>So far I have done a few bowls from green, or relatively green wood. And I know about roughing them out and leaving them thick while they dry. I have used the dishwashing soap method with decent results. But now I would like to try some vessels and I would like to know if these should be roughed out and left to dry as well. Do they have the same tendency to warp and split as the bowls do? I have read about doing it for turned boxes but no mention of it at all with vessels. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
Yes, if you want them round at the finish line, you'll need to part-turn and re-mount later after seasoning. It also depends on the orientation somewhat. End grain hollow forms, turned from wood in spindle- or box orientation will warp, but not as much as hollow forms made in a side-grain, or "bowl" orientation, with the wood fibers across the lathe bed.
Other factors include the species, how far away from the pith, and how shperical the shape, how even the thickness (thin-ness).... A thin, relatively spherical shape will distort less than a real tall or squashed and flatter form. Also, if there is spalting involved, or if its a burl, it is probably not uniform, so the shrinkage will be non-uniform, as well.
Generally, I find that I don't have to allow as much allowance for shrinkage with hollow forms as with bowls. A little experimenting will be a great time !
So am I safe to assume when I view those demos in the mags that they are not all done in one setting? Or could I get away with letting the wood dry a few months before turning it? I have some logs that were cut a few months ago and I have been storing them until I am able to find time to get to them. So they are not "just cut" green. I guess I will just have to go ahead and give it a spin and see what happens. Thanks!
>Ed- I turn my vessels in a single session to reduce the checking/distortion problems, but I don't begin with dripping wet wood. Season your blanks until they are slightly damp inside, then turn to completion. By the time you have cut and sanded to final shape the wood is usually dry enough to finish without problem. Then cure the finished product in a brown paper bag inside the shop for a week or two to stabilize.
>Turning and finishing vessels from wet wood is okay, and many turners do it. I prefer to rough turn wet wood, let it dry, then finsh turning it. After rough turning, I heavily coat the piece with Johnson's paste wax and set it aside to dry. When applying a collar, which I often do, I prefer to do it on wood that is dry and won't warp. The photo shows about 60 pieces in various stages of drying. Most are on glue blocks and none are cracked.
>Wally, It appears the glue blocks are for a faceplate not turned for a chuck. How do you remount them? Also, do you use what ever is handy for the glue blocks or do you use something special?
>Stuart, I use a screw chuck for most of my turning. The piece goes on and off easily and it's always centered. I have two chucks but seldom use them. I use alder for glue blocks. I get it in a full 4/4. (unplaned, so it's 1 inch thick). I like alder because it never warps, meaning that it's always true and flat. which makes for a good glue joint. Also, it's soft, so that it parts off easily, and it has very little grain, meaning that it doesn't split easily.
>Thanks Wally, I have a screw chuch and don't use it very often and never for bowls. I'm going to give it a shot. Do you see an advantage of a screw chuck over a pin chuck the same size? The reason I'm asking is I really stopped using the screw chuck because I had problems with it stripping.
>I'm not sure if your version of a pin chuck is the same as mine. I use a pin chuck when I'm turning the outside of a natural edge bowl. A screw chuck I use with a glue block.
You shouldn't have problems with threads stripping when using a screw chuck. What brand are you using? The best is the Glaser chuck. The threads are thinner, sharper and deeper than any other. Pricey, though. The ones that Craft Supplies and Woodcraft sell aren't bad. When using a screw chuck, I tighten it to the glue block using a large set of slip joint pliers. If it's loose it can strip the threads. If you're having problems, after the glue block is applied to the chuck, it helps to remove it and firm up the threads by applying some thin CA glue to the hole in the glue block. Don't use accelerator.
>Thanks Jamie, I will give that a try, most of the wood I have has been sitting for a while so it should work for me. I have used the paper bags before and it helped.
>Thanks Wally, I hope to someday do works with collars as well. But need to get some experinece with regular ones first. Looks like you have a great stockpile of works in progress. I already have a Glaser chuck which is fantastic. I am going to try glue blocks next, that should save lots of usable wood. Thanks for all the input
>The pin chuck I use is a small one used for bottle stopprs but I thought it would be easy enough to make say a 5/8 or 3/4 inch one out of steel bar. The screw chuck I have is the screw that comes with the Super Nova. I'll give it a try with a glue block. So far I've only used it for a couple plates.
I don't think it is possible to go a day on this list without learning something.
>Wally, do you have problems adjusting the orientation of the blank to balance the edge when the blank is mounted on a pin chuck vs a two spur drive center?
>George, I don't have a problem if the natural edge bowl is a half-log. If I'm turning a natural edge burl, I sometimes have to spend some time eyeballing it get it right. However, once in a while I have to resort to putting it between centers. Experience helps.
