I have tried both of the basic methods and sub-methods suggested in
all the replies.
Turned green to rough, that is, get the basic shape of the bowl turned
but leave thick walls. Then let dry and finish.
Turned green to rough, slather the end grain with wax and let dry then
turn to finish.
I've packed the rough turned green bowls in shavings and then into a
brown bag
I've turned to finish size, well somewhat thinner than usual and let
the bowl warp thereby transforming it from a functional piece to a
piece of what might be termed art.
I've ripped the logs I have to size, anywhere from 1 1/2' to 3" in
thickness whatever length I thought was
appropriate and painted the ends with latex paint.
I've also ripped and then painted the ends with parrafin (candle wax
used for things like canning). This latter seems to work rather
well.



On Sep 11, 8:27 pm, marc wrote:
I have a set of 3 maple turning blanks that I recieved from a friend
who works for a tree service company. The 3 blanks are about 6 inches
across and about a foot or so long each. They were cut last week and
appear to be branches. They are all straight and look to be some
clean looking blanks. The bark is still attached. How long should I
wait to let these dry before I attempt to mount them on a lathe and
turn them?? Should I strip the bark off now to help them dry out
better? Most of the turning I have done is with glue ups of various
species of KD stock, so the drying and possible splitting, checking
and cracking that comes with fresh cut logs is new to me. Any one
have any first hand experience with this kind of thing or any advice
you'd be willing to share?? Thanks!!