracking but this bowl I turned a couple of weeks ago moved so quickly that I couldn't turn very thin. Any tricks out there? I did a walnut bowl yesterday a little larger and deeper with the same issue.
8 5/8" x 9" x 2 1/2" tall.
Deane

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a great looking bowl. I tried several years ago to turn thin but just didn't care for the outcome. By the way it was from a mulberry tree my neighbor took down. By the time I got it thin it had warped on the lathe so bad I had to stop and just put finish on it. So I do the 10% of the diameter for the thickness. I used to use DNA but it just got to expensive. So I now leave them thick say 1" for a 10" bowl. I anchorseal the whole bowl like Mike Mahoney does and put it away to dry. I have about 70 bowls roughed. When I return one to finish I always try to rough out 2 or 3 to replace it.

[Jeremy Leasure]

Nice Deane. Definitely way more orange than the stuff I've got. Mine is a bright yellow fresh turned that so far has reached down into more of a golden tone.

Bernie, I've used anchorseal on the end grain of bowls but not covered the whole thing. How much does that extend the drying time? Seems like it would be a whole lot.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Deane - I am guessing the wood is just drying faster than you can turn it. If that is the case - then try spraying the wood with water to keep it moist/wet until you are finished turning it. Should help keep it from warping while on the lathe and once you take it off... any warp will add to the character!

[Baxter Smith]

Ditto what Steve said on the use of the spray bottle! If the grain in the blank is pretty well balanced, an even warping can add a lot to the look.

[Dale Miner]

Deane - I am guessing the wood is just drying faster than you can turn it. If that is the case - then try spraying the wood with water to keep it moist/wet until you are finished turning it. Should help keep it from warping while on the lathe and once you take it off... any warp will add to the character!

To add to what Steve said: You mention that it was from a limb. For the most part, limb wood contains more internal stress than trunk wood, and as the inside of the bowl is removed and the stress relieved, movement results.

[Michelle Rich]

yep, keep it wet...but the result here looks great..good job