green cherry logs - how long?

[Terry Achey]

I just returned from my camp in north PA last weekend with about six cherry logs 2 to 3 feet long and about 14" to 16" diamter. I'm new to turnng and after being inspired by Bill Grumbine's video, I sawed one of the logs and turned my first green bowl. Wow... was that exciting compared to some dry hardwoods that I've "played" with. I placed the rough cherry bowl in a bucket of DNA this evening.

I want to be sure to preserve the cherry log wood as long as possible for turning. So I have a few questions for the panel of experts in this forum.


About how long will the logs stay green for turning if I apply anchorseal to the ends?
Do I need to finish a green bowl all in one session or will it keep partially turned for a day or two?
How long to you soak the bowl in DNA and why that long? I've read varying methods.
Any other ingredients in your DNA?
Do you keep the lid sealed tight on the DNA container while the bowls soak?Look forward to hearing your thoughts.:)

[Matt Hutchinson]

Well, I don't do DNA soaking...yet, but I will try to answer some questions.

1. Large logs will stay green for years if they are sealed. You have plenty of time to rough them out at your leisure.

2. You can rough a bowl in more than one session, though I usually don't. You will need to take it off the lathe and throw it in a plastic bag, but make sure it's not in the bag too long or else it could mold. Unless you want it to mold. Also, I have placed bowls under a pile of wet shaving, and if it's buried well it doesn't crack. But I wouldn't try that for more than a day, and only on really wet bowls. A bag is much safer.

3. There's no definitive answer. Most people soak their bowls for a minimum of 24 hours. Some soak as long as five days. The larger the bowl, the longer it should soak. (Thicker wood takes longer to fully penetrate.)

4. No other ingredients.

5. Yes, keep the lid tight. DNA costs money. You already will need to replenish the DNA on a regular basis, and letting the alcohol evaporate has no benefit.

I hope this helps.

Hutch

[Bernie Weishapl]

1. If sealed they will stay for a long time.

2. I rough my bowls in one session.

3. I soak fruit wood for about 48 to 72 hrs.

4. Nothing else

5. Yes keep a tight lid on the container. Every so often I just add some fresh DNA to the container.

I have used DNA soaking for a couple of years now with good luck. I have only lost one bowl in that time. There are some that will say it doesn't work but I soak my bowls and it 3 weeks they are ready to finish.

[David Foshee]

I agree with all the other comments
I have used and continue to use DNA with mixed results.

I do have one thing to add. When I turn green wood normally do it in one session. However you can get interupted. When that happens or I run out of shop time. I use resturant grade plastic wrap you can get it at any resturant supply It's like GLAD wrap but thicker. I wrap the bowl with it on the lathe sometime chuck and all, then when I return the next day I can finish the roughing of the bowl. I learned the hard way about just leaving the green bowl in the lathe I will start to dry and can cause cracks. I also use this if i want to prepare several bowl blanks at a time If i am planning to turn them soon I will wrap them instead fo anchorsealing them.

[Terry Achey]

Thanks guys for the much appreciated advice. I'm especially glad to hear that hte logs will last quite a while if sealed. This cherry is so beatuiful I would hate to see it dry out and check before I get rountuit. I hope to be able to post my first bowl photo in a month or so!

Terry

[Glenn Hodges]

Terry an old rule of thumb is that wood in log form will dry at the rate of 1 inch /yr.

[Phil St.Germain]

Cherry is great stuff to work with and by far my best seller, but I have not had very good luck keeping cherry logs for any length of time. My experience is that cherry likes to check and check alot. I had about the same load of cherry last year that you do and I lost almost half of it to checking. I had two or three coats of Anchorseal on the ends, out of direct sun, the whole nine yards. Now when I get it, I will cut it to blanks and rough turn it within a month or so.

[Terry Achey]

Thats good to now Phil (and Glenn). I'm going to try to rough it all our over the next three or four weeks. I noticed the log ends are already checking and it's less than one week from standing!