• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

First Bowl

Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Hello turners, after a month of reading, watching utube video's and getting great advice from fellow wood turners I turned my first green bowl yesterday. The bowl is of Maple from a tree that was harvested last week from a two acre clearing for a new home a couple of miles from me. The owner was a friend and he gave me several small logs of the maple.

The bowl is 7" OD and just a simple design. I turned it a little thick to allow for movement as the bowl goes through it drying process. On the bottom of the bowl where I turned the mortise the wood was a little stringy? Is the normal for green wood? I was very satisfied with the turning. I put the bowl in a paper bag and put the date and type of wood on the bag. My next project is to get a dried bowl blank and turn is so I'll have a finished bowl.
Cook Woods is one of the many wood suppliers that was suggested so I will probably order from them......Happy turning!
 
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
Messages
469
Likes
244
Location
San Antonio, TX
Hello turners, after a month of reading, watching utube video's and getting great advice from fellow wood turners I turned my first green bowl yesterday. The bowl is of Maple from a tree that was harvested last week from a two acre clearing for a new home a couple of miles from me. The owner was a friend and he gave me several small logs of the maple.

The bowl is 7" OD and just a simple design. I turned it a little thick to allow for movement as the bowl goes through it drying process. On the bottom of the bowl where I turned the mortise the wood was a little stringy? Is the normal for green wood? I was very satisfied with the turning. I put the bowl in a paper bag and put the date and type of wood on the bag. My next project is to get a dried bowl blank and turn is so I'll have a finished bowl.
Cook Woods is one of the many wood suppliers that was suggested so I will probably order from them......Happy turning!

Congrats on your first bowl :) I am still a newbie so I can relate.

I made a list of wood blank sources, I usually buy from the first one or from eBay but I now look for free wood because buying adds up quickly as you start turning more. Not to mention, you are limited on sizes when you buy.

http://www.aawforum.org/community/index.php?threads/wood-blanks-sources.12462/

I also dry the green wood faster using "DNA bath", you can google it, I had great success with this method. It is not for high volume, but if you only do few here and there, it speeds up the process.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Messages
2,326
Likes
1,105
Location
Nebraska
CraigsList usually posts free wood every day when someone is cutting down a tree
or cleaning out the garage or shop. If you plan ahead and collect some green wood
and process it into turning blanks you can provide an endless supply of turning blanks
in a couple of years. It takes a year or two or more to properly dry turning blanks depending
on what you are making. When harvesting green wood you want to process the logs and
cut them to size and seal the end grain as quickly as possible to avoid the cracking and checking
of the end grain of the wood blanks. Finding large sized turning blanks can be a challenge and
when you find them they are either green wood needing to dry or fairly expensive. Another option
in most area's are regional saw mill owners that slab trees with portable saw mills. Many of these
companies also cut and process logs into large dimension timbers and various sized billets for a
variety of uses. Local tree cutters are another good resource to partner with.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Free green wood is the best....IMO
I agree Charlie.
Freshly cut maple can be s bit stringy. Keep the tool sharp and remove wood fibers that ball up and keep the tool from cutting. The rough turning should be about ¾ to 1 inch thick.
Great tip Bill, I left an inch on the bowl. I cleaned up the fibers this morning. About how long does it take a green maple bowl to dry enough to finish? The bowl is in a paper bag and humidity is kept at 60 percent.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Congrats on your first bowl :) I am still a newbie so I can relate.

I made a list of wood blank sources, I usually buy from the first one or from eBay but I now look for free wood because buying adds up quickly as you start turning more. Not to mention, you are limited on sizes when you buy.

http://www.aawforum.org/community/index.php?threads/wood-blanks-sources.12462/

I also dry the green wood faster using "DNA bath", you can google it, I had great success with this method. It is not for high volume, but if you only do few here and there, it speeds up the process.
Thanks for the tip on drying Fadi, I'll sure give it a try. Also thanks for the wood blank sources.
CraigsList usually posts free wood every day when someone is cutting down a tree
or cleaning out the garage or shop. If you plan ahead and collect some green wood
and process it into turning blanks you can provide an endless supply of turning blanks
in a couple of years. It takes a year or two or more to properly dry turning blanks depending
on what you are making. When harvesting green wood you want to process the logs and
cut them to size and seal the end grain as quickly as possible to avoid the cracking and checking
of the end grain of the wood blanks. Finding large sized turning blanks can be a challenge and
when you find them they are either green wood needing to dry or fairly expensive. Another option
in most area's are regional saw mill owners that slab trees with portable saw mills. Many of these
companies also cut and process logs into large dimension timbers and various sized billets for a
variety of uses. Local tree cutters are another good resource to partner with.
Hi Mike, very good tips. Mike, do you seal your green wood with a product called Ancorseal, I think that is how it is spelled? I've read where some people seal with white acrylic paint to ck cracking. There is a sawmill about 12 miles from me. I know the saw pine and I'll ck and see if they process hard wood as well.
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,593
Likes
4,890
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Congratulations! For drying bowls.
Anchor seal,works great but slows the drying more than the paper bag method.

Using paper bags be sure to change damp bags for dry ones everyday for 5-7 days until the bags are dry to the touch. Damp bags become mold factories. If you see any mold on the bowl wipe it wit clorox and discard the bags it came out of.

After the bags are dry to the touch I put the bagged bowl on a shelf for 4 months. Then take it out of the bags and finish drying on a shelf.
A 7" bowl at 3/4" wall thickness would likely be returnable in 6 months total time.
A 1" thick bowl 8-10 months to dry.
With anchor seal it has always taken my bowls about 11-12 months to dry.

In a 60% RH environment the wood will dry to about 11%MC.
At 50% RH the wood will dry to about 9% MC

If you are in a hurry the 7" bowl would be a easy to microwave dry in a day.

Consider turning a green bowl to finish.

If you get it a 1/4" thick it will dry within a week to finish.
I turn these bows with the rim to the bark so when they warp the rim will be waved.
Bowls with rims toward the center of the tree will warp with two peaks at the end grain end that I don't care for.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Messages
2,326
Likes
1,105
Location
Nebraska
Lamar,

I usually use hot melted canning wax to seal end grain on the wood blanks.
I use an old "Fry Daddy" oil cooker and keep several blocks of canning wax in the cooker.
When I need to seal wood, I plug in the cooker and adjust the thermostat and the wax is
ready in several minutes and I can dip the ends of the smaller blanks into the cooker or use
a small wood handle brush to brush the hot wax onto the end grain. Some woods require a
second application when using a brush to apply the seal. Depending on the wood type and
the moisture content the end grain will absorb the hot melted wax. Ancorseal works fine, the
hot wax requires no clean-up of the brush since I leave it in the cooker and put the cover on
when done. I have also used latex paint on freshly cut logs, this also requires several coats
to get a good seal. When I process the logs into the desired blanks I usually then apply the
hot wax on the end grain. Wax or Ancorseal is the better option for sealing end grain.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Congratulations! For drying bowls.
Anchor seal,works great but slows the drying more than the paper bag method.

Using paper bags be sure to change damp bags for dry ones everyday for 5-7 days until the bags are dry to the touch. Damp bags become mold factories. If you see any mold on the bowl wipe it wit clorox and discard the bags it came out of.

After the bags are dry to the touch I put the bagged bowl on a shelf for 4 months. Then take it out of the bags and finish drying on a shelf.
A 7" bowl at 3/4" wall thickness would likely be returnable in 6 months total time.
A 1" thick bowl 8-10 months to dry.
With anchor seal it has always taken my bowls about 11-12 months to dry.

In a 60% RH environment the wood will dry to about 11%MC.
At 50% RH the wood will dry to about 9% MC

If you are in a hurry the 7" bowl would be a easy to microwave dry in a day.

Consider turning a green bowl to finish.

If you get it a 1/4" thick it will dry within a week to finish.
I turn these bows with the rim to the bark so when they warp the rim will be waved.
Bowls with rims toward the center of the tree will warp with two peaks at the end grain end that I don't care for.
Hi Al, I will be sure and check the bags for moisture . The bowl is in a bag on a shelf in my shop. I'm in the shop every day so I'll be able to keep a close eye on it. Thanks on the tips Al and happy turning.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Lamar,

I usually use hot melted canning wax to seal end grain on the wood blanks.
I use an old "Fry Daddy" oil cooker and keep several blocks of canning wax in the cooker.
When I need to seal wood, I plug in the cooker and adjust the thermostat and the wax is
ready in several minutes and I can dip the ends of the smaller blanks into the cooker or use
a small wood handle brush to brush the hot wax onto the end grain. Some woods require a
second application when using a brush to apply the seal. Depending on the wood type and
the moisture content the end grain will absorb the hot melted wax. Ancorseal works fine, the
hot wax requires no clean-up of the brush since I leave it in the cooker and put the cover on
when done. I have also used latex paint on freshly cut logs, this also requires several coats
to get a good seal. When I process the logs into the desired blanks I usually then apply the
hot wax on the end grain. Wax or Ancorseal is the better option for sealing end grain.
Hi Mike, thanks for the waxing tip. I'll get some canning wax to use on the end grain. We have a Fry Daddy that we never use so it will be perfect for sealing end grain. Thanks again Mike and happy turning.
 
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
272
Likes
115
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Hello turners, after a month of reading, watching utube video's and getting great advice from fellow wood turners I turned my first green bowl yesterday. The bowl is of Maple from a tree that was harvested last week from a two acre clearing for a new home a couple of miles from me. The owner was a friend and he gave me several small logs of the maple.

The bowl is 7" OD and just a simple design. I turned it a little thick to allow for movement as the bowl goes through it drying process. On the bottom of the bowl where I turned the mortise the wood was a little stringy? Is the normal for green wood? I was very satisfied with the turning. I put the bowl in a paper bag and put the date and type of wood on the bag. My next project is to get a dried bowl blank and turn is so I'll have a finished bowl.
Cook Woods is one of the many wood suppliers that was suggested so I will probably order from them......Happy turning!

No photos, didn't happen :D

I've had problems with green (silver) maple and tearout as the grain changes direction. In dry maple, my technique is apparently good enough (or my tools sharp enough) that I don't have nearly as much tearout.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
No photos, didn't happen :D

I've had problems with green (silver) maple and tearout as the grain changes direction. In dry maple, my technique is apparently good enough (or my tools sharp enough) that I don't have nearly as much tearout.
Hello Hy, I made some pictures of the bowl since it was my first and I'll post them here of the forum soon as I sort out how to do that on this forum. I posted photos all the time on the Pen Turners forum of my pens so it should not be that difficult to post here.
Yes, my tearout is on the bottom and rim of the bowl. Was very excited on my first bowl the way it turned out, (no pun intended lol) now to turn a lot more!
 
Last edited:

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,593
Likes
4,890
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Hello turners, here are photos of my first green rough turned bowl as promised.

Pretty good for a first bowl.

Looks like you are doing some scraping to get the long strings.
Scraping dry wood works better than scraping green wood.
Scraping is ok but I always get a cleaner surface cutting with a gouge with the bevel riding than I get scraping.

I Rough turn bowls using a 1/2" bowl gouge (5/8" diameter bar) with the Ellsworth grind.
Many grinds in bowl gouges can be used successfully to make smooth bevel riding cuts.

last January I did a demo "working with green wood" I roughed a green bowl for drying and then mounted and turned a dried bowl. The green bowl I roughed was red maple one of the soft maples.

I don't get the long strings because I cut the fibers with supported by longer fibers behind them.

Roughing green bowl -
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo0bGSafZq4
 
Last edited:

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,079
Likes
9,488
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Lamar.......You're right......lots of "stringiness" there. Gotta start somewhere, so hang in there. It will get better with practice. My first thought is your tool could be a little sharper.....Was that done with a gouge, or scraper? There is no reason why that can't turn out to be a very nice bowl. Take your time with the seasoning process, and make sure it's stabilized to the ambient atmosphere. Time to mount up some kiln dried wood, and pass the time working with that.......:D

-----odie-----
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Lamar.......You're right......lots of "stringiness" there. Gotta start somewhere, so hang in there. It will get better with practice. My first thought is your tool could be a little sharper.....Was that done with a gouge, or scraper? There is no reason why that can't turn out to be a very nice bowl. Take your time with the seasoning process, and make sure it's stabilized to the ambient atmosphere. Time to mount up some kiln dried wood, and pass the time working with that.......:D

-----odie-----
Hi Odie, thank you very much for your valued reply. Tool of choice was my 1/2" bowl gouge and a scraper. I put an Ellsworth grind on my gouge for the first time and think I need some work on the grind. i don't think the gouge is sharp enough. Yes Odie, I plan on turning a lot of kiln dried wood and practice making a lot of bowls. Thanks for your tips and happy turning, by the way, I really like your bowl designs and finish!
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Pretty good for a first bowl.

Looks like you are doing some scraping to get the long strings.
Scraping dry wood works better than scraping green wood.
Scraping is ok but I always get a cleaner surface cutting with a gouge with the bevel riding than I get scraping.

I Rough turn bowls using a 1/2" bowl gouge (5/8" diameter bar) with the Ellsworth grind.
Many grinds in bowl gouges can be used successfully to make smooth bevel riding cuts.

last January I did a demo "working with green wood" I roughed a green bowl for drying and then mounted and turned a dried bowl. The green bowl I roughed was red maple one of the soft maples.

I don't get the long strings because I cut the fibers with supported by longer fibers behind them.

Roughing green bowl -
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo0bGSafZq4
Hi Al, thanks so much for the video and i have bookmarked it and can follow your turning of a green bowl. As I told Odie, I'm going to turn a lot of kiln dried for a while and practice on my bowls. Happy turning.
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,593
Likes
4,890
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Hi Al, thanks so much for the video and i have bookmarked it and can follow your turning of a green bowl. As I told Odie, I'm going to turn a lot of kiln dried for a while and practice on my bowls. Happy turning.

Lamar,
I would encourage you to turn green wood if you have sources.
Your green bowl is a good start. If you believe your next turning will be better than the last every bowl you do will be better.

Green wood is so much more fun to turn that dry wood.
Green wood is essentially free after you buy the truck, trailer and chainsaw.
You can cut quite a few blanks with a bow saw in a morning.

As your gouge skills improve you will get smooth surfaces with no strings attached. :)

Have you connected with the Alabama Woodturner's? A little coaching can improve your tool usage in a hurry.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Lamar,
I would encourage you to turn green wood if you have sources.
Your green bowl is a good start. If you believe your next turning will be better than the last every bowl you do will be better.

Green wood is so much more fun to turn that dry wood.
Green wood is essentially free after you buy the truck, trailer and chainsaw.
You can cut quite a few blanks with a bow saw in a morning.

As your gouge skills improve you will get smooth surfaces with no strings attached. :)

Have you connected with the Alabama Woodturner's? A little coaching can improve your tool usage in a hurry.

Hi Al, I have all three, truck, trailer and chainsaw. There are plenty of resources to green wood in my area. There is a friend of mine (a fellow pen turner) who started turning bowls and platters couple years ago who is helping me also. Jim is the one that turned my interest into turning other things than just pens.

I have plenty of green Red Maple logs to cut and practice on so I'll be making shavings for a while. Happy turning and thanks so much for your tips Al. I'll be posting on my progress with photo's and welcome any advice.
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,079
Likes
9,488
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Hello Lamar......I am envious! I love turning nice pieces of maple. Living where I do, the sources of green hardwood is pretty darn slim.......so, I've always been limited to wood that I can buy. Much of it is KD, but I still get quite a bit of harvested and waxed green wood. The shipping expense is high, too. :( Although it would be great for a learning experience, I've always avoided plain grained woods.....wanted only the best high figure wood......and, commercial sources know they are extra desirable....so, there too......the price goes up! :(

One thing that has held true for me, is the 1/10 rule is not always the best advice. As long as you have quite a few pieces of roughed bowls in progress to be seasoned.......a little thicker is better. The overall warping is less, and there is less cracking/checking. If you can, it's better to not be in a hurry to get it on your lathe.....here, time is your friend, friend! :)

Looking to hear from you, and others, about your learning experiences. I've found new turners are not yet completely overwhelmed with the usual accepted advice, and come up with some pretty amazing perceptions and concepts! :D

Good day to you and all........

-----odie-----
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Messages
2,326
Likes
1,105
Location
Nebraska
Turning green wood will provide plenty of turning time which will develop tool skills, however
turning dry wood will also help in developing the other turning, sanding and finishing skills.
Turning small segmented items allows a person to cut and glue dry wood, turn and finish
completed items in a day or two. I also like to turn a variety of items to learn different skills
and techniques to keep things interesting. Dry wood will provide the opportunity to turn and
finish an item the same day, whereas a room of green turned bowls has a long waiting time
to see any of your hard work turned into a finished item. You can also turn jigs and tools that
you will need for your bowl finishing tasks from dry wood. Plenty of things to turn while you
are waiting for your green bowls to dry.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Hello Lamar......I am envious! I love turning nice pieces of maple. Living where I do, the sources of green hardwood is pretty darn slim.......so, I've always been limited to wood that I can buy. Much of it is KD, but I still get quite a bit of harvested and waxed green wood. The shipping expense is high, too. :( Although it would be great for a learning experience, I've always avoided plain grained woods.....wanted only the best high figure wood......and, commercial sources know they are extra desirable....so, there too......the price goes up! :(

One thing that has held true for me, is the 1/10 rule is not always the best advice. As long as you have quite a few pieces of roughed bowls in progress to be seasoned.......a little thicker is better. The overall warping is less, and there is less cracking/checking. If you can, it's better to not be in a hurry to get it on your lathe.....here, time is your friend, friend! :)

Looking to hear from you, and others, about your learning experiences. I've found new turners are not yet completely overwhelmed with the usual accepted advice, and come up with some pretty amazing perceptions and concepts! :D

Good day to you and all........

-----odie-----
Hi Odie, thanks for the kind words my friend. Just got through sawing some fresh maple bowl blanks. Good advice Odie, I also believe time is my friend when it comes to green wood. And yes, I agree that thicker is better when it comes to roughing a bowl so it allows for less cracking/checking and warping. I sure will be posting my progress Odie as I enjoy getting advice from you and others in this wonderful hobby/work. By the way I saw your photo album on your Military time and enjoyed it very much. As one Viet Nam vet to another "Welcome Home My Friend". I was at Can Tho in the delta from 68-69. I was with the 191st Helicopter Co. Door gunner/crew chief on a Huey. If you were here I'd give you all the green Maple wood you could take! Happy Turning.
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,593
Likes
4,890
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
agree that thicker is better when it comes to roughing a bowl so it allows for less cracking/checking and warping.

Only a little bit thicker. The wood must be able to move as it dries.
If it cannot move as bowl it cracks.

The 10% rule works pretty well as a rough measure. It does not have to be exact.
A 7" bowl would be 3/4 inch thick. An inch should be fine. You probably get away with 1.5-2" thick wall in a 7" bowl probably get cracking if you go 3" thick in a 15" bowl
The bottom of the bowl can be a 1/3 thinner than the rim.

Small bowls are especially good for practicing on. You can turn them faster and they are more forgiving in the drying because the movement distance of the wood is less than on large pieces. Everything about small bowls is easier than large ones- turning, drying, getting a curve, length of time to dry.

Also there is the drying time. Thicker takes longer.
The 10% rule is meant to give you a round bowl inside the warped one.
Typical 10" bowl warps to 10" x 9.5" you have a bowl with a 1/2" wall thickness.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Turning green wood will provide plenty of turning time which will develop tool skills, however
turning dry wood will also help in developing the other turning, sanding and finishing skills.
Turning small segmented items allows a person to cut and glue dry wood, turn and finish
completed items in a day or two. I also like to turn a variety of items to learn different skills
and techniques to keep things interesting. Dry wood will provide the opportunity to turn and
finish an item the same day, whereas a room of green turned bowls has a long waiting time
to see any of your hard work turned into a finished item. You can also turn jigs and tools that
you will need for your bowl finishing tasks from dry wood. Plenty of things to turn while you
are waiting for your green bowls to dry.

Hi Mike, all of your tips that you quoted, I totally agree. I have a lot to do, while my wood is drying, that's for sure! I have turned several gigs that will be very helpful in my wood turning. As I turn things I am always thinking how a jig would help my process. I really enjoy learning new skills and being able to turn different things. All those years of turning pens was the same every day. Now, I have opened up a whole new world by turning different things and I must say it is exciting. I thank all of you that help me and others like me that are advancing our skills as woodturners to a higher level. Mike, I'll be posting projects along the way for advice from everyone. Thanks and Happy turning.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Only a little bit thicker. The wood must be able to move as it dries.
If it cannot move as bowl it cracks.

The 10% rule works pretty well as a rough measure. It does not have to be exact.
A 7" bowl would be 3/4 inch thick. An inch should be fine. You probably get away with 1.5-2" thick wall in a 7" bowl probably get cracking if you go 3" thick in a 15" bowl
The bottom of the bowl can be a 1/3 thinner than the rim.

Small bowls are especially good for practicing on. You can turn them faster and they are more forgiving in the drying because the movement distance of the wood is less than on large pieces. Everything about small bowls is easier than large ones- turning, drying, getting a curve, length of time to dry.

Also there is the drying time. Thicker takes longer.
The 10% rule is meant to give you a round bowl inside the warped one.
Typical 10" bowl warps to 10" x 9.5" you have a bowl with a 1/2" wall thickness.

Hi Al, so actually I could have taken a little more wood off the bottom of my bowl? I left the bowl probably an 1 1/2 " thick at the bottom.

I do plan on practicing on small bowls. Al, I really value you and all others knowledge and tips. Someday as I learn more about turning, I hope that I can help others. Happy turning.
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,079
Likes
9,488
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
By the way I saw your photo album on your Military time and enjoyed it very much. As one Viet Nam vet to another "Welcome Home My Friend". I was at Can Tho in the delta from 68-69. I was with the 191st Helicopter Co. Door gunner/crew chief on a Huey.

Well by golly.....imagine that! :) I very seldom have met anyone who was also a door gunner on a huey.....we seem to be a very small subset of those who served! Welcome back to you, too, Lamar. I know what it was like to do that job, and can relate. If I hadn't been 19, 20 years old during that year, and had a little more life experiences......I probably would have been a nervous wreck! :D

-----odie-----
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,079
Likes
9,488
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Speaking of the 1/10th rule, and the drying/seasoning process.....I just weighed all my roughed bowls that are still in the process of seasoning yesterday. Most straight grained wood will warp to an oval shape (more or less) with the grain direction running through the longest dimension.

I keep an index file card for each block of wood, and I enter the size, supplier, species, my initial cost, where the wood was harvested, seasoning times and weights, special notations, repairs, drawings during the final turning, date sold, retail price, who bought it, and anything else pertaining to one particular bowl. This roughed bowl, #1486, Claro walnut burl, has a very uneven grain pattern, and the drying/warping is a very unpredictable thing. Here the initial diameter was 8", but the wall thickness is slightly more than 1". The initial moisture content was 36%, and the bowl was roughed and anchor-sealed. The bowl is no longer round, and is drying very unevenly......having thick and thinner spots around the circumference. It was roughed on 2/24/17, and you can see that the monthly weights are still on the way down. I will not consider it stabilized until I have at least 3 months of unchanged weights.....(or +/- 5 grams, or so) During winter months, many times I'll wait for 4 consecutive unchanged monthly weights. Currently, I have about 50 bowls in the seasoning process, so I am not pressed for time.....and, can let nature take it's course in seasoning my roughed bowls. Some will take more time than others, and I don't care......the object is to season the bowl, not finish turn it as soon as possible. There are plenty of other seasoned bowls I can finish turn in the mean time.....not to mention the kiln dried stock I have in inventory.
IMG_3099 (2).JPG IMG_3101 (2).JPG
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Speaking of the 1/10th rule, and the drying/seasoning process.....I just weighed all my roughed bowls that are still in the process of seasoning yesterday. Most straight grained wood will warp to an oval shape (more or less) with the grain direction running through the longest dimension.

I keep an index file card for each block of wood, and I enter the size, supplier, species, my initial cost, where the wood was harvested, seasoning times and weights, special notations, repairs, drawings during the final turning, date sold, retail price, who bought it, and anything else pertaining to one particular bowl. This roughed bowl, #1486, Claro walnut burl, has a very uneven grain pattern, and the drying/warping is a very unpredictable thing. Here the initial diameter was 8", but the wall thickness is slightly more than 1". The initial moisture content was 36%, and the bowl was roughed and anchor-sealed. The bowl is no longer round, and is drying very unevenly......having thick and thinner spots around the circumference. It was roughed on 2/24/17, and you can see that the monthly weights are still on the way down. I will not consider it stabilized until I have at least 3 months of unchanged weights.....(or +/- 5 grams, or so) During winter months, many times I'll wait for 4 consecutive unchanged monthly weights. Currently, I have about 50 bowls in the seasoning process, so I am not pressed for time.....and, can let nature take it's course in seasoning my roughed bowls. Some will take more time than others, and I don't care......the object is to season the bowl, not finish turn it as soon as possible. There are plenty of other seasoned bowls I can finish turn in the mean time.....not to mention the kiln dried stock I have in inventory.
View attachment 23227 View attachment 23228

Hi Odie, I am really impressed with how you catalog and weigh each green bowl. I knew that I had to have some kind of way keeping up with my green bowls after rough turning..... I had a similar catalog system with my pens except all my wood blanks were already Kiln dried when I purchased them. The #1486 is the bowl number? I numbered and cataloged each pen I turned. I like keeping an index card on each bowl and how you entered the weigh each month. All I need now is to purchase a digital scale for weighing bowls. Do you keep a record when a bowl sales? When I sold a pen I put the date it sold and person that bought it and their information. Thanks Odie for showing us how you catalog and weigh each green turned bowl. I'll be posting green bowl #2 soon. Happy turning.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
"so I am not pressed for time"
Impressed with your detailed record keeping. I'm amazed at how much weight is lost from a green blank!
I'm wondering if I live long enough to turn some green bowls. I'm at the age where I don't buy green bananas.
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
2,051
Likes
352
Location
Martinsville, VA
I once received some Bradford pear log from a Turner in the Farmville area.....I was amazed at the number of rough turned blanks he had of all types of wood.....his studio was in the basement and he stored the rough outs between the joists by wood type....he used a mesh fencing to hold them up there and air flow.....I really appreciated that wood and liked his setup
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
charlie, interesting but the guy we bought the house from put sheetrock on the ceiling! If it wasn't such a mess, I would take it down.
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Messages
253
Likes
83
Location
Gassaway, WV
Website
www.steercreekwood.com
"so I am not pressed for time"
Impressed with your detailed record keeping. I'm amazed at how much weight is lost from a green blank!
I'm wondering if I live long enough to turn some green bowls. I'm at the age where I don't buy green bananas.

John when I make a rough out I write the weight and date on the piece. When I check it I add the new weight and date. I have compared the weight of a ready to turn rough out to it's weight when it was green and come out with about 60%. This will vary by type of wood and how dry it is when rough turned.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
Thanks, Fred. I wonder how it would work by putting the roughed blank in a container and using something like DampRid. I use this. It's surprising how much moisture it collects over a short period of time.
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,079
Likes
9,488
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Thanks, Fred. I wonder how it would work by putting the roughed blank in a container and using something like DampRid. I use this. It's surprising how much moisture it collects over a short period of time.

John, are you suggesting DampRid will cause additional moisture to release from a roughed bowl that wouldn't have otherwise occurred? Call me a bit of a skeptic here, but I doubt DampRid will pull any water content from a roughed bowl, that wouldn't have released without it.....so, I'm not seeing the point in using it. I am wrong about so many things in life, that I acknowledge that it's entirely possible I am short sighted, and not aware of the benefits of using the DampRid.......:confused:

The whole point, and purpose of using something like anchorseal, is to reduce the rate at which moisture is released.......therefore, in turn, also reducing the likelihood of developing cracks and excessive warping. :D

-----odie-----
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
I understand what you are saying and I do agree. The only thing is the DampRid would absorb the moisture. Just a thought. Thanks for your clarification.
 

RichColvin

Super Moderator
Staff member
OTI Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Messages
667
Likes
498
Location
Marysville, OH
Website
www.colvintools.com
Well by golly.....imagine that! :) I very seldom have met anyone who was also a door gunner on a huey.....we seem to be a very small subset of those who served! Welcome back to you, too, Lamar. I know what it was like to do that job, and can relate. If I hadn't been 19, 20 years old during that year, and had a little more life experiences......I probably would have been a nervous wreck! :D

-----odie-----

Never liked landing in those helicopters : I prefer to jump out ! (Though mine were Blackhawks)

Rich
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
799
Likes
562
Location
Jasper, Alabama
Hello turners, I put my first green bowl in a paper bag to start the drying process and I was just wondering could I put a rough turned second green bowl in the same bag with the first bowl? I also have a roll of brown paper, same brown paper as the brown bag is made of and I guess that could be used also?
 
Back
Top