Question for the woodturners

[Brian Knop]

I have a lathe, but I have never done any bowl turning. I was wanting to try and make some of the little bowl with lids that I saw in the new wood magazine. If I use green wood blanks and let them set after I was done ( to dry) would this work or do I need dry blanks?

thank Brian

[Steve Clardy]

I don't turn bowls, or green wood, usually just use dry stock for staircase balisters. But I would think if I did I would use dry stock for something that would have a lid. Maybe the GREEN turners will jump in here for you. Steve

[Richard Allen]

Hi Brian

I would tend to use dry wood. If I were compelled to use green wood I would rough out the bowl and lid and let it sit, waxed, for a few months so that it was dry. And then finish turn it.

Some people like LDD to help stabilize green wood. Some will boil green wood, some freeze green wood and some microwave green wood. I hope you get some advice on those methods as well.

Thanks

Richard

[Jim Becker]

For the particular WOOD Magazine project you speak of, you may be better using dry wood to insure less problems with fitting the lid and keeping them "fitting" over time. For a hollow vessel in the same style, green wood is less of a problem as you turn the whole thing as one piece and if it moves later, there is nothing to bind, etc.

[Barbara Gill]

I have a lathe, but I have never done any bowl turning. I was wanting to try and make some of the little bowl with lids that I saw in the new wood magazine. If I use green wood blanks and let them set after I was done ( to dry) would this work or do I need dry blanks?

thank Brian


For that little pot I would use dry wood so the lid would continue to fit. I usually use air dried wood for that sort of work. If you use Paulownia you could probably get away with using green wood as it is so stable.

[Anthony Yakonick]

Hi, I call a bowl with a lid a box, and any thing over 6" is a big box! I turn a lot of boxes that I sell. The first tip is to use air dried lumber don't use kiln dried lumber unless you let it sit for a month or more. KD lumber is dried to around 8-10% and will equalize up when you let it set. On my large boxes I turn them at least two times green at first then let it sit for a few months before you finish it. I have known some "big name" turners to turn a large box three or four times. I hope this helped some.

Anthony