To fill or not to fill that is the question

[Mack Gambrell]

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The void doesn't give me a lot of wood to remove from the inside
its app 15+" 2-3" deep.my first platter
i can say the hell with it and cut the inside thin and have a hole in this platter(I'm thinking it's would be too big) or make the inside shallow and have a heaver and thicker platter
or fill it.
used a brass brush to clean out the dirt in the void, is there anything else that I can do to the void aside from sealing it ( not filling it).

[Len Mullin]

Turn it away.

[Bob Bergstrom]

You better wrap it with stretch wrap and duck tape before you remove the inside. With a bowl or platter that size the rim speed in increasing exponentially. The void will be quite large. Do the same even if you fill it.

[Harold Balzonia]

As a guy who turns a LOT of these kinds of pieces, I'd say there are 3 options here...

1. Fill it with epoxy/resin
2. Cut off the void and graft on a new edge/side
3. Turn it with the hole.

I have many pieces I call "the bowls with the holes" series, and they are well received for the most part but some folks don't care for them. They are a bit tricky to turn.

Epoxy resin filling is the "safest", that is, it will likely stay whole and there's low odds it will blow apart on you.

Grafting is a unique skill set, I think, and it can be troublesome but the results can be worth the effort.

Whatever you do, don't chuck it in the fireplace! Go for it! (Says the psycho who loves this kind of turning...)

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[John Keeton]

I love voids and feel they add character to an art piece in most situations. However, I would be concerned about the integrity of your chuck recess if you continue to remove material from the inside. There won't be much supporting wood remaining for a piece this size.

[Pat Scott]

I think that void is much too big to fill. I hadn't thought about grafting but that's a good idea. I know this is a burl and it's precious, but I'd probably discard the platter idea and cut it up into smaller pieces and make something different.