Filling A Void

[Glenn Hodges]

Sometimes I fill a void in a bowl with crushed stone such as you see here in this wild black cherry bowl using malachite. Malachite is like turquoise but green. After rough turning this bowl, coating it with Anchorseal, and letting it dry for 8 months, my heart was sadden when I saw all the huge cracks in it. I tried to salvage it by filling the voids with malachite. I use larger pieces and then put powder around them, then saturate the mixture with thin CA glue. My wife thinks the cracks now looks like waves, and I think they kind of resemble clouds, so I named the bowl, "Island Odyssey". The bowl is 19 in by 6 in, finished with witches brew, then buffed.

[John Miliunas]

Glenn, that is really sweet! I've been wanting to try some of that myself, but am completely lost as to the process. Would it be possible to extract a bit more info on the procedure from you? For instance, if it's a deep void, do you "layer" the media in CA or just fill the whole thing and then just add the CA? Also, I'm assuming you're doing this at some point prior to putting the finish cuts on the bowl, correct? Sanding and finishing are then completed as "normal"? As you can see, I'm floundering and any additional info would be awesome! Many thanks!

[Glenn Hodges]

John, working with this stuff will dull your gouges in one second. I get best result by getting my bowl profile and wood finish done before I put this stuff in it. If the crack or void is very deep or big put the big pieces in it, by big pieces I am talking about the size of a pin head or a little larger, and pore some dust, then saturate with CA glue, do this until the void is flush or a little above the top. This was so hard that sanding was the best way to get it smooth with the wood. I have had some that was not as hard as this because I added some colored quartz, azurite, etc. to experiment. Malachite is much more sandable if you do not add all the stuff I put in this batch. If you have anymore questions please ask. The pictures do not do this justice, it really shines like small gems. The bowl is sold. Here is a profile of the bowl.

[Richard Allen]

Nice work Glenn. 19" is a HUGE bowl. Does the bowl have a target use?

Thanks

[Glenn Hodges]

Richard, I have a dealer that likes large bowls. She sells them to customers that live in mansions. They use them in entrance foryers and on dinning room tables for flower decorations and such.

[Gary Max]

Glen ---what you got for a lathe????
All I can get is 15 out of my little lathe.
Someday------maybe

[John Miliunas]

John, working with this stuff will dull your gouges in one second. I get best result by getting my bowl profile and wood finish done before I put this stuff in it. If the crack or void is very deep or big put the big pieces in it, by big pieces I am talking about the size of a pin head or a little larger, and pore some dust, then saturate with CA glue, do this until the void is flush or a little above the top. This was so hard that sanding was the best way to get it smooth with the wood. I have had some that was not as hard as this because I added some colored quartz, azurite, etc. to experiment. Malachite is much more sandable if you do not add all the stuff I put in this batch. If you have anymore questions please ask. The pictures do not do this justice, it really shines like small gems. The bowl is sold. Here is a profile of the bowl.

Glenn, many thanks for the info/instructions! You see there...I would've done it *before* the bowl was done and messed up my gouge! I'll have to give it a try. I also hear some folks use epoxy to the same end. Ever try that?

[Chris Padilla]

I don't turn, John, but I have successfully used epoxy to stabilize punky wood or interesting knots or whatever. You can color the epoxy or add sawdust to it. None of this will seriously impact the sharpness of your gouge. It doesn't impact planer/jointer knives or sandpaper near as I can tell!

[John Miliunas]

Thanks for the additional info, Chris. I've been meaning to try something like that for some time now. Actually, I did try it once, but just wasn't too impressed with the results I got. I have a bit more to go on now, so the next opportunity, I'll give it a try.

[Chris Padilla]

Use a hair dryer/hot-air gun (a.k.a Tyler) to warm the wood and epoxy...this will allow the epoxy to soak deeper into the wood.

For through-holes/cracks, just cover the other side with blue painter's tape. God, I love that stuff...use it everywhere. It is almost replacing duct tape in my garage...almost....

[Glenn Hodges]

I turn with a Poolewood lathe, it has a 20 inch swing. It is not the glue that dulls your gouge it is the rock. You could use epoxy instead of CA glue.

[Wayne Swindlehurst]

I do this all the time with pens, and bowls and have found out that the trick to not messing up a gouge is to not let the CA glue set to long before you turn. Just let it dry for a few minutes then lightly level with your gouge and then sand. The longer you let it set up the harder it is to work. I wait as long as I can before adding the stone and CA, like just before I start to sand.

Wayne

[John Shuk]

Glenn another nice bowl. The first thing I thought of was that the cracks look like a tiger scratched the bowl. Very nice work.