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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

hemlock bowls

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hemlock bowls

#1

hemlock bowls

Tony Costine

>anyone using hemlock for bowls? I've always kind of liked the grain pattern in beams and stuff, and the other day they dropped a large hemlock on the side of the road just up from my mothers, so I waited the appropriate time and headed over with the chain saw.

Tried to turn one bowl (keeping in mind the wood is very green), and the end grain wants to tear like crazy. I set it aside to surface dry, and this morning hit it again, using a heat gun to dry the surface, and trying 60 grit paper. I got it a little better, but not perfect. I know hemlock has soft and tough grain, but am unsure what to do now. Is this a job for sanding sealer (which I've never used), or??

Thanks,

--T.

Pondering why carpenters love to hold up painters in Contoocoock, NH

Re: hemlock bowls

#2

Re: hemlock bowls

Robert Simmons, Atlanta

>I've turned a few small bowls from hemlock (or hemfir) that came from the PNW. Mine came is as a 2X6, so I haven't tried it green or even close to it. Sharp tools help with the tearout on the softer side of the grain. Sand carefully or it'll end up kind of wavey. They came out nice but not overly exciting.

Robert

Re: hemlock bowls

#3

Re: hemlock bowls

Scott in NH

>Tony, I haven't tried any hemlock for bowls, but would think that the stringyness of the grain would make it fairly difficult. You must have better woods to turn over there in "Tooky".

Scott, Trying to stay warm in Canterbury,NH

Re: hemlock bowls

#4

Re: hemlock bowls

Tony Costine

>Hey Scott!

Let's see...I've got some recently rescued (or stolen, depending on how you look at it!) cherry logs--2 trees, one nice and big!

I've got some oak, I've got maple, spalted and otherwise, beech, birch (paper and black), butternut, ash...and what else? I don't know. There must be something else in the log pile... ;-)

But right now I'm just hot on the trail of the hemlock is all.

I spent a bunch more time with that bowl and the heatgun. Got it sanded without any torn grain showing. I think it looks nice--the orange/red grain alternating with the creamy wood.

Oh yeah, there's some apple hiding in the log pile too.

The problem is getting to all of it. But I can't turn down free wood. I think the only way to stop it is to get rid of the truck!

--T.

glad I got to spend the whole day turning, and not nearly as mad at the carpenters as I was, in Contoocook, NH!

Re: hemlock bowls

#5

Re: hemlock bowls

Scott in NH

>Tony, Post a pic when you get a chance.

Scott