Simple NE turning questions

[Joel Ficke]

Greetings,

I'm relatively new to turning and am working on my first NE bowl.

If you could help with a few questions, I would be grateful.

(1) How thick do you finish turn the dried bowl walls? Is there a thickness where the bark will start to break off or become very fragile?

(2) My bowl is maple with some curl in it. What is the best finish? I realize there's probably lots of options, but I'm mostly curious about the bark itself. Do you typically finish that too, or just run finish up to the cambium layer and stop?

Thanks in advance.

-Joel

[Bernie Weishapl]

Joel on your first question. The thickness that I make my NE bowls is 1/4" or less. I have found and others may disagree that wall thickness has nothing to do if the bark stays or not. Sometimes if you misque with a tool and hit the bark it is gone in a instant.

As far as finish goes I use antique oil or General Finish Seal-A-Cell followed by Arm-R-Seal on mine. I soak the whole bowl, bark and all. Oils tend to turn a wood slightly amber so if you want it the natural color of maple I would suggest lacquer and yes being careful finish the bark. When I do use lacquer I use Deft rattle can spray and give it from 4 to 8 coats depending on the look I want.

Hopefully others will jump in here and give you some more ideas but thats the way I do it.

[charlie knighton]

i have heard that if you cut the tree down after the leaves have fallen in the fall and the sap has quit running the bark will stay on, otherwise it probably will come off

i have heard also that if you use ca glue on the bark line it will help

with cherry natural edge, the greener the wood, (more moisture content) the lighter the sapwood and more contrast with the heartwood

i have very little first hand experience with natural edge items

anybody else heard anything?

[Steve Campbell]

Hi Joel; I don't know if you remember me but I bought a tablesaw fence from you a while back. Thank you for that.
Now as far as NE maple bowls, I try for about 1/4 inch or a little more for the walls. It kind of depends on the diameter. I have had mixed luck with keeping the bark on maple. I have had the best luck with putting thin CA on the bark before I try to return the bowl. I just kind of saturate it and let it dry. Not sure if it is the way most people do it or not. Like I said I have had mixed results.
One thing that I have discovered is that if I start finish turning and then try to use the CA it tends to stain the wood and you have to turn that off.
I'd still love to have that BIG lathe of yours.

Steve

[Allen Neighbors]

Hi Joel, all good advice here. I just have a little to add. When I turn NE bowls, I use CA on the bark. The secret to keeping the CA from staining the wood below the bark, is to give it a lacquer wash. Fast and easy. My Lacquer wash is approx 35% Lacquer/65% Thinner. I get the bowl started, then use the CA by itself, just to keep the bark on while I'm getting some depth. I may do this two or three times, til I get some depth. Then turn more away until I get to about 1/4" below the bark, to finished thickness all the way around, then use the lacquer wash (dries in about 2 min), and then CA the bark really well. It helps me to keep the bark on, doing things like this. Hope it helps.

[Joel Ficke]

Thanks all. The bowl turned out great...at least for a newbie turner...I'll post pics once the finish dires. I used the CA method and turned to about 3/16"...couldn't be happier.

Steve, I definitely remember you. How's the fence working out? Hope you are able to put it to good use. And yes, that big pattern maker's lathe (from Alan Lacer) sure is a workhouse for me.

Thanks again everyone.

-Joel