Advice needed - bowl

[Sebastiaan56]

Morning all,

I have a bowl blank that I bought at the show. Swamp Mahogony, $9, a bargain. As I got into it a crack appeared right on what I think is the heartwood. OK, no probs, fill the sucker with epoxy and keep going. It was also a bit wet so some careful microwaving and it seemed fine. Im sure you can guess the next bit. Back onto the lathe and after 10 mins it seperates spectacularly. Of course this is right along where the crack used to be and I was just at the 240 grit too....

Now what are my options? More epoxy? Having read Erns post I am wondering if just some power sanding will do and then remove the bottom. The edges are uneven and there may be a fair amount of glue needed. Alternatively smooth off the edges of the break and try a lamination. :? I assume the timber has to be really dry for the glue to key properly. I like the timber although its as hard as.

Sebastiaan

[reeves]

nice story Seb, i think we have al had similar experiences.

I think we can get better at reading wood as we progress. Some woods check and split different to others, some react differently to the pressure form the chuck. Some glue differenlty, some dry slower or faster than others.

All these elements can contribute to loss of a workpiece but at the days end its trial and error and the development of yr own judgement..

[cedar n silky]

I find the old super glue (good quality woddturning CA), is great for pulling up those early cracks. You can get it in a few thickneses, thin, medium and thick. Thin is great for getting down and holding those realy hairline cracks. It seems to even work with damp or wet blanks and CA dries very fast. I am not sure how compatible CA is with epoxy (I think epoxy won't work on anything damp) . Hope I am not teaching you to suck eggs:D

[Richard Findley]

Hi Seb,

The best glue for sticking wet/damp wood back together would be polyurethane (think thats spelt about right:B !) The moisture in the wood helps it to cure. The only draw back is that is foams and swells as it dries which can get messy but it sticks really well!

Good luck,

Richard