Roughed out Doughwood bowls

[dai sensei]

Decided to rough out some bowls from a couple of larger bowl blanks I had cut from the Doughwood tree (see this thread http://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/milling-euodia-buderim-qld-204319).

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As both blanks were a bit over sized for even my largest lathe, I headed to SWINO's (Todd) place to use his Stubby. I gave Todd the larger blank and I wanted to rough out the smaller one I had kept for myself. We both went tagg on both blanks roughing them out and both were finished in 3 hours leaving a heap of wet shavings.

Here's the larger one roughed out for a double lipped ogee shape
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And mine, being a deeper blank, turned into more a traditional rounded bowl. I managed to save a decent lump of bark inclusions, it will take a fair amount of thin CA to keep it, but hopefully giving a nice additional feature.
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Both were left pretty thick to allow for movement etc whilst drying and will probably now take ~2years to dry slowly. The shapes can then be redone refining them as necessary.

Sealed the outsides, and now they sit in a (probably to be forgotten) rack some where cool and dry, away from bugs.

[NeilS]

Good luck with the bark remnant, Neil.

I like to see pieces with a reminder of where they have come from.

I have found that I have had to keep a close eye on them to catch them before they part ways with the sapwood or self destruct under the drying/warping stresses. And, as you anticipate, the CA will get a good workout.

In my experience you won't have to wait two years for those to dry out, although I'm not familiar with doughwood.

If you have some smaller blanks of that wood I suggest you turn them thin, let them dry quickly, and then measure the axial:radial shrinkage ratio. You may be able to go back and reduce the thickness of those pre-turnings by quite a bit. As you know, woods vary widely in their axial:radial shrinkage ratios. I'm currently rough turning apple and blackwood; the apple is on the extreme end with the fully seasoned pre-turned pieces looking like footballs (so need to be turned quite thick, but then are more likely to split... :C ) while the blackwood hardly moves and can be pre-turned just a bit thicker than the final thickness.

Of the woods I've turned, Irish strawberry was the most extreme in its axial:radial shrinkage ratio and some of the desert Acacias have start to move and split when re-turned after many decades of seasoning.

It is a tricky business getting to know what works best with each wood.... and then remembering that for next time....:doh:

I think I have suggested before on the forum that we collectively create a databank of the axial:radial shrinkage ratios of the woods we turn. Just how to record that in a convenient and accessible format using the forum software has been the one of the stumbling blocks. Perhaps just use a spreadsheet that can be downloaded, added to by members of the forum and then re-posted as an attachment may be all that is required.

[dai sensei]

I've turned this before Neil and found it dries pretty well. I leave in 1.5 weeks on another trip so no time to experiment on more blanks.

My worst movement timber I've tried wet was chinese raintree (Oelreuteria elegans ssp. formosana) where I turned 2 blanks wet and they ended up footballs. The larger one I originally left with 40mm walls only to find they were 20mm once dried with heaps of collapses. I gave one of them to Powderpost as he had an oval chuck to see what he could do with it as it does have a beautiful grain.

[TongueTied]

Hi Neil,
Looking good! Can't wait till these are ready to finish off. How well did it turn?

[dai sensei]

.... How well did it turn?

Like butter, although they did make the chisels blunt, had to do 4 sharpens per bowl

[Christos]

Even thou there is not a great deal of colour in them they will look fantastic once finished. If you were closer I would have picked up a few pieces knowing that these present a blank canvas.

[dai sensei]

Some have some figure but mainly plain. Perfect for adding features like carving, burning or painting etc. Resin also pops

[TongueTied]

Christos, There is still some left. If you know anyone in the Sunshine Coast area who can hold onto it for you, do let me know.

[TTIT]

.................Of the woods I've turned, Irish strawberry was the most extreme in its axial:radial shrinkage ratio and s...........I'll second that! I didn't realise that the piece I used for my egg collection was still very green when I turned it - within weeks it looked more like a sultana than an XL egg :(:-

[dai sensei]

I'll second that! I didn't realise that the piece I used for my egg collection was still very green when I turned it - within weeks it looked more like a sultana than an XL egg :(:-

Haven't tried that one.

Heading your way on my trip Vern. I was going to bring some Doughwood, but note you already have an egg from it (447), although yours is a faun rather than a white. Was yours white, but oil finish coloured it?

[TTIT]

........................ although yours is a faun rather than a white. Was yours white, but oil finish coloured it?Yep - Shellawax finish. Got one growing out front of the old house but my sample came from a bloke at Nimbin so I didn't have to attack mine :wink:
Let me know when you're coming through - will make sure I'm around!