First attempt....

[Bonnie Campbell]

I got a piece of log yesterday (ash, I hope that works for natural edge?!). So decided I'd try turning my first NE bowl. Of course the wood is green. So my questions (I did do a search and got some info)..... I've kind of roughed the outside (still needs more work). I wrapped it in a plastic bag to keep it from drying any over night. Now do I finish turning it totally? Or do I just get it to a reasonable thickness, soak it in DNA and let it sit to dry a good while before finishing? Or can I finish it today, soak it in DNA and call it good?

Hope these questions make sense :o I appreciate any info you can supply, thanks!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bonnie....I've just turned a few NEs but I've been told by turners here that you can do it several ways. 1) Rough turn it to about 3/4" wall thickness; DNA and wrap in newspaper and let it dry for a couple of weeks and finish turn it....2) Rough turn it; boil it for 1 hour /inch of thickness; let it dry and finish turn it....3) Finish turn it from start to finish and use a heat gun to dry it once the wall thickness is about 1/4"; sand and apply finish. Which ever method you choose .....Good Luck! I have really enjoyed the few NEs I've turned!

[John Hart]

Bonnie, I'm going to be zero help to you here. (just a warning ;) )

The orientation of an NE will generally cause the wood to warp in the shape of a football as it dries. I've done a couple of Ash bowls like that, and they like to move. The more material you leave, the more movement you'll get. Plus, as it dries, the bark may separate. There...sorry...no help.

[Jon Shively]

The host of the woodturning show that used to be on TV made a comment when he was helping someone turn a NE bowl. Get wood that is cut in the dead of winter, the bark is tight and will be most likely to stay on the bowl. Makes sense to me so the comment seemed to stick between my ears. Haven't mastered/tried many bowls let alone a NE bowl, but the thoughtis there for a someday project. Good luck, know I wasn't any help with your question, but since it is mid winter, thought I would throw that tip out so some could harvest some wood that can be used later this year.

[Mark Pruitt]

Bonnie,
It's up to you. If you go ahead and finish turning it, it will warp over the next several weeks. With a NE, that is not always an undesirable thing, as NEs by nature are "earthy" looking vessels anyway. However, being the perfectionist that I am and always wanting to do it "right," that side of me always takes over.

So, what I like to do is, rough turn it to the desired shape and leave the walls between 1.5 and 2 times as thick as my desired finished thickness. I then submerge the bowl, with the tenon still on it, in DNA for 24 hours, pull it out, wrap it, and shelve it for 3 weeks before finish turning. When I finish turn it, I use a friction chuck and bring the tailstock center up against the tenon, and carefully true up the tenon (which, like the rest of the bowl, has at this point warped). Then I can reverse it, mount it in a scroll chuck and finish turning.

Take a look at this tutorial (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=34370) that Dennis Peacock wrote, if you haven't already seen it.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Thank you! You've all been a BIG help. I'd of been sitting here biting my finger nails over it (if I hadn't of torn them off already :rolleyes:) So I'll try a partial finish and then let it dry to finish I guess. I've never turned ANY green wood, so it's all new to me. Thanks again! :)

[Dale Overman]

Bonnie,

I cut down a burled white oak yesterday at about 3. I finished a NE bowl around 11 last night.

The key is that the thickness on the bowl is consistently less than 1/8" throughout the piece. This morning it's dry and ready for final sanding and finish.

All the other methods are right too. With the next one I'll use the DNA.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bonnie I did a couple of NE ash bowls for my two sisters. They were 8 to 9 inches in diameter. I left them 1" thick and soaked in DNA for 48 hrs. I wrapped them in a brown grocery sack and cutting a opening in the paper on the bowl end making sure it still cover the edge of the bowl. I left it dry for 3 weeks then unwrapped it and let it set another week. Both finished up just fine. So no matter if you use this method or use the method Dale talked about both should leave you with a nice bowl.

[Bonnie Campbell]

I tried for a 3/4 thickness.... But I'm still new enough that thin turnings scare the behoozus out of me :eek: So, got it in DNA soaking. Might go for the 48 hours like you said Bernie (maybe a bit extra insurance?) Is there such a thing as DNAing it to long?

Now on drying... should the bowl be upside down and stickered so it has circulation? Or do you just set it on the rim? Sorry I've got so many questions :o

[Jim Ketron]

Ash is very porous/open grain, 24hrs should be plenty.
Depending on what time of the year the tree is cut, using some CA glue along the bark where it meets the wood before finish turning helps aid in keeping the bark on. Winter is the best time of the year to get your NE stock so if you plan on doing more now is the time to get it.

[George Tokarev]

I've not found but one good reason to Turn, Dry, Turn on bark up pieces. They're going to look oval anyway because of the way they're cut, so a bit more or less doesn't make much of a difference. Only time I let them dry and turn again is when I have slash knots or pockets with twisted grain around them. They shrink differently than the straight grain, and can leave some strange and unattractive lumps or valleys in the piece.

Rest of the time it's simply turn to comfortable thickness, normally 3/8 or less depending on the length of the ears and the moisture in the wood. Wet wood flops and squirms a lot, and even duct taping around the outside for support can't hold some conformations. Don't see why you'd want to add liquid by soaking it after. I take away what hasn't sprayed on the wall and the the saw cover with compressed air and set it to dry. If you eject most of the unbound moisture with compressed air, you can sand finer than with wet wood, though I still use stearated paper rather than the resin-coated to keep my grit-cleaning to a minimum.

It's difficult to lose a piece cut 3/8 or less, even in one of the stinker woods like beech or red oak, so I don't make a particular effort to keep things high in relative humidity like I do with a regular blank. As long as it's out of reach of the hot air duct, it survives. Have to be real careful of heart checks with the bark up, since the sides don't compress toward the bottom like they do heart up. Leaving it on its bottom takes care of most problems.

As to bark, makes sense to firm it up with CA along the cork/cambium area. People will pick it up later, and it might break off. Be sure and let the CA cure properly before spinning up again, or you'll get a sleeve full. Can take a while to cure on acid woods.

[Bill Grumbine]

Bonnie, I have to agree with the Mouse :eek: - uhh, I mean George, when it comes to natural edged bowls. Turn it thin, let it dry for a while, and then sand it off the lathe. I generally go to 1/4" wall thickness or less, don't bother with any sanding while on the lathe. I'll put it aside for as little as a week or as long as it takes to get around to it. Sanding off the lathe is easily accomplished with power sanders, which you are going to have to do anyway (with the lathe off that is) for the wings of the bowl.

Bill

[Raymond Overman]

Bonnie,

The post from Dale Overman earlier was actually me. I had one hand full of my baby daughter and the other hand was typing a quick note on SMC this morning while I was visiting my Papa. I didn't realize I was logged in as him.

Anyway, Saturday we cut down an oak with a little bit of burl along the outside edges and in the top of it. Saturday afternoon about 3 hours after we cut it, I turned this piece. It was slinging water everywhere.

I let it dry overnight and sometime this week I'll do a final sanding by hand. It's bone dry now and hasn't cracked. I'll post another pic when I've finished it. I haven't decided whether I want to give it a coat of boiled linseed oil or just lacquer it to try to maintain some of the whiteness of the wood.

[Glenn Hodges]

Bonnie, I turn a natural edge to at least 1/4 inch thickness. Use an air gun to blow moisture from the side. You will be amazed how much moisture you can blow out with this method. I glue the bark as was mentioned. People are afraid the bark will not stay on a NE piece so I make sure it will by using CA glue. I also use a heat stripping gun to surface dry as I power sand while it is on the lathe. Let it warp, it will amaze people. I was using a lot of tung oil mixture, but now I have started using lacquer a good bit with NE. I think anything thicker than 1/4 inch in NE looks kind of clunky (for use of not knowing a better word). On small NE I have also used DNA so take your pick. Using the heat gun to agressively will cause cracks so be careful, and good luck.

[George Tokarev]

I let it dry overnight and sometime this week I'll do a final sanding by hand. It's bone dry now and hasn't cracked. I'll post another pic when I've finished it. I haven't decided whether I want to give it a coat of boiled linseed oil or just lacquer it to try to maintain some of the whiteness of the wood.

If you use a power sander, be sure and run the paper off the edge, not into the edge. Makes for a mess if you do. Of course, I know better and still do it.

Didn't turn yesterday because my granddaughter was here, but I'll bet you'd take the little girl over wood every time, as I will.