Got some black walnut for the first time

[David Metzman]

They were cutting down a tree down the block. Took some logs then paid the guys to cut a couple for me. Two are about 23 inches across. Lot of water leaking out

Started turning one. Wish I trimmed it better. I was going slow. Turned up the speed a bit. Started to shake. Went to turn down the speed down. It jumped causing me to turn the speed up!. Danced across the floor until I hit the emergency stop. Screwed up the hole I had the jaws mounted in and bent the one way jaws a bit. A bear to move the lathe back in place. Also was a bear getting the wood on the lathe.

Turning can by physically exhausting!

How do you all recommend mounting very large and heavy pieces of wood in order to make a bowl? I am planning to do this natural edge up so you are seeing the bottom.

Also, I will need to trim it down a lot. I wished I had trimmed it more before hand. I need one of those stiehl saws. they cut like butter compared to my craftsman.

[Bob Bouis]

It looks like you're on the right track, but one thing you can do is cut the high corners off the bark side with a chainsaw. This'll help balance the blank better.

ETA: if you're wanting to do a natural edge you can mount the blank on the lathe (to figure out where to cut), then cut on it with an electric chainsaw or a handsaw to remove the worst-balanced parts.

I also don't commit myself to the centers before I mount it, so I can tilt the piece or move the centers a little bit to get the best balance and orientation before I really start turning. A big spur drive helps here.

[David Metzman]

Thanks. Also, any tips or things I should watch out for with black walnut? I already stained my shirt and the whites of my finger nails are yellowish.

I have an old electric chain saw and a reciprocating saw. The chain keeps falling off the chain saw. Any recommendations for a new one.

I just started turning again after taking a year off and having turned for about a year or so.

I took some smaller logs not cut in half and not pictured.
Thanks for the help.

[Chris A Lawrence]

I bought the 14 inch one from harbor freight it works great for trimming blanks on the lathe. I broke the first one trying to cut a crotch section to size that was 12ish inches diameter. New one is for trimming bits and pieces off while on the lathe to get it balanced. What i do is mount the blank put my rest on the tailstock side and spin by hand while holding a pencil to it to mark the max diameter i can make. Then carefully trim to the pencil mark nibbling pieces from the tailstock side to the headstock side.

[Don Jarvie]

Use a face plate instead of a worm screw supported by the tailstock. It will hold the blank better. Unless you have a big enough bandsaw the blank will be off balance so you need to deal with that.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

David I start with a compass to dew the largest circle on the blank and then cut the excess off.

Next I do install a faceplate, properly centered, easy, as you have already the center made with your compass.

faceplate start.jpg

Then mount the piece and use the tailstock to help keeping it solidly,

turn flat and round.jpg

and proceed to turn the blank round and flat.

removing unwanted wood.jpg

removing all unwanted wood.

Then make a provision to be able to hold the piece to shape and hollow the piece.

provision to hold the blank.jpg

When done turning, pack the piece in a brown paper bag or cardboard box to let it dry slow and steady, so it will not split and crack.

pack in paper, bag or box.jpg

When dry, return and finish it

Done and enjoy.

Done.jpg

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

To round off larger bowl blanks with a bandsaw, it take s a really big saw. The largest mine can handle is only 6 inches deep/ Till you subtract some for trueing the sides and a tenon, you lose close to a half inch minimum. I mounted a large piece on a face plate and mounted it outboard on my lathe and cut an exterior circle carefully with a gouge and then used a reciprocating saw on the shallower corners. the piece was still to thick for my longest blade so I used a hand saw on the thick parts. After that I could still only bump it up to 640 RPM. I used a large bowl gouge to the basic exterior of the bowl and then made a very shallow tennon to mount a face plate to the bowl bottom. I used many shallow screws to hold the face plate. (I probably should have used another method to hold the bowl, it was all I could think of at the time) Then I flipped the bowl around and removed the first face plate and turned the inside of the bowl. I made a 16 inch bowl 9 inches deep on a 12 inch lathe. But my lowest speed is 320 RPMs and it shook a bit more than I like, even with a heavy weighted down floor model lathe.

[John K Jordan]

The best friend a woodturner can have is a good bandsaw. For years I used a 14" delta with a riser block for blanks; now I use an 18" bandsaw. Both can cut up to 12" thick. I flatten at least one side well before putting it on the bandsaw.

I've had a couple of electric chain saws. The one I use now around and inside the shop is a Stihl, not cheap but well worth the cost.

For woodturners who hope to work with free wood I think a gas powered chain saw is essential. I keep three around the farm but the one I mostly reach for is a Stihl with an 18" bar. It will easily slice through a log over 30" in diameter.

If the chain keeps falling off any chain saw something basic is wrong. Either the chain is too loose or worn, the bar is worn, you are not using it as intended, or all of these. Bars can be reworked with the proper tools, but it is far easier to just buy a new bar and chain. Unless you know what to look for, it is safest to replace both at the same time. I buy chains and bar/chain combos from Bailey's. https://www.baileysonline.com/

I personally would not mount a heavy blank on any lathe without rounding it first with a bandsaw, chainsaw, angle grinder, handsaw, axe, trained beavers, whatever. Besides basic safety, rounding it also saves a lot of abuse on the lathe, tools, and my arms.

I won't even turn a blank this size without rounding it for balance.
bandsaw_blank_IMG_20180312_161447_777.jpg

A balanced blank of moderate size can be held with a chuck but for a large, heavy blank NOTHING beats a good faceplate with good screws in every hole. A big blank spinning loose in the shop can maim or kill.

Here is Lissi Oland rounding with a chain saw after mounting it on the lathe so she can turn it (she cores with a chain saw too):
lisse_oland_big_blank.jpg

If you haven't done so, seal the end grain of the logs sections right away and cut them down middle, removing the pith if possible. It's best not to take more green wood than you can turn in a few weeks unless you want to process it into smaller pieces, freeze or store it underwater, or plan on using it for firewood. Fortunately Walnut is better behaved that some other species but still...

Black walnut: don't use the shavings and sawdust for animal bedding, especially for horses. I also wouldn't use it to mulch plants I wanted to thrive.

JKJ

Thanks. Also, any tips or things I should watch out for with black walnut? I already stained my shirt and the whites of my finger nails are yellowish.

I have an old electric chain saw and a reciprocating saw. The chain keeps falling off the chain saw. Any recommendations for a new one.

I just started turning again after taking a year off and having turned for about a year or so.

I took some smaller logs not cut in half and not pictured.
Thanks for the help.

[Dave Bunge]

How do you all recommend mounting very large and heavy pieces of wood in order to make a bowl? I am planning to do this natural edge up so you are seeing the bottom.

I agree with all the comments above about rounding the blank before putting it on the lathe.

For natural edge bowls, I like to start between centers using a large spur drive (1.5" "Texas Spur Drive Center" from BestWood Products.) I drill a 1.5" hole through the bark into solid wood using a spade drill bit. The hole makes it easier to mount the blank, supporting the headstock end of the blank once you've shoved it on to the drive spur.

Then I do the trick that Lyle Jamieson teaches, which is to balance the blank. Check out his videos on YouTube. The basic approach is to pin the blank lightly between centers. The out of balance blank will rotate on its own until the heavy part is at the bottom. Rotate the blank by hand 180 degrees until the heavy part is on top. Pull back the live center on tailstock end and let the blank "drop" a little, maybe 1/2" (only the tailstock end of the blank will move, since the headstock end is stuck on the spur drive). Reattach the live center and let the blank rotate again. Repeat this until the blank no longer has a heavy part. Now it's balanced and you can start turning at a decent speed. Once it's reasonably round, stop and adjust the live center point location so the the blank is in the orientation you want for the bowl.

Dave

[Prashun Patel]

You didn’t say how you mounted it. I also prefer to get the blank rounded on a bandsaw.

In addition to a faceplate, I always start with a cone in the tailstock to trap the piece.

Don’t use drywall screws in the faceplate. Use good quality screws that won’t snap.

In addition to chainsawing the corners, you can cut a large chamfer in the tail side of the blank. This will reduce the force and vibration considerably.

Also remember that the end product will be a lot larger in practical use than appears from the fresh log. So don’t be afraid of making a smaller blank if it makes things easier. You can have a deep, narrow bowl or a wide, shallow bowl. In fact, these forms can appear more deliberate vs something simply to maximize size . Sorry for the unsolicited advice there.

Last, a very large blank offers the opportunity to turn at different orientations, like quartersawn or inside out without a live edge. This latter orientation is my favorite on walnut because you get great concentric circles with good color changes around the rim.

Oh yeah, beware of sapwood in walnut. It can crack so take special care to dry properly.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Thanks. Also, any tips or things I should watch out for with black walnut? I already stained my shirt and the whites of my finger nails are yellowish.

No soap will help. Lemon Juice.

[David Metzman]

Thank you all for the help and suggestions. David

[Richard Coers]

I always start with the top of the bowl at the headstock. I use the Oneway Big Bite spur and grips easily in the face. Driving through the bark side requires clean up first. I also think it's easier to turn the tenon when you have it by the tailstock. Good luck.

[David Metzman]

Thanks leo - some big an beautiful bowls. On the bowl where you show the inset tenon to hold it, how deep do you make it? Thanks, David

[David Metzman]

thumbnail walnut 3.jpgHere is where I am at. I still need to shape the bottom half - bring it in some. A couple of issues:

Some tear outs. -Mainly using a bowl gauge. How do I avoid? Sharper tool? Scraper? Negative rake?

I have to figure out how to deal with the bottom. A tenon or an inset tenon. Notice the tail stock support is pushed in a lot. I guess that is a problem with that type of spur. I had to crank it in a lot since the whole got buggered up some when I lost control of the lathe. I might have to take off a lot of the bottom. I was thinking of perhaps having the bottom inside of the bowl swell up some so I do not hit the hole plus some will come off if I use a tenon.

I do not think I am planning to leave the bark on the edge. I have never had good luck (mainly cherry) in keeping it complete.

Thanks, David