Green Blanks

[DarrylF]

Well I seem to be getting the hang of turning - I managed to turn some very rough looking timber into some very, very nice looking bowls on the weekend. One in silky oak - nice 12" bowl, easy to turn & lots of long thin shavings, one in 'Dead Finish' - complete pain in the ass to turn & lots of flaws in it, but spectacular when it was finished, and two bowls out of spalted Gosford Wattle - also a pain in the ass to turn, and also spectacular when finished.

I also took a visit to Trend Timbers on Saturday and picked up 6 nice blanks. All of them are green, and all well sealed in wax. Now I just need to work out what the hell to do with them to stop them cracking after turning http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

I roughed out a nice myrtle burl blank to around 1" thick and wrapped it in a dozen layers of newspaper to dry. Humidity is usually fairly low around here, and the workshop doesn't get too hot - but was this the right move? Any better way of drying green blanks?

[mn2tx]

You mention "myrtle" wood. Would that be the same as we call 'Oregon myrtlewood'? Is it native to AUSTRALIA?

[Sir Chiz]

Darryl,I've turned several Australian & Tas. species this year,I wish I could buy them for what you pay. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif
After rough turning,I coat them with paste wax and bury them in a paper bag full of shavings,I haven't had any problem with cracking.I've seen some purdy ugly distortion, but no cracks.
I'm in the process of varnishing a bowl of Tas. Rose Myrtle burl,beautiful pink with golden brown. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif I was hoping to sell it but I don't think my wife will let me.

Phil.

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I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[rsser]

Well if you're impatient to get the bowls done, you can always try the boiling route, or the microwaving route, or just turn the whole shebang in one go, finish, sit back and watch it turn into an oval shape.

There's lots on the Web on boiling and microwaving - just do a Google search, esp. a Groups search on rec.crafts.woodturning

Cheers,

Ern

[DarrylF]

mn2tx - The blank I bought was just labeled 'Myrtle', but I think it's the Tasmanian Rose Myrtle burl that Sir Chiz was talking about - very nice pinks & browns through it.

It's been wrapped in newspaper for a week now. The inner layers of paper are a little damp when it's unwrapped, and the blank does seem to be drying slowly. I found one very small crack in it though - which worries me of course. If I was to use wax on it, is beeswax OK? How thick should it be?

I'll have to try microwaving etc on some wet pine I have floating about - a little afraid to try it on such a nice burl http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

[Sir Chiz]

Darryl,if your blank is starting to crack,it's drying too fast.You could use beeswax if you can soften it enough to wipe it on,you'd be better off with a good furniture paste wax that does NOT contain silicone.
You can put some CA (superglue) in the crack and sand over it to seal it.Be careful not to use too much CA,because most of them will stain the wood.Best way is to put wax on the wood first,being careful not to clog the crack,then apply CA,sand and wax over it.Wax will prevent the CA from adhering and staining.
I don't like to boil,I've had too much warpage from doing it.
I do use the microwave but you must be careful because if you over do it,the wood will crack.

Phil.

------------------
I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[mn2tx]

DarryIF; Pink and brown is not same as Oregon Myrtle. Good Oregon Myrtle is silver grey kind of streaked, very close grain and finishes nice. Just grows near the oregon coast in the USA. I aquired a few pieces when I was out there a couple months ago. Traded with a local for some MN. & TX wood .I haven't turned the myrtle yet. There are many shops-galries out there that sell myrtlewood stuff.

[Sir Chiz]

The link below is the only picture of turned Tas. rose myrtle burl I've been able to find.
Turned by Dave Stacy.
http://www.woodturningplus.com/wpe1-250/wpeD4.jpg

Of course,mine doesn't look anything like that! http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif Mine is just a bowl.

Phil.

------------------
I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[mn2tx]

Sir Chiz. That is a beautiful piece of wood you refered me to. I don't know of any US wood near that pink. Definetly not Oregon Myrtle. I am going to realy enjoy looking up different woods when I visit in March. You Aussies have many interesting beautifull woods.

[Sir Chiz]

mn2tx,I'm in Boston. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
I bought the wood at All Rightous Woods,in Rowley Ma. (ouch!) http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif

Have you turned "madrone" ?
It has nice color but tends to distort quite a bit.

You can send me some of that American Myrtle if you like! http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif

Phil.

[mn2tx]

Sir Chiz;
No I haven't turned madrone. There were some nice big, 10" dia. and quite high, 45' or so,, madrone in a campground we stayed on the pacfic coast. Not available.
I have a few small pieces I got from the hill country in Texas. Only about 3" dia. It has a black center and checked badly. I don't know if I can do anything with it. Texas they call it the "naked Indian tree". It is more of a bush.

[mn2tx]

I have used the microwave, "nuke", successfully on very wet maple turned to 1/4 inch. Not to be turned again but left as out of round as I could get it. I left the center of the tree through the bowl. I got the "football" shape I wanted. I have no cracking after 2 years.
I recently pressure cooked some locust, and ash bowls. I set the in a dark basement to dry. The locust was OK but in 3 days the ash started to crack. I soaked the ash is soap water. No more cracking. The cracks closed up
. However now all the bowls are in brown bags in the basement and are ok after a month. They are warping badly but I turned them 5/8 inch thick so can return them next summer. The "soap" one is realy damp. Will probably take 2 summers. In winter we are gone so the basement will be 40 degrees. Not real good drying conditions. I left one ash bowl with a thick, heavy bottom to make it mors stable. I am wondering how that one will do.

[Sir Chiz]

I gave up boiling,too much warping.
I tried soap on some figured maple and didn't like the way it finished,just dull,so I dumped the soap too.
I just coat with paste wax and bury them in shavings to dry.
Some pieces I just turn,sand and varnish while they're still green.
I'm surprised you had trouble with the Ash,I got a stack of white ash from my neighbor and had only a few minor cracks.
Some I roughed and left to dry,and others I turned,sanded and varnished green.

Phil.

------------------
I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!

[Bubbles]

Originally posted by DarrylF:
Well I seem to be getting the hang of turning - I managed to turn some very rough looking timber into some very, very nice looking bowls on the weekend. One in silky oak - nice 12" bowl, easy to turn & lots of long thin shavings, one in 'Dead Finish' - complete pain in the ass to turn & lots of flaws in it, but spectacular when it was finished, and two bowls out of spalted Gosford Wattle - also a pain in the ass to turn, and also spectacular when finished.

I also took a visit to Trend Timbers on Saturday and picked up 6 nice blanks. All of them are green, and all well sealed in wax. Now I just need to work out what the hell to do with them to stop them cracking after turning http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

I roughed out a nice myrtle burl blank to around 1" thick and wrapped it in a dozen layers of newspaper to dry. Humidity is usually fairly low around here, and the workshop doesn't get too hot - but was this the right move? Any better way of drying green blanks?

Have found real success with green turnings by putting lots of finish on as soon as I have finished turning. Seem to get no or little distortion and no cracking. Hope this helps.

[DarrylF]

Bubbles:

Do you use a friction polish (Shellawax?) to finish green, and if so, how do you stop the bowl warping with the heat?

I know I get slight warping with even slightly wet timber, I can imagine that wet turning (especially fairly thin) would warp like crazy.

[ubeaut]

Darryl - Timber selaction plays a part in turning green wood. Select pieces that will shrink or warp evenly all round. ie: pieces that have an even grain structure. Don't pick a piece that has close tight heart wood on one half and sap wood on the other. This will warp very unevenly.

If you choose your timber wisely you can get some great results and amazing textures. You have "A Polishers Handbook" try the wet sanding method in there, then use shellewax over the finished piece. It works a treat. But only on the right piece of timber. Myrtle comes up well with this method. It will go wierd on you but it will more than likely end up like that 12 months down the track after your drying time is over.

I reckon it is better to have a bit of fun with it and see what result you get there and then, rather than wait for 6 months for it to dry only to have the same thing happen.

Cheers - Neil

[Bruce Bell]

The bottom line with any timber product is that it must be stable or at some time it will give grief to who ever owns it. Turning green is fine it works because it is easy on both the opperator and the gear. At the end of the day the piece then must be allowed to season. Finishing green timber has another set of problems that are to numerous to go into at this time. Turners need to wake up other facets of wood working only use seasoned timber to make things and then sell to the public a piece that will give many years of service. THE SAME APPLIES TO TURNINGS THE FINISHED PRODUCT MUST BE SEASONED SO THAT IT WILL GIVE MANY YEARS OF TROUBLE FREE SERVICE.
Too many turners are selling green finished products and therefore are giving the industry a bad name
Work out what works for you on the drying scene and stick with it.

" Enjoying the Thrill of Making the Chips Fly"

[Sir Chiz]

Hey mn2tx, I just got some new pictures posted.The fourth pic down is the Tasmanian Rose Myrtle burl that I mentioned in an earlier post.Nice piece of wood! http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
http://www.righteouswoods.net/clients_page28.html

Phil.

------------------
I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning,
It Smells Like....Victory!