Bowls

[Robert B Povalkins]

Hi all,

Need some help. I cut down some bowls around Jan and Feb of this year and had them laying in the shavings since, every once in a while stirring up the mix. My question is can I now take those bowls and stack them on the shelve to finish drying so I can get rid of some of the shaving that is covering my floor. This is my first attempt of turning bowls straight for the log. Thanks.


Bob

[Paul Williams]

I suspect you are going to get a lot of opinions and many of them will work just fine. What I do is place the rough turned bowls in paper bags fold over the opening and put them on a shelf. I have a friend who doesn't use the bags, but puts his bowls in a cupboard to keep them out of any drafts. If your pile of shavings is pretty dry and the bowls have actually dried a bit, you might just stack them in a cool dry area that does not have any drafts. IMHO the cracking usually takes place in the first month. If you have no cracks and the bowl has been sitting in the shop for two months I would be tempted to just pull them out of the shavings and stack them in the shop. The only concern I have for just putting them away as is would be the moisture in your pile of shavings. If the pile is not drier than the bowls you have not gained anything by leaving the bowls in the pile for this long. You might try several methods and see what works for your climate. Good luck.

[Thom Sturgill]

If you are processing wet timber for bowls, get set of scales capable of weighing your heaviest rough-outs. Record the date and initial weight and periodically check the weight. That is the best indication of when they stop losing water. You can just number the bowls and keep a separate log or if you bag them, write the dates and weights on the bag.

A couple of notable turners have claimed that all that is needed is to keep drafts off the bowls, whether by burying in shavings, bagging, or just storing in a quiet area. I built cabinets in my shop along one wall that are all large drawers. I store turnings in the drawers while allowing them to dry although I more often turn to finished thickness or use dried timbers.

[Tom Giacomo]

I'm a brown bagger.

[Grant Wilkinson]

When you say that you "cut down" some bowls, do you mean that you roughed turned them? Sorry if I'm dense.

[Pat Scott]

If I have some really wet blanks that I've rough turned, sometimes I will leave them in their own shavings for several days before putting on Anchorseal. I have put Anchorseal on really wet blanks before, but I think the Anchorseal loses some of it's effectiveness. Leaving the wet blanks covered in shavings seems to pull a lot of the moisture out without cracking the blanks, thereby giving Anchorseal a higher chance for success.

If you don't have Anchorseal, I would be hesitant to put the blanks on an open shelf without covering them somehow. Wrap them in stretch wrap, bag them, put them in a box, etc. Store them upside down and as low as you can (no more than a few feet off the floor), at least for the first few months. They don't have to be completely flat, it's OK to lean one against another.

[robert baccus]

I wonder why you want dry wood. Leave them wet or in end seal, turn wet, rewax and return at your leisure. Few people like to turn thick dry wood and it is actually hard to dry wood of any thickness such as bowl blanks.

[Robert B Povalkins]

Thanks for all the replies, they were a great help. I turned down the bowls to almost the finish size. When they are dry enough I will finish them.

[Bruce Pratt]

If you turned "green to final" (at or near final wall thickness) and left them rough, i.e., did not do finishing cuts, the bowls will go oval as they dry to beyond the point of being able to be re-turned. Your only option at that point will be a lot of sanding....