I've tried boiling a few small turnings.

I'm about to attempt a large black walnut vase that is maybe 10 inches
by 14. Any suggestions for thickness and boiling time? I roughed out
the cylindar of black walnut from a log today then sealed it. I'm
thinking of hollowing out tomorrow.

There are two things I'm debating. Turn it all the way to final
thickness (1/4 to 1/8th) or rough out boil and dry then finish turning.

PS I had a large locust vase fail last month. Part of the problem was
probably the result of being to much of a hurry and not boiling long
enough and leaving the walls too thick. I've had a number of small
locust bowls work out just fine

Please excuse my ignorance, but why boil it? I've never heard of doing
this.

On 15 Apr 2006 18:51:09 -0700, "cuchara.red"
wrote:

Please excuse my ignorance, but why boil it? I've never heard of doing
this.

It is some kind of a turner's old wives tale. I have been trying for
years to fight back the frontiers of ignorance in this regard. You
couldn't believe what these fellows get up to in the privacy of their
shops, garages and woodsheds. I suspect they may be reincarnated
torture masters from the Middle Ages. They will boil, bake, freeze,
microwave, soak in WD40, antifreeze, alcohol, etc! To think of
treating a nice piece of wood that way simply staggers the imaginaton!
My way is quite kinder, more ecologically sound and wastes little
energy. I propose you use Liquid Dishwashing Liquid (LDD) and water
in a mix of 50/50 to safeguard your wood from splitting, cracking,
warping in extreme agony from the other methods. Ii is a clean
process and will leave your hands smooth and a delight for your wife
or girlfriend or boyfriend to feel.*G*

If you feel like taking the big step and crossing over from the
darkness and use this process, send me an email request for "The World
Famous Treatise on LDD.

Leif

if you turn it to final thickness, and it is as thin as you say, you
are almost sure to be safe presuming you cut the pith out. If you
want to leave it thicker, then boiling is a good alternative - note
that if you turn to final thickness, it may still distort, but it
won't crack - at least it's very unlikely to - but I have seen (some
of my pieces) move a lot (but not walnut - walnut seems pretty stable)




On Sat, 15 Apr 2006 19:32:16 -0600, william kossack
wrote:

I've tried boiling a few small turnings.

I'm about to attempt a large black walnut vase that is maybe 10 inches
by 14. Any suggestions for thickness and boiling time? I roughed out
the cylindar of black walnut from a log today then sealed it. I'm
thinking of hollowing out tomorrow.

There are two things I'm debating. Turn it all the way to final
thickness (1/4 to 1/8th) or rough out boil and dry then finish turning.

PS I had a large locust vase fail last month. Part of the problem was
probably the result of being to much of a hurry and not boiling long
enough and leaving the walls too thick. I've had a number of small
locust bowls work out just fine
Bill

www.wbnoble.com

to contact me, do not reply to this message,
instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com
*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

"william kossack" wrote in message
. ..
I've tried boiling a few small turnings.

I'm about to attempt a large black walnut vase that is maybe 10 inches by
14. Any suggestions for thickness and boiling time? I roughed out the
cylindar of black walnut from a log today then sealed it. I'm thinking of
hollowing out tomorrow.

There are two things I'm debating. Turn it all the way to final thickness
(1/4 to 1/8th) or rough out boil and dry then finish turning.


The great guru of boiling says an hour per inch of thickness. Catchy and
easy to remember.

Given all the claims of success (failures are attributed to not following
"the formula" precisely) at various boiling or soaking times and solutions,
what you wish to achieve is certainly achievable. Walnut is routinely
steamed to color the sapwood closer to the heartwood color, but it loses the
pink and purple highlights when it is. Are you sure this is what you're
after?

As I'm turning a log into a large vase the pith will remain in the bottom


William B Noble (don't reply to this address) wrote:
if you turn it to final thickness, and it is as thin as you say, you
are almost sure to be safe presuming you cut the pith out. If you
want to leave it thicker, then boiling is a good alternative - note
that if you turn to final thickness, it may still distort, but it
won't crack - at least it's very unlikely to - but I have seen (some
of my pieces) move a lot (but not walnut - walnut seems pretty stable)




On Sat, 15 Apr 2006 19:32:16 -0600, william kossack
wrote:


I've tried boiling a few small turnings.

I'm about to attempt a large black walnut vase that is maybe 10 inches
by 14. Any suggestions for thickness and boiling time? I roughed out
the cylindar of black walnut from a log today then sealed it. I'm
thinking of hollowing out tomorrow.

There are two things I'm debating. Turn it all the way to final
thickness (1/4 to 1/8th) or rough out boil and dry then finish turning.

PS I had a large locust vase fail last month. Part of the problem was
probably the result of being to much of a hurry and not boiling long
enough and leaving the walls too thick. I've had a number of small
locust bowls work out just fine

Bill

www.wbnoble.com

to contact me, do not reply to this message,
instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com
*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

LDD is not practical for my situation. Keeping that much liquid around
in the garage would create a number of problems especially during the
winter when it would freeze.

Leif Thorvaldson wrote:
On 15 Apr 2006 18:51:09 -0700, "cuchara.red"
wrote:


Please excuse my ignorance, but why boil it? I've never heard of doing
this.


It is some kind of a turner's old wives tale. I have been trying for
years to fight back the frontiers of ignorance in this regard. You
couldn't believe what these fellows get up to in the privacy of their
shops, garages and woodsheds. I suspect they may be reincarnated
torture masters from the Middle Ages. They will boil, bake, freeze,
microwave, soak in WD40, antifreeze, alcohol, etc! To think of
treating a nice piece of wood that way simply staggers the imaginaton!
My way is quite kinder, more ecologically sound and wastes little
energy. I propose you use Liquid Dishwashing Liquid (LDD) and water
in a mix of 50/50 to safeguard your wood from splitting, cracking,
warping in extreme agony from the other methods. Ii is a clean
process and will leave your hands smooth and a delight for your wife
or girlfriend or boyfriend to feel.*G*

If you feel like taking the big step and crossing over from the
darkness and use this process, send me an email request for "The World
Famous Treatise on LDD.

Leif

my concern is the pith in the bottom of the vase and in this case a
couple knot wholes in the side of the log

George wrote:
"william kossack" wrote in message
. ..

I've tried boiling a few small turnings.

I'm about to attempt a large black walnut vase that is maybe 10 inches by
14. Any suggestions for thickness and boiling time? I roughed out the
cylindar of black walnut from a log today then sealed it. I'm thinking of
hollowing out tomorrow.

There are two things I'm debating. Turn it all the way to final thickness
(1/4 to 1/8th) or rough out boil and dry then finish turning.



The great guru of boiling says an hour per inch of thickness. Catchy and
easy to remember.

Given all the claims of success (failures are attributed to not following
"the formula" precisely) at various boiling or soaking times and solutions,
what you wish to achieve is certainly achievable. Walnut is routinely
steamed to color the sapwood closer to the heartwood color, but it loses the
pink and purple highlights when it is. Are you sure this is what you're
after?

Hi Bill

The consensus is to boil 1 hour or more per 1" of thickness.

My little experience with boiling is that it does help some, but you
will get a somewhat washed out color from it, like LDD.

The walnut does move a lot, that is the sapwood does, the hearth wood
does not move that much, this is initially, after it has dried it is
very stable.

Your problem is of course going to be the knots and the wood directly
around it, and also the end grain in the bottom.

The bottom end grain is dealt with easiest, increase its strength and
slow down the drying with CA glue, (medium thin) just do the outside
bottom.

If you turn away the sap wood you will have less trouble and better
looking wood, also with end grain turning you don't need the 10% wall
as with side grain turning, a 5/8" to 3/4" wall would be plenty IMO.

The knots might be tripping you up though, depending on their size and
the amount of stress wood surrounding them, if you boil the wood you
loose most of the stress that is there at that point, however the wood
does have to dry after the boiling and there is going to be stress from
that, though less than without the boiling.

I have used CA glue whit success on knots by saturating them, so the
knot could not shrink, but of course you see the glue in the wood.

Go for it Bill, it should be fun and more experience for the next one.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo