Platter Blanks Green or Dry ?

[Justin Stephen]

Justin, that is a superb piece! I like the opposing movement you created with the color variations. I assume you used acrylics? Are the lines between the beads burned?

Thank you! I use acrylic ink. I have tried "liquid acrylics" (thinned acrylic paint) and found that it looked too painted on, as in it sat on top of the wood too much. Acrylic ink soaks into the wood a bit due to its watery consistency but still offers substantial opacity and I can still blend colors and create shading just like with paint. I have done pieces on much darker woods (walnut, sapele, jatoba) and still get vibrant color when I want it.

Yup, burned, basically just a variation of the "basket illusion" technique. Here's a closeup of the same piece:

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[Bob Bouis]

The reason to rough turn bowls is to speed up drying and prevent thick blocks of wood from cracking as they dry (which they almost always do).

Green wood in platter thickness dries relatively fast and is much less likely to crack, so there's not much of an incentive to rough it out. IME/O, of course.

[Pat Scott]

The best place to get platter blanks is from the pith out (quartersawn). But to get a 20" quartersawn platter you need a tree that is around 45" across (20" on either side of the pith minus waste).
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The next best place to cut platter blanks is on either side of the pith. If you want a 20" platter then you need a tree 23" to 25" across. I don't run across 45" trees very often, which is why I usually cut my blanks from either side of the pith. Even if the tree is big enough that you think you can cut two blanks from each side, don't. The growth rings are starting to flatten out and you will get too much movement.
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I cut my platter blanks in 2" inch slabs and let them dry. I used to rough turn platter blanks but don't anymore. There are several reasons but I think it's kind of a waste of time and doesn't buy much in the end. If you can't cut a straight line with the chainsaw then you will have to put the blank between centers and make it a consistent thickness (but don't hollow out or create a recess/tenon).

The main reason I don't rough turn platters is because now I have committed myself to which is the top and bottom and I can't change my mind. Sometimes the piece will warp during drying and I would rather make the bottom the top or vice versa. Or a crack will happen that could be turned away if I could switch the top/bottom. Or I changed my mind and like the looks of one side over the other. If you rough turn it you're locked in.

[John K Jordan]

The best place to get platter blanks is from the pith out (quartersawn). But to get a 20" quartersawn platter you need a tree that is around 45" across (20" on either side of the pith minus waste).

Pat, great diagrams and advice.

I also turn all platters dry, large or small. I slice 2" thick slabs on the woodmizer and sticker to dry.

One thing I've found, eastern red cedar dries surprisingly quickly (compared to hardwoods) and is quite stable, even when cut through-and-through. When I saw big cedars I always try to cut some slabs. I think cedar makes great platters - platter maker Frank Penta agrees and I've given him some of the slabs. Big ERC typically has a lot of bark inclusion and is often bad at the pith but I usually can find good sections with interesting figure

Here is one short log from a few years ago, over 24" diameter:

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I've found that cedar slabs even cut from near the bark still don't warp. I wouldn't try this with oak or cherry! BTW, I have clear 30" white oak on the ground now if anyone nearby wants some "almost" quarter sawn planks. It is destined for firewood.

JKJ

[kevin nee]

I only use dry blanks. I have logs & burls cut on a bandsaw mill and let them dry longer than the 1 year per inch rule.
I dry in a tent or under the barn. Large flat figured platters make the turning experience a joy.

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[kevin nee]

Another note: I feel the bottom of bowls and platters is just as important.

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[John K Jordan]

Another note: I feel the bottom of bowls and platters is just as important.

Many agree. It is a nice surprise to turn over a platter and see some detail. It's hard to remember that at one time everyone glued green felt on the bottom of bowls and platters!

Have you seen the multi-axis platter base that Frank Penta teaches? He has a document about it on his web site: http://www.frankpenta.com/ Click on "Documents and Downloads / Projects / Frank Penta Platter Handout PDF. (He will be demonstrating this at TAW later this month.)

After hanging out with Frank I made this one. Sapele wood.



BTW, the secret of making a platter look big is get a small person to hold it.



JKJ

[Pat Scott]

Beautiful platters Justin, Kevin, and John.

I also detail the bottom, lately I've been playing with my Sorby Spiraling tool.
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[Justin Stephen]

On my beaded pieces, I make a little mini-beaded ring on the bottom to go around the little pewter inserts I use:

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I may start doing this even on non-beaded pieces as well. It takes a couple of hours to do though, so we'll see.

[Sonny Kemp]

Those are all beautiful platters.Far beyond my present ability,but Ill get there.Do you all leave the blanks you cut in plank form or cut to shorter lengths?Do you dry them same as you would lumber? With the top covered and where air can circulate with stickers between? Thanks all for the replys.

[John K Jordan]

Those are all beautiful platters.Far beyond my present ability,but Ill get there.Do you all leave the blanks you cut in plank form or cut to shorter lengths?Do you dry them same as you would lumber? With the top covered and where air can circulate with stickers between? Thanks all for the replys.

I leave the slabs as as long as possible, at least as long as they are easy to store. I don't cut them into smaller platter-sized pieces because I don't know ahead of time what I want to turn. From a 20" slab I might make one big platter or several smaller pieces, 9", 12", etc. If not cut up I can make better use of what would otherwise be wasted corners left over when rounding the blank on the bandsaw. I also like to slide a clear plastic template around on the wood to find the best orientation for the figure., defects, etc.

Air dried like any green lumber, stickered with weight on top, out of the sun/rain, plenty of air circulation.

JKJ