Turning blank care

[Roy McQuay]

I just got a new lathe, 1442, and I got some short cherry logs, about 8" d x 12" long. One is a rootball and the other 2 have crotch wood. They all have loose bark. My question is, what steps do I take to turn them. I know I have to trim the rootball to be able to turn it, and I want to remove the bark, but what else ? Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Roy.....What do you want to turn from those logs?

Typically if you are turning bowls, you cut the logs down the middle on either side of the pith so as to removed the pith. Most cracks radiate from the pith. Typically if you have logs you want to make into bowl blanks, you seal the ends of the logs and later the end graind of the blanks to greatly reduce the loss of moisture and cracking as a result of same.

What did you have in mind for the blanks?

[Roy McQuay]

Roy.....What do you want to turn from those logs?

Typically if you are turning bowls, you cut the logs down the middle on either side of the pith so as to removed the pith. Most cracks radiate from the pith. Typically if you have logs you want to make into bowl blanks, you seal the ends of the logs and later the end graind of the blanks to greatly reduce the loss of moisture and cracking as a result of same.

What did you have in mind for the blanks?I don't exactly know for sure but bowls will be my objective. I just want to practice and learn a little in the process. What do I use for a sealer ? I didn't know to remove the pith. There were fatter logs I will go back and get tomorrow and split them with my bandsaw. The root I wanted to just turn like a star and dish out the center. Is this practical ? Thanks for your advice.

[Neal Addy]

Just a suggestion but I'd store those puppies away for later. I obviously haven't seen them, but Cherry root ball and/or crotch wood can make fantastic turning stock and aren't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of practice pieces. You might be glad you waited until you have some experience under your belt.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Roy............If you don't mind my asking, what's your skill level?

I just started turning a year ago. If you are realitively inexperienced, you probably ought to start out with some spindle work to get some basic skills down. Then on to the bowls. If you are going to start out doing some spindle work, anything will work including green or dry limbs.

You can use latex paint to seal the ends of blanks but most people use a cold wax water based emulsion. It comes from several sources such as Woodcraft or CraftSupplies USA or from one of the manufacturers UC Coatings. UC Coatings tradename is anchor seal......Woodcraft and CSUSA call it green wood sealer.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Roy I agree with Ken. If you don't have much experience I would get some maple or something easier to practice on. Like Ken said do some spindle work to get used to the tools and what they will do. See if you can find a turning club in your area. I have been turning like Ken for a little over a year. I can tell you from my experience I wouldn't turn a root ball for a least the first few weeks or months. But that is just me. Also I use some cheap latex paint to paint the ends of each log or blank for almost a year before I got some anchorseal. It works just as good if you put two coats on. Just my $1.298.

[Roy McQuay]

Thanks everyone, I am new to turning, though I have done a little before on my midi. Usually I just made knobs and I did a couple of small bowls out of cherry, mulberry and one out of basswood. I go to Woodcraft often so I will check out their sealers. I was thinking about saving the rootball also.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Roy, the wood is green, right?

Remove as much of the "Loose Bark" as you can, as this can be a place where wiggly critters lay eggs :eek:

I cannot get the wax sealer stuff here in Japan, so I use plain old white glue, thinned down, 1/3 water to 2/3 glue, works great.

For the root ball, if it is really dirty and or has a lot of loose stuff, you might want to hit it with a pressure washer first.

Good luck!

[George Tokarev]

I just got a new lathe, 1442, and I got some short cherry logs, about 8" d x 12" long. One is a rootball and the other 2 have crotch wood. They all have loose bark. My question is, what steps do I take to turn them. I know I have to trim the rootball to be able to turn it, and I want to remove the bark, but what else ? Thanks

Depends on what you want as an end product, though the general rule is the sooner the better, especially if the bark is loose or missing. Now you've got a rapidly drying surface that can get you in trouble. If you want round bowls, you need to start with half logs. Look at the post to Ken and download chapter 3, where fig 3-3 shows you what direction things will warp, depending on annual ring direction. After that, look very carefully at the heart of your cherry. The stuff is known for heart checks, and I'm betting that second only to shape, it's the biggest problem most people have with cherry. You don't want pre-existing heart checks within about 30 degrees of the perpendicular through the bowl, especially if you're going to leave small annual rings in your rough. As you can see from 3-3, the tighter the radius, the greater the tension. Cut to eliminate the cracks by following them with your chainsaw, or by sacrificing some depth on the piece.

Then have at it. Cut bark up, bark down, even, with a check-free heart, with the heart in and cut thin. All kinds of opportunities.

Don't let this wood go bad in the log or the squared blank because you have little experience. It's one of the friendliest woods to cut, and it's not going to improve with age. Unless you're in the sere and yellow and plan on living/turning only a year, there will be other pieces of cherry to turn in your future.

[Roy McQuay]

Depends on what you want as an end product, though the general rule is the sooner the better, especially if the bark is loose or missing. Now you've got a rapidly drying surface that can get you in trouble. If you want round bowls, you need to start with half logs. Look at the post to Ken and download chapter 3, where fig 3-3 shows you what direction things will warp, depending on annual ring direction. After that, look very carefully at the heart of your cherry. The stuff is known for heart checks, and I'm betting that second only to shape, it's the biggest problem most people have with cherry. You don't want pre-existing heart checks within about 30 degrees of the perpendicular through the bowl, especially if you're going to leave small annual rings in your rough. As you can see from 3-3, the tighter the radius, the greater the tension. Cut to eliminate the cracks by following them with your chainsaw, or by sacrificing some depth on the piece.

Then have at it. Cut bark up, bark down, even, with a check-free heart, with the heart in and cut thin. All kinds of opportunities.

Don't let this wood go bad in the log or the squared blank because you have little experience. It's one of the friendliest woods to cut, and it's not going to improve with age. Unless you're in the sere and yellow and plan on living/turning only a year, there will be other pieces of cherry to turn in your future.I know it may sound wasteful, but I want to learn and I have a seemingly endless supply of cherry, smooth bark and shag bark, and black locust just behind my house. I am not ready for black locust.

[George Tokarev]

Available wood is the right wood to turn. And any day you look up and see other than satin is indeed a good day.

[Roy McQuay]

Available wood is the right wood to turn. And any day you look up and see other than satin is indeed a good day.I can not disagree with that.