Dominic Greco
09-08-2003, 12:29 PM
<P><b><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Hello Everyone</font></font></b>,
<P>I spent this morning picking up the rest of that Box Elder. So I am one tired hombre right now. Again I am glad I bought a set of <A Href="http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summary/productsummary.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0205029404.106 2894145@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccjcadcjfkhifgecehgcemgdffmdflf.0&vertical=SEARS&bidsite=&pid=07124649000">Heavy Duty Lawn Tractor Ramps</A> from Sears. These ramps came in very handy when I was loading the logs into the back of my truck. I think the task would have been impossible without using these ramps. It is the best $99.00 (on sale) I've spent in a long while.
<P>While the logs are not much greater in diameter that those from the last haul, they exhibit the same great color on the inside. Presently, they each have their ends coated with Anchorseal <I>(actually pseudo-Anchorseal purchased from <A Href="http://miva3.synergydns.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=packard&Product_Code=157201&Category_Code=">Packard Woodworks</A>)</I> and now reside in my wood pile awaiting the day when I get a chance to saw them up.
<P>Looking at the color in the end of these logs <I>(like the one pictured below)</I> got me thinking. Wouldn't a bowl turned about the pith look awesome? I know that other turners have turned pieces using the pith <I><B><SMALL>(a baloney slice as my bud Bill Grumbine likes to call it)</B></I></SMALL>. I've seen them. From what I can gather, they used Soap Soaking as a means to do so.
<P><IMG SRC="http://www.woodcentral.com/vpix//pic16325.jpg" ALT="End of Box Elder log" HSPACE=2 VSPACE=2 BORDER=2>
<P>Now I've attempted soap soaking before. But I've found that I may have had the soap/water ratio wrong, as well as the drying time. <B>Leif Thorvaldson</B> wrote a great paper, which is featured on <B>World of Woodturners</B>. It seems that the mix should be 50/50. Soak time can vary on the density of the wood. But I've seen times reported as long as 3 days worth. Once the bowl is roughed out to about 10% wall thickness <I>(compared to diameter)</I>, you soak it. After an appropriate time, you take it out, final turn it, and then sand and finish it in the same sitting. No cracking is supposed to occur, and minimal warping. How this works with "pith turned bowls" is a mystery. One which I hope to find the answer to here at WC.
<P>So,.....
<BR><OL>
<BR><LI>So, how does one turn a "pith centered" bowl?</LI>
<BR><LI>Do the walls have to be super thin? Or is thicker better?</LI>
<BR><LI>Does Soap Soaking play a part in this?</LI>
<BR><LI>Do you remove the pith and "install" a wood plug?</LI>
<BR><LI>Or do you treat the pith with CA glue or some other treatment?</LI>
<BR></OL>
<P>Thanks in advance!
<P><p><font color="#000099"><b><i>See ya around,</font></b></i>
<BR><p><b><font color="#000066"><font size=+1>Dominic</font></font></b>
<P>I spent this morning picking up the rest of that Box Elder. So I am one tired hombre right now. Again I am glad I bought a set of <A Href="http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summary/productsummary.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0205029404.106 2894145@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccjcadcjfkhifgecehgcemgdffmdflf.0&vertical=SEARS&bidsite=&pid=07124649000">Heavy Duty Lawn Tractor Ramps</A> from Sears. These ramps came in very handy when I was loading the logs into the back of my truck. I think the task would have been impossible without using these ramps. It is the best $99.00 (on sale) I've spent in a long while.
<P>While the logs are not much greater in diameter that those from the last haul, they exhibit the same great color on the inside. Presently, they each have their ends coated with Anchorseal <I>(actually pseudo-Anchorseal purchased from <A Href="http://miva3.synergydns.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=packard&Product_Code=157201&Category_Code=">Packard Woodworks</A>)</I> and now reside in my wood pile awaiting the day when I get a chance to saw them up.
<P>Looking at the color in the end of these logs <I>(like the one pictured below)</I> got me thinking. Wouldn't a bowl turned about the pith look awesome? I know that other turners have turned pieces using the pith <I><B><SMALL>(a baloney slice as my bud Bill Grumbine likes to call it)</B></I></SMALL>. I've seen them. From what I can gather, they used Soap Soaking as a means to do so.
<P><IMG SRC="http://www.woodcentral.com/vpix//pic16325.jpg" ALT="End of Box Elder log" HSPACE=2 VSPACE=2 BORDER=2>
<P>Now I've attempted soap soaking before. But I've found that I may have had the soap/water ratio wrong, as well as the drying time. <B>Leif Thorvaldson</B> wrote a great paper, which is featured on <B>World of Woodturners</B>. It seems that the mix should be 50/50. Soak time can vary on the density of the wood. But I've seen times reported as long as 3 days worth. Once the bowl is roughed out to about 10% wall thickness <I>(compared to diameter)</I>, you soak it. After an appropriate time, you take it out, final turn it, and then sand and finish it in the same sitting. No cracking is supposed to occur, and minimal warping. How this works with "pith turned bowls" is a mystery. One which I hope to find the answer to here at WC.
<P>So,.....
<BR><OL>
<BR><LI>So, how does one turn a "pith centered" bowl?</LI>
<BR><LI>Do the walls have to be super thin? Or is thicker better?</LI>
<BR><LI>Does Soap Soaking play a part in this?</LI>
<BR><LI>Do you remove the pith and "install" a wood plug?</LI>
<BR><LI>Or do you treat the pith with CA glue or some other treatment?</LI>
<BR></OL>
<P>Thanks in advance!
<P><p><font color="#000099"><b><i>See ya around,</font></b></i>
<BR><p><b><font color="#000066"><font size=+1>Dominic</font></font></b>