Questions about NE turning

[Bill Wyko]

I have a beautiful blank I want to leave a natural edge on. I'll have to turn it end grain. Before I chuck it up, I'd like some advice from those of you that do NE work regularly. How do you recommend cutting into the bark w/o blowing it right off the blank?

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Bill,
When you cut the bark take really light cuts starting from the top of the form cutting the bark before the cambium layer. Not all bark wants to stay on no matter how carefully you work. Summer cut lumber does not want to hold on to it's bark. By the way, bark cuts much easier than the wood and it is easy to cut deeply into it. Light shearing cuts all the way.
faust

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks faust, do you recommend a gouge or something else?

[Curt Fuller]

Bill, sometimes, especially if the wood is very dry and the wood and bark are already beginning to go their separate ways, I hit the area where the cut will go through the bark with some thin CA. Use enough to penetrate the bark and it will solidify the bark and help keep it attached to the wood. (Plug your nose, have good ventilation, and don't turn the lathe on until it's had time to dry) Then as Faust has said, use really light shearing cuts. I prefer a spindle or detail gouge when it's endgrain like you mentioned.

[Bob Bergstrom]

First thing I do is balance the edges of the bark. Using a pencil on the tool rest align the two end grain tips of the rim that they are in the same plane. Move the foot end of the blank to adjust this. Next do the same. With the other sides. When done correctly, the growth rings will be in the center bottom of the bowl. This process will also give a more balanced cut through the bark. I would saturate the bark with water super glue a few times as you are cutting the rim.

[Fred Belknap]

Bill I do quite a few NE things, it is very popular. I use a .5" bowl gouge and when cutting in the area of the bark I use the tip of the gouge, not right on the tip but very close. Blocks of wood that have been laying on the ground for any length of time will shed the bark on that side. If it is going to come off I doubt there is much that you can do, I have use CA with some success but not always. Sharp tools and a pretty fast speed, light cuts. I use thin CA to stabilize the the bark after I have sanded through the corser sand paper. It isn't that hard to do.

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks guys, I'll give this a try this week, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll put some CA on it tonight & do a good look over of the bark.

[Bill Wyko]

Well, scratch this piece for an NE turning. I dug it out today to find the bark all separating from the blank. I think it's too far gone to glue back down. As Faust said, the tree was probably cut in summer. I would think the tree has more moisture inside in the warmer seasons so when it dries it shrinks more. This theory is entirely a guess though.

[Fred Belknap]

I think it's too far gone to glue back down

You are probably right. Some wood is just better at keeping it's bark on.

[Rick Hutcheson]

Here is a video of how I do it. This wood was cut about 6 months ago and nothing done to it. Like others have said some wood holds bark good and other wood the bark is hard to keep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCXKNXJ2n3Y