Thread: Cypress Pine Bowl

Cypress is notorious for splitting like that. Nice job!


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I agree with you that the natural feature makes for a more interesting bowl and I agree with Dave, Cypress Pine certainly has a tendency to split.

Wonderful smell when turning though.

Mick.

Nicely done Sir,
But yes it can split on you.
But it also can take a fantastic finish if you work it well.
Hit me up if you want some off cuts.
I use cypress for fence building from time to time.
Cheers Matt

Good to see you attempting something new as it will only help to enhance your skills. The first bowl I turned out of Cypress cracked as well and it was as dry as could be. You only have to look at Cypress Pine pickets that are for sale at the hardware places and see how many of those you have to go through before you find one without splits, leave it for a week or two and it will probably also have splits.

I've found that Cypress most often splits while I'm sanding. I believe it's the heat generated, causing micro-checks that rapidly escalate into disastrous splits.

I have more success with doing light cuts to shape and almost as light a touch when sanding. Worth it, though.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I've found that Cypress most often splits while I'm sanding. I believe it's the heat generated, causing micro-checks that rapidly escalate into disastrous splits.

I have more success with doing light cuts to shape and almost as light a touch when sanding. Worth it, though.

I’ll have to try that next time and see if I notice a difference. Loving getting ideas from other other people


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Originally Posted by DaveTTC

I’ll have to try that next time and see if I notice a difference. Loving getting ideas from other other people

Please do. It would be good to have confirmation or refutation of my findings.

After all, I can be fairly heavy-handed when it comes to sanding timbers I find easy to come by, even though I know better.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

You only have to look at Cypress Pine pickets that are for sale at the hardware places and see how many of those you have to go through before you find one without splits, leave it for a week or two and it will probably also have splits.

I get those pickets at Bunnings for my pens, they work well but do tend to split if you don’t use them quick enough...

Hi benny, that is a very good bowl young fella,
Don, t be disheartened b y a few cracks that is just the nature
of the timber , get hold of some decent stuff and try again !
Well done , and keep on turning

Originally Posted by Benny_

I get those pickets at Bunnings for my pens, they work well but do tend to split if you don’t use them quick enough...

Those Bunnings pickets

Originally Posted by brainstrust

Those Bunnings pickets

That’s a nice one!

Good effort Benny I like the use of natural features. You should keep this bowl so you can look back on it in a year or so and see how much you have improved. I have a couple of my early ones.

Tony

Well you asked for it Ben so I snapped a couple of photos of my earlier work and will show them to you as long as you promise not to show them to anyone else. They were not finished well, have torn grain and tool marks and have been sitting in the shed gathering dust. And they do not have a pleasing shape.

I don't like the bowl below as the base is too wide and the reverse curve in the side. The timber warped significantly but that's OK
Img_6256.jpg

Bowl 2 below is way too wide at the base which makes it look fat and heavy although the curve of the side is better.
Img_6254.jpg

I bought a couple of books on turning, one by Richard Raffan ( The Art of Turned Bowls) and the other by Mark Sanger (Turning Hollow Forms). I feel that my turning really started improving based on what I learned from these authors. Both authors went into some detail on the shape and form of turned works. This to me is key to producing good work. Anyone can get a nice finish with enough sandpaper but producing something that has an appealing shape is what it is all about. While there is an element of personal taste in this, the basics nearly always apply. Both books are good and if I had to pick one I would probably go for Mark Sanger.

Tony