Dealing with a cracked blank.

[Russell Neyman]

This is one of those turning projects that I wish I had taken photos during the process, but didn't, so you'll need to use your imagination. It's a piece of beautifully figured plum that has all sorts of splits and bark inclusions. Here it is almost ready for polishing
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Pretty scary, huh? Turning the exterior was a breeze. I did the usual, filling the void with
an epoxy/chips mixture, and filled the cracks with a black flexible CA glue. Obviously, I also added an inlay band of the same blue and gray chips in epoxy.

What at you don't see here is what's under that banding: I wrapped the bowl tightly with 2-3 wraps of copper wire, which I soldered and then filled over. Then, with the blank securely banded just below the rim, I was able to turn the inside. This method "saves" an otherwise lost piece of plum.

I I should add this safety tip-- whenever I turn the inside of a blank with ANY feature that might fly apart, I (a) add CA where appropriate, (2) wear a full face shield, and (3) wrap the exterior in stretch wrap.

[Bill Boehme]

I hope that works. It looks like some of the cracks have cracked the inlay, but that could just be an illusion. I would recommend cleaning up the rim to get rid of the chipped places before removing it from the lathe.

I also have a piece of plum that I have been working on for a very long time filling cracks and waiting for it to stabilize. Plum really loves to move.

[Dale Bonertz]

I disagree with Bill. It is hard to tell by a picture but I think the rim looks good the way it is. Helps make the piece feel old and used with a modern twist with the inlay work. The checks in the body of the piece go well with the rim. Nicely done and I to hope it holds for you.

[Russell Neyman]

Nope. The inlay has no cracks. This is pretty stable. As far as the rim goes, I'm choosing to leave it rough. I like the contrast of "raw and barky" and the formal banded inlay. Just me.

[Fred Belknap]

Russell Nice save. I like the idea of using copper wire soldered around the bowl. I sometimes use epoxy to fill holes and loose bark, put a couple drops of black dye in it. Most don't even notice the epoxy.

[Sid Matheny]

That is one piece of wood I would have put in the burn pile. Glad you didn't! Great save.