Cut a round from a very large piece of elm last week that had been end
sealed and drying for at least 15 years. Was going to make a 15-16€�
salad bowl. I left it for a few days as I was busy with work and serious
checks developed. Ill be lucky to get a 10€� bowl. Sod it!

On 12/10/2016 9:45 PM, graham wrote:
Cut a round from a very large piece of elm last week that had been end
sealed and drying for at least 15 years. Was going to make a 15-16€�
salad bowl. I left it for a few days as I was busy with work and serious
checks developed. Ill be lucky to get a 10€� bowl. Sod it!

As a follow up:
This bowl was going to be a 15-16€� salad bowl but checks appeared in the
blank and I had to resize it to 12€�. Then further faults in the wood
took it down to a 10€�D x 6€� high bowl. I was well into hollowing it and
when I turned to the grinder to sharpen the gouge, I heard a very loud
POP! That was the 3€� crack in the photo.

https://postimg.org/image/spgt4d5uv/

Youd think after at least 15 years drying, the wood would be stable but
it turned out to be full of stress.
Oh well€¦€¦.

Is elm a wood that always has inherent cracks? Or does not really ever dry? Guessing there are some woods that no matter how long the wood dries, still aren't suitable for turning.

On 12/11/2016 8:28 PM, wrote:
Is elm a wood that always has inherent cracks? Or does not really ever dry? Guessing there are some woods that no matter how long the wood dries, still aren't suitable for turning.

I know that ring checks can be a problem but I turned a 12" bowl from
the same tree a few weeks ago with no problems.

graham wrote:
Cut a round from a very large piece of elm last week that had been end
sealed and drying for at least 15 years. Was going to make a 15-16€�
salad bowl. I left it for a few days as I was busy with work and serious
checks developed. Ill be lucky to get a 10€� bowl. Sod it!

In my experience, end sealing is not a permanent preventative, just a
delaying action for a few days til you can rough it out and in a bag
to dry.

--
GW Ross

If love is blind, why is lingerie so
popular?

On Sun, 11 Dec 2016 16:17:15 -0700
graham wrote:

Youd think after at least 15 years drying, the wood would be stable
but it turned out to be full of stress.

that is all there is to it

internal stress stored in the wood

no amount of drying will resolve the stress and only working it
will release the energy

usually there are visual cues though

closely bunched growth rings or wavy rings or knots

can have interesting results on the table saw

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..

Martin

On 12/11/2016 9:28 PM, wrote:
Is elm a wood that always has inherent cracks? Or does not really ever dry? Guessing there are some woods that no matter how long the wood dries, still aren't suitable for turning.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:40:44 -0600
Martin Eastburn wrote:

Pros turn wood wet. So wet that the apron drips.

you mean they rough shape it while wet
let it season for some time then turn the final form

depends on the wood too

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..

from op description sounds like the wood had stress that no amount
of dryness would remove

On 12/13/2016 8:54 AM, Electric Comet wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:40:44 -0600
Martin Eastburn wrote:

Pros turn wood wet. So wet that the apron drips.

you mean they rough shape it while wet
let it season for some time then turn the final form

depends on the wood too

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..

from op description sounds like the wood had stress that no amount
of dryness would remove

I've looked at it since and there are a few very small cracks that I
think are due to stress.
My estimate of 15 years drying was probably low. It could be 20 years -
I didn't keep a record.
Graham

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

The seasoning is based on the thickness of wood.

If you have 1/2" thick wood (bowl) the time is short.

So if you pre-form the work - oversized - and bag them
to slow down the change - some wrap in damp towel and such.

Experiment and see what works for you. The Green wood
(cut from a tree that day) is preformed into a bowl and tons
of wet wood is taken off and time is less.

Yes Yes they turn and I have - wood that is Green and fresh cut.
It is easier and shears nicer.

I've watched Raffin turn weed pots for 30 minutes and he would
be dripping from sap/water. It was a tough thing to watch someone
so good turn out product so fast.

Martin

On 12/13/2016 9:54 AM, Electric Comet wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:40:44 -0600
Martin Eastburn wrote:

Pros turn wood wet. So wet that the apron drips.

you mean they rough shape it while wet
let it season for some time then turn the final form

depends on the wood too

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..

from op description sounds like the wood had stress that no amount
of dryness would remove

On 12/11/2016 4:17 PM, graham wrote:
On 12/10/2016 9:45 PM, graham wrote:
Cut a round from a very large piece of elm last week that had been end
sealed and drying for at least 15 years. Was going to make a 15-16€�
salad bowl. I left it for a few days as I was busy with work and serious
checks developed. Ill be lucky to get a 10€� bowl. Sod it!

As a follow up:
This bowl was going to be a 15-16€� salad bowl but checks appeared in the
blank and I had to resize it to 12€�. Then further faults in the wood
took it down to a 10€�D x 6€� high bowl. I was well into hollowing it and
when I turned to the grinder to sharpen the gouge, I heard a very loud
POP! That was the 3€� crack in the photo.

https://postimg.org/image/spgt4d5uv/

Youd think after at least 15 years drying, the wood would be stable but
it turned out to be full of stress.
Oh well€¦€¦.

In the 3 days since that split occurred, it has widened and extended
down to the base of the bowl as well as opening up across the interior.
Now there's no chance of even getting a saucer out of it!
Graham