First Turned Piece Since Junior HS

[Mike Hollis]

Started with a green round of shagbark hickory. Going to let it dry for awhile and then remount and finish. It’s nothing special but the wife likes it.

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EDIT: Is there something I should coat the entire piece with to minimize checking/cracking as it dries?

[Brice Rogers]

Some people recommend coating it with anchor seal (or PVA) on the outside or both inside and outside. Other people (like Robo Hippy) recommend wrapping the outside with stretch wrap poly. I like using the poly. Perhaps Reed Gray (Robo Hippy) will opine.

BTW, the experts recommend keeping the thickness of a rough-turn to about 10 percent of the diameter and keeping all of the walls the same thickness and avoid any sharp edges.

[Mike Hollis]

Some people recommend coating it with anchor seal (or PVA) on the outside or both inside and outside. Other people (like Robo Hippy) recommend wrapping the outside with stretch wrap poly. I like using the poly. Perhaps Reed Gray (Robo Hippy) will opine.

BTW, the experts recommend keeping the thickness of a rough-turn to about 10" of the diameter and keeping all of the walls the same thickness and avoid any sharp edges.

Thanks for the tips. Did you mean thickness 10% of the diameter, not 10”?

I will pick up some Anchorseal tomorrow. Any idea how long it needs to dry?

[Stark Suggs]

Very nice. I love the grain.

SWS

[Thomas Wilson80]

Any idea how long it needs to dry?

Looks great!

Concerning drying time, I think until it has reached a steady state with regards to moisture. This varies based on location/humidity/type of wood, etc. You can periodically weigh the piece and write the weight down and once it stops losing weight you are good to go. If you don’t mind some warping, you can finish turn green or before it is dry (I prefer warping for a lot of my pieces but not always).

Good luck!
Tom

[Robert D Evans]

After turning a green piece of wood, I'll leave the rim and base about 10% of the diameter of the bowl. A 10" bowl would have a 1" thick rim. After turning the green bowl, I pack the bowl in its own shavings and put it in a paper bag for a week or two. This slows down the initial drying. After that, it just goes on the shelf in the climate controlled basement. I'll write the weight and date on the bottom of the bowl. Once a month or so, I'll reweigh it and record the weight on the bottom of the bowl. It'll eventually quit loosing weight, 3-6 months. Then it's ready to do the final turning whenever you get ready. I've also wrapped them in the plastic streachwrap after taking them out of the bag of shavings. I don't know if that helps but it certainly doesn't hurt. Very few have cracked on me and most of them can be fixed.

[Brice Rogers]

Yes, I meant 10 per cent.

[Peter Blair]

Welcome back. It was about 25 years ago I too turned my first piece since jr High and I haven't stopped since. Oh, I might add my first piece was not nearly as nice as this one!!

[John K Jordan]

....and keeping all of the walls the same thickness and avoid any sharp edges.

And don't make it with a real thick bottom.

JKJ

[Dave Mount]

A nice form. If it does distort too much to turn again after drying, just sand and finish as it is -- adds character.

Not that it matters, but I am quite certain the wood is a white oak (which one who knows) rather than shagbark hickory. The long rays are pretty definitive.

Best,

Dave

[Mike Hollis]

A nice form. If it does distort too much to turn again after drying, just sand and finish as it is -- adds character.

Not that it matters, but I am quite certain the wood is a white oak (which one who knows) rather than shagbark hickory. The long rays are pretty definitive.

Best,

Dave

I set it on the mantle the evening I turned it, went to grab it the next evening to pack in shavings in a paper bag - had already cracked in several places. Going to have a friend stabilize it with his vacuum rig - I am thinking black resin would look good against the light wood.

[Mike Hollis]

So I decided to force dry the bowl in the oven until it stops losing weight. During the second round today this large crack opened up. Going to encase the entire form in Stone Coat with black metallic added, should look pretty cool with a large black stripe against the light colored wood. Draw back is a 1 gallon kit of Stone Coat is $100 and most will end up on the basement floor in the form of shavings.
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[John K Jordan]

... Draw back is a 1 gallon kit of Stone Coat is $100 and most will end up on the basement floor in the form of shavings.
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Yikes, I think I'd call it a lesson learned and start on another piece!

JKJ

[Paul Williams]

I would consider running it through the bandsaw and then sanding the two surfaces flat. Then cut a "U" shaped contrasting piece and glue the pieces back together with the contrasting stripe in the middle. Return and finish. I did that with an oak bowl a few years ago and really liked the result.

[Mike Hollis]

I would consider running it through the bandsaw and then sanding the two surfaces flat. Then cut a "U" shaped contrasting piece and glue the pieces back together with the contrasting stripe in the middle. Return and finish. I did that with an oak bowl a few years ago and really liked the result.

That is a great idea, but the only problem is I don’t have a bandsaw (yet).

[Paul Williams]

It looks like it is cracked far enough that it would break in half. You might have to cut through the bottom with a hand saw. Of course you have to sand enough to make the pieces even sized and flat. I do that on a piece of 80 grit taped to a flat surface. Here are photos of a 10 inch bowl from several years ago that distorted so much in drying that there wasn't enough wood left to turn. It also had three splits in the sides close enough that I could remove them with a 1.5 inch cut. I like the shape of your bowl and the grain patter. I would try to save it. Also, you should always save your first attempt since junior high.
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