Cherry

[Sawdust Maker]

I've a chunk of cherry which I started to rough turn yesterday

The tear out on the end grain is something to believe. Even the lightest cut with the freshly sharpened gouge is not giving me much joy.

The wood is lightly spalted and very dry. It is very light and when turning had a smell not unlike Camphor but nowhere as strong.

I've flooded the stricken areas with CA.

Am I wasting my time with the piece of cherry? Does it normally turn well and I should persevere. Or is it really firewood?

I suppose you lot will want a photo. I'll take a couple later.

[tea lady]

The wood is lightly spalted and very dry. It is very light and when turning had a smell not unlike Camphor but nowhere as strong.

:? The cherry I've turned smells like cherries. And was very well behaved as reguards tear out! :shrug: I guess it depends if the figure is good whether its worth persevering with. :think:

[wheelinround]

Nick I have seen wet Cheery turned and it was easy I have 2 or 3 pieces to do so hope its easy.

[Ed Reiss]

Nick, from your description of the smell and density, it sounds more like it is camphor,but WTH, you'll make it look good :2tsup:

[wheelinround]

Take a big deep breath if it clears the head its Camphor

:? how do you hollow out 7mm to 10mm for a pen :q

[munruben]

Take a big deep breath if it clears the head its Camphor

If that doesn't work take a deeper breath and if it kills you, its Camphor.:)

[rsser]

There's more cherries out there than on a bunch from the green grocers!

There's native cherry - perhaps cherry ballart; there's ornamental (flowering) cherry.

American cherry; black cherry.

Anyway, maybe flood the area of tear-out with sanding sealer, weak Shellac or even water. Then get in close with your smallest gouge.

If you're cleaning up with a scraper, take the burr off.

[Sawdust Maker]

Thanks for your comments everyone

Here are the piccies I said I'd take

158896 158898 158899

158897 158900

The last is of it's mate with the bark still on. Not the bark I'm used to seeing on a Camphor Laurel. The smell is slightly camphor but is not the sinus clearing that camphor is.

The CA didn't help.

These photos taken after use of a bowl gouge. The cut wasn't as fine as I was doing yesterday but I wasn't going in hard either. The basic shape was already done. No scraper.

Ern I'll try your suggestions probably next weekend

Thanks everyone.

PS the chap I got it from swore it was cherry - given to him when the tree was felled opposite his work.

[dr4g0nfly]

The Bark certainly looks like the Cherry I'm used to, so I reckon your right in calling it such.

I get tear out (or feathering) on the stuff in places as well. Try a negative rake scraper with a good burr at a really high shear angle.

[rsser]

Might be Black Cherry.

The 'American Cherry' I had from a reliable source had little by way of growth rings and was more honey coloured.

[tea lady]

Looks like the bark of the Flowering cherry I've got. But the growth rings look stronger on yours and mine seemed to have a bit more colour happening. :shrug:

Do you "Shear scrape"? That's prolly what you need to do! Its tearing out in the end grain like bowls usually do! And "Normal" scraping just continues the problem! There is thread here somewhere about it. Will find it if you need it!

[jimbur]

Looks like the bark of the Flowering cherry I've got. But the growth rings look stronger on yours and mine seemed to have a bit more colour happening. :shrug:

Do you "Shear scrape"? That's prolly what you need to do! Its tearing out in the end grain like bowls usually do! And "Normal" scraping just continues the problem! There is thread here somewhere about it. Will find it if you need it!

Looks a bit like victorian cherry plum that has grown very quickly.
Thanks Tea Lady for pointing me in the direction of that thread.
Cheers,
Jim

[rsser]

Whatever the species, it looks to be low density with brittle fibres.

There's so much tear-out that I don't think a scraper will clean it up unless you have a lot of patience and even then messing up the line is a likelihood.

So to go back to basics, and eggscuse if this is egg sucking territory for you ;-}

1. Looks like you have a curved rest? Good.
2. Get it as close as poss using your smallest gouge.
3. You are coming from the bottom up?
4. Present, or regrind and present, your gouge so that the cutting edge is 45* or steeper to the travel of the wood.
5. Take fine cuts. Stop often and examine the result.

If you're prepared to trash this piece, then it can just be an experiment in technique.

Seems to me that we learn more from mistakes and problems than from our successes.