While retrieving some red oak to make shoe moldings, I came across this back
on top of the lumber rack. Anyone recall when this fad was current? Seems
it came from "down below" originally.
http://photobucket.com/albums/d160/G...t=02816bde.jpg
Fluorescent light, and victim of slow autofocus, but the idea is what
counts.

Theory was to restrain the shrinkage across the grain to retain a bigger
diameter piece for re-turning. As I recall, it was pretty much a disaster
at my house. This piece is really a crap chunk which might have faced a
good one across the log, which is why, I suppose it hasn't been finish
turned in say, five years?

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...d 587584e30d6
Turns up the name Soren Berger and a date TEN years ago.

Maybe Susan's right and I ought to incinerate some of the stuff I've put
farther and farther away. Don't think I'd ever re-turn something like this
today. Of course, if the games are a blow-out....

In article , "George" George@least
wrote:

While retrieving some red oak to make shoe moldings, I came across this back
on top of the lumber rack. Anyone recall when this fad was current? Seems
it came from "down below" originally.
http://photobucket.com/albums/d160/G...rrent=02816bde.
jpg
Fluorescent light, and victim of slow autofocus, but the idea is what
counts.

But George, by my expert analysis, it appears you placed the brace in
the wrong direction to the grain. According to Soren's instruction, the
brace should be perpendicular to the grain direction - i.e., against the
side grain, not the end grain.

In the thread you referenced Soren Berger wrote: "To keep bowls as
round as possible insert a length of wood 1/2"x1"in the top of the
bowls this stick should be placed accross the run of the grain just cut
these sticks on the bandsaw with a slight taper on the ends with an
easy fit into the bowl..."

Hmmmm?

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

From the grain at the rim of the bowl it appears correctly placed.

"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news
But George, by my expert analysis, it appears you placed the brace in
the wrong direction to the grain. According to Soren's instruction, the
brace should be perpendicular to the grain direction - i.e., against the
side grain, not the end grain.

In the thread you referenced Soren Berger wrote: "To keep bowls as
round as possible insert a length of wood 1/2"x1"in the top of the
bowls this stick should be placed accross the run of the grain just cut
these sticks on the bandsaw with a slight taper on the ends with an
easy fit into the bowl..."

Hmmmm?

You'll want to look again. It is indeed across the grain. You can see the
heart at the 1:00 position and a CA'd radial check at 2:00. As you no doubt
know, placing it along the grain would be worthless, since contraction is
almost nil in that direction.

IIRC, some advocated using plywood disks as well. Tried them, too.

I think I did three-four woods with three or four types of crosspieces.
Almost 25% blew open, including, the first and only instance I've had with
aspen.

George wrote:
I think I did three-four woods with three or four types of crosspieces.
Almost 25% blew open, including, the first and only instance I've had with
aspen.

It seems to me that crossbracing is going to encourage cracking by not
letting the wood flex as it wants to. It may work with some species
whose strength is high and shrinkage is low, but for the sake of saving
maybe one centimeter of diameter, I don't think it is worth the risk.

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners

In article , "George" George@least
wrote:

You'll want to look again. It is indeed across the grain. You can see the
heart at the 1:00 position and a CA'd radial check at 2:00. As you no doubt
know, placing it along the grain would be worthless, since contraction is
almost nil in that direction.

Well, it's your bowl, so you'd know... but it appears to me to be side
grain from 11:30 to 3:00 and similar opposite. I guess they're growth
rings around the heart then.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

"Derek Andrews" wrote in message
...
George wrote:
I think I did three-four woods with three or four types of crosspieces.
Almost 25% blew open, including, the first and only instance I've had
with aspen.

It seems to me that crossbracing is going to encourage cracking by not
letting the wood flex as it wants to. It may work with some species whose
strength is high and shrinkage is low, but for the sake of saving maybe
one centimeter of diameter, I don't think it is worth the risk.

--

The one under examination, which went toward warming the house last night,
had lost 1/4" of the ~10 it began with. Normal for hard maple that diameter
would have been 1/2", so there certainly wasn't a lot gained. I think what
kept this one from blowing apart was the obvious compression of the center
post.

I'm sure the concept was that the wood was in a plastic state when it was
merely wet. I have placed hot microwaved pieces over molds with reasonable
success, but there the lignin's weakened because of the heat. I know I
quickly discovered that trying to weight a stack of planks to control warp
was a fool's errand. Lot of power there.

"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news

Well, it's your bowl, so you'd know... but it appears to me to be side
grain from 11:30 to 3:00 and similar opposite. I guess they're growth
rings around the heart then.

Actually, if you look at the base of the pillar, you will see classic signs
of an uphill scrape beginning at around 1:30, recommencing at 7:00 or so.
Dead giveaway. Must have been using a dull gouge by the time I bottomed
that beauty.