On 12/12/2016 9:40 PM, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Pros turn wood wet. So wet that the apron drips.

We (semi-pro want to be) pre-form e.g. going to have a bowl with 1/8"
walls then make them 1/2" or 3/4" and get it down - pack it in a paper
bag and seal it up - slow dry. Or microwave slowly with low power to
drive out the water. Sometimes you plasticize the wood and you can
shape it into odd shapes. Best done once turned to thin finished size.
Then hand sand or slow machine to clean up any staining..

At the time the tree was felled, I was way too busy in my profession to
rough turn the wood. Furthermore, my lathe at the time could not handle
more than a 12" blank. Therefore, to buy time, I end-sealed the pieces
from which I had removed a slab around the pith line. I didn't realise
that it would be many years before I could get around to turning them.
I have rough turned bowls in the past using the paper bag + shavings method.
I wonder whether this part of the log was near the main branching. Elm
is notorious for cracks in that area.
"Elm hateth man, and waiteth!"
Graham