Distorting a dry turned bowl...posssible?

[Doug Rasmussen]

The other day viewing green turned bowls of a professional turner I was impressed with the informal "friendliness" of his work. The bowls invited you to pick them up as opposed to perfect works of art that say "look, but don't touch".

Most of my collected woods are dry. My question: is it reasonably possible to soak or steam dry bowls adding moisture and hope when they dry they might distort? Maybe even guiding the distortion.

[Reed Gray]

If you turn dry wood, like from boards, or from a twice turned bowl, if you steam it, or soak it, it will warp, but as it dries, it will want to go back to original shape or close to it. If you steam or boil it, and then compress along the side grain, and let it dry in compression mode, then it may hold a more warped shape. Easier to turn green to final thickness and let it warp.

robo hippy