Coaching needed

[William Tanner]

In December, we had a terrible windstorm in S.E. Washington State. A number of trees were blown down and my pal and I scored walnut, maple, and some "mystery wood." My loot was quickly secured in paper sacks. The other day, I turned a bowl from the maple. I then placed my work in DNA for three days. Within an hour after removing the bowl from the DNA, four hairline cracks appeared. I applied CA to these cracks and I believe I will be very satisfied with the results. Today, I turned a smaller bowl from the same tree. As I turned the outside, several hairline cracks appeared. I plan to try the microwave method to complete the drying process. Do I microwave the bowl before applying CA on the hairline cracks? My buddy and I believe it would be a mistake to use CA before microwaving.

[Ted Calver]

Did you finish turn your bowl and then DNA it? I rough turn bowls using the 10% rule (a ten inch bowl gets roughed to one inch thickness) then DNA them and then anchor seal or newspaper wrap the outside and rim and turn them upside down in a cool place for a couple of months or until they stop loosing weight....then I final turn. Seems you may be rushing the process a bit?

[William Tanner]

I did finish turn these last two. I have about eight that are roughed turned, sealed, and bagged with shavings. This includes walnut, birch, sycamore, and mulberry. The birch from last summer stopped losing weight months ago. Thanks for the info.

[Richard Jones]

I've never had much luck in using CA to try and stop a crack. On green wood, the movement will continue despite the glue, and you wind up with an ugly stain that is darn hard to get rid of. Applying CA to dry wood is a different application, as you are just filling a void, with a different result.

i don't DNA, but it sounds like the bowl is drying too quickly after you remove it from the bath. Perhaps bagging it for a few days and store it somewhere away from air flow would reduce the cracking. Sounds like surface checking to me........

Keep us posted?

[Steve Braman]

Are the cracks along the growth rings? There could be some damage from the storm. Just a thought from someone who is far from an expert.

[Reed Gray]

Are you finish turning to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick? If so, the DNA soak does nothing that I was ever able to see, or feel, or measure. On the thicker twice turned bowls, it does seem to do some thing to help remove water. I do soak mine in a mix of cheap brown hand dishwashing soap, and water, rinse, then dry. I do wrap the rims in stretch plastic film, and do make sure to round over the rims. They are dry in 10 to 14 days.

Why yours are cracking, I don't know. I do like to keep mine cool, and start them out on the shop concrete floor for a few days, then, up on a wire rack. If you have your stash in paper bags, are you storing log blanks in the bags, or rough turned blanks. In both cases, at least the end grain should be sealed, and some will seal the entire piece. The log blanks, even in paper bags will develop end grain checks/cracks. They may be so fine that you don't see them, at least not till you have trained your eyes to look really closely for. The bags should be also kept where it is cooler, not in a fully heated shop or house. Outside is generally better.

Hope this helps some.

robo hippy

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

If I understood you, you bagged the chunk of wood prior to turning it. I don't think bagging a log will stop it from checking even if you cut out the pith. I try not to keep blanks very long and if I do, I seal the ends with Wax. The other possibility is if you picked up already cut pieces that had been laying outside for a few days. If so, the checks had already begun even if you didn't notice them.
faust

[Chip Sutherland]

I have seen micro cracks develop after removing from a DNA soak but that was because I let them sit out too long before sealing the end grain. Typically, I will let a piece sit out only until the alcohol dries (15-20min) on the end grain then I seal it, bag it sometimes I will toss in some curlies from the rough turning into the bowl then wrap in heavy brown paper. Even if checks develop, I have usually left enough extra wood that I can turn them out. Otherwise, I just deal with them or make a feature out of them. My 2 cents....

[Phil Labowski]

I remember reading here a few years back about that kind of wood not being safe. It was after a hurricane, or something, hit Florida and someone made a remark about all the free wood. There was a reply that said the stresses put on it during the storm could make it break apart during turning. I wouldn't be surprised if I have this mixed up, but I wanted to put it out there.

[Eric Gourieux]

What Phil said may be contributing.

[Reed Gray]

If a tree is uprooted, then probably not too much damage to the wood. If it is shattered and torn apart, then probably better used as fire wood. Always stand out of the line of fire.

robo hippy