Advice needed on how to keep cherry from checking

[Michael Poorman]

Michael,

I've had really good luck with DNA drying. So far every piece I've DNA soaked as dried without any cracking. Yes, this includes cherry.

[Mike Beach]

What is DNA drying?

Michael,

I've had really good luck with DNA drying. So far every piece I've DNA soaked as dried without any cracking. Yes, this includes cherry.

[Reed Gray]

Another thing in the 'experimental' book thing would be to take one of those room humidifiers and place it under a stack of bowls, making a convection chimney and see if the steaming helps. Not as energy consuming as boiling.....

robo hippy

[Mike Cruz]

Mike, DNA is Denatured Alcohol. You get a liquid proof (won't leak/air tight) container and fill it with DNA. Take a roughout, and soak it in the DNA for a couple of days. Take the roughout out of the DNA, and wrap it in a paper bag (like a birthday present). Then cut a hole in the paper bag that exposes the inside/center of the bowl. Let it sit like this for about 2 weeks. Then remove the turning from the paper bag and let it sit for another 2 weeks. You'll get few if any cracks and can re-turn one month after roughing out...pretty quick turn around (as compared to AnchorSeal). But DNA is expensive...about $15 a gallon at the BORG. There are places you can get it cheaper by the 5 gallon bucket though...

[robert baccus]

After fighting cracks for 30 years I have little trouble with them--excluding warp on figured wood. However, I have never turned a normal sized piece of cherry without cracking. I have used every method here and a few others that friends suggested. I am convinced our southern cherry is a different subspecies than the yanks have. Darker in color and it cracks religeously for every turner around here. I admire the pieces shown on the creek and envy their cherry. I am sure I have heard it cracking as it was falling. PS A nice stranger dropped off a load of cherry today--just right sizes--8-12". Now what???

[robert baccus]

After fighting cracks for 30 years I have concluded It is almost impossible to avoid cracks here in the deep south on cherry. I've tried every idea and several more besides. I am convinced that out southern cherry is a subspecies of cherry and I admire the beautiful whole pieces shown here on the creek. Our red cedar also has the same characteristics it seems. I have heard both cracking on the way down when felling--that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Endseals have eliminated most of the curing problems of years ago.

[Steve Busey]

Let dry for a few months and return and finish.

Are you weighing or using a moisture meter before final turning? I got some freshly cut cherry in Nov 2012 and it took a lot more than a "few months" before it stopped losing weight - almost a year. I'm just wondering if those bowls that crack on you are wetter than the ones that don't....

[Peter Lamb]

Well I guess it is time to plug Cedarcide's Turners Choice though expensive. I work in Blufton SC and my favorite local is cherry.
From stump to finished bowls up to 11.5 "x5" in 10=15 days. Soak rough turned bowl, 1/10 diameter in thicknees through out,
for 24-48 hours in the juice and at least four days to dry out then return.The juice does not effect the finish. Not only no cracks
but also very little warp,as little as a 1/16" on an 11 inch bowl.I have been using the juice for close to ten years.

[Stan Smith]

FYI. I've never turned any cherry bowls so I can't help there. I did recently buy some dark cherry for some peppermills. It was 12" L x 3'x3". The ends were sealed but I don't know what the sealant was--maybe AS. I think there was still moisture in the wood, too. I cut a piece off and didn't seal it. It checked the same day, but not too bad. I'm wondering if cherry is more prone to checking than some other woods such as walnut?