I had/have two beautiful English walbut blanks, about 6" on a side, that I
wanted to turn into semi-enclaosed vessels. Turned one wet, the other a
year latr.

Both got massive chunks blown off the outside, and both broke off
their tenons in my chuck. Never had such bad luck with anything else,
from maple to boxwood, ebony to alder.

I had a beeee-yoo-tiful peace of gum vein eucalyptus, and turned an
incredible bowl out of it. I decided it was done, and started to put down
the chisel. Then I thought "No, I'm going to take just one last light pass
over the inside of it." And when I say light, I mean *light*. Still, the
second the chisel touched it, boom, pieces all over the garage.

I got the pieces and reassembled them, and with all of the gum veins,
there were only a few tiny sections holding half of the bowl together. I'm
amazed it could even stand the g-forces of spinning on the lathe, let alone
me having carved most of it away in the first place.

steve