More cedar vessels

Pic #2 texture detail

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>This is the unfinished close up of the texture from the Sorby texture tool. It dimples the wood and creates a random pattern so you never know exactly what you will get.

Larry

Pic # 3 One of the Vessels profiles

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>This is one of the shapes I think I like pretty well after turning it a couple of times.

Larry

Re: More cedar vessels

TDaniel

>Hi Larry

Thanks for the ideas. I have a commission to make as many turnings as I can get from several large pieces of eastern red cedar that came from a farm that has belonged to a family for about 150 years and is now becoming a shopping mall. The family wants a piece of the old tree that each of them used to play under. I have never turned red cedar prior to this order as I didn't think it was a good turning wood. Surprise! It can be beautiful turned. I am using Watco Danish Oil for a finish, so far, so good. Sanding with the oil eliminates the dust problem and seems to sand faster also. The small amount of dry sanding that I did to the bottom of the bowls really got into the filter of my dust hood and it took days to get the strong smell out of the filter. A side benefit of the oil finish is you can still smell the cedar aroma after using the oil. Thanks again for your post.

TD

Terry

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>I never actually wanted to turn any of the cedar but this tree is from an old homestead site and the pieces were requested for gifts. I used the watco on 5 of the vessels for Christmas but I wanted something a little harder for a finish so the wood did not dent so easily. The smell of cedar also causes a bad reaction to lots of people like my father-in-law, he goes in to sneezing fits for hours after smell a board of cedar.

I had trouble getting a good finish inside the pieces also with a gouge and my scraper type hollowers but I changed to ring and hook tools and they give a good clean cut. Cedar did not like to be turned real thin either so I left all the pieces a 1/4" to 3/8" thick that I turned.

Good luck with your pieces.

Larry

Really Nice Larry

Ron Sardo in PA

>

Re: Terry

Ruth

>Larry, these are really nice pieces and, like you, I do like your favorite form. Seems to be the "time of the cedar", like Terry, I just got a very large amount, the people want 2 pieces as a memento and I keep the rest. In the close-up of the detailing, I see a small check (crack) and that seems to be a constant problem I'm seeing with the cedar. I am putting thin CA on any crack or potential crack but I guess it's just the nature of the beast, right?

I'm glad you said cedar doesn't like to be too thin, takes a lot of pressure off me! Do you find the knots a problem?

Ruth

Niiiice!

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Love the texturing! Gives it a nice "feel".

Dominic

Re: More cedar vessels

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>Larry,

These are really great. Thanks for posting the detail pics too. Nice work!

Tommy

Re: More cedar vessels

Sean troy

>Hi Larry, Beautiful !! How do you get the embelishments? hand carving? Thanks, Sean

Re: More cedar vessels

David Eaves

>Hi there,

Excellent pieces, I like the forms and the texturing really sets them off. The wood looks really nice too.

David

Re: Terry

Dick Hines

>Cedar get what the old timers called "wing shake". If there is lots of sap wood mixed in with the heart wood the piece will break apart. Not always but evough to be careful and ware head and face protection.

Ruth

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>The knots were not much of a problem but they do give a harder area that bounces the tool back, feels like there is a flat area going around. I selected the pieces with knots because they had the only interesting features. I have about ten more blanks laying around the shop that are pretty bland. These pieces came from a log that was laying outside on pallets for about 4 years. The logs had cracks going toward the heart and while I was cutting them into blanks the wood would pop and crack more. I roughed the outside shape and let them sit solid in the shop for a year before I started turning them. The wood was real dry and did not crack any more after I turned them. I just left the cracks alone on the pieces so I didn't stain the wood or leave a place the finish would not work right on.

Good luck with your pieces.

Larry

Sean, texture tool

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>I used the Sorby texture tool. It takes about 1 minute to do the texture instead of hours. The price I was getting for these from a friend and the number he wanted made hand texturing a design pretty much out of the question. The texture tool adds a little detail and is quick. There isn't any tool easier to use either. Just hold the wheel against the wood and move back and forth, or on these small bands just pivot the shaft a little on the tool rest. The blunt ends of the sprocket like wheel compress the wood. The lathe should be going about 500 rpm's or less.

Larry

Thank you all for the responses.

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>

Cedar Question

Clem Wixted Jonesboro, AR

>Larry, those are great looking pieces.

I have quite a few large cedar crotch and trunk sections.

Are there any special techniques or tips for turning cedar crotch?

Thanks,

Clem

SW Pottery design

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>Very nice work Larry. The forms are like the SW Indian pottery olla design. (pronounced oiya). I've seen 1000 year old pots with that form.

Wally

Clem

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>Turning the cedar crotch should not be much different then turning the crotch of most other trees. The main thing would be to select the way you orient the blank so the crotch figure stays in the finished turning. The cedar I used for these pieces was pretty dry after about 5 years from the time it was cut, one year in the shop rough turned to shape and left solid. One of the things I didn't like about the cedar was how soft it was, I would finish sand and accidently touch it with my fingernail leaving a dent in the wood. I have heard lots of stories about how hard it is to turn and finish fresh cut cedar but I haven't turned any wet. The actual finish on cedar is another concern. I talked with Wolf K. about this one day and from what some say the cedar may have a reaction with the finish 5 years after completed and bubble it up or do something else. I haven't had that much long term experience with the pieces I have turned to know.

Good luck with your pieces and let us know how it works out. If you are over in my area sometime let me know.

Larry

Thanks, Larry

Clem Wixted Jonesboro, AR

>This cedar has been waiting to be used for two years. It is probably still a little "wet" so I will try a piece to see how it works.

Thanks for the invite, I might just take you up on it.

Clem

Wally! Did you know that Larry ...

Clem Wixted Jonesboro, AR

>...was on the design team for the original design? :-)

Re: Wally! Did you know that Larry ...

Larry Hancock; Ardmore, OK

>Clem,

I wasn't in on the design of the texture tool. I was given the uncut video by Peter Gill and Mark Baker, the night they brought it to Oklahoma, after we had dinner. I went to the Fort Worth club and demonstrated it the next night for them.

Larry

Re: Wally! Did you know that Larry ...

Clem Wixted Jonesboro, AR

>Larry,

I was trying to be a smart alec. I was referring to the design team for the 1000 year old bowl that Wally mentioned and quoted below.

"Very nice work Larry. The forms are like the

SW Indian pottery olla design. (pronounced

oiya). I've seen 1000 year old pots with that

form."

Interesting that you were close to the Sorby tool. I'm still learning the lathe and this is another technique that I will have to learn.

Clem