was a temptation, would this have been a bowl or a tub?

[Hu Lowery]

A long dead pecan fell in the side pasture. At the top of the trunk it limbs split in four directions at the same height. The biggest was sixteen or eighteen inches diameter and the smallest about twelve. Should have been some interesting grain and only the outer couple inches of the tree were rotten. Had to regretfully admit that my sixteen inch toy chainsaw and fifteen inch lathe just didn't make whittling it down to bite sizes worthwhile. The part that wasn't rotten was hard as iron and I'm getting a lot of blank cracking before I get them roughed. The thought of working a day or more to see the blanks crack was pretty much the final decider, off to the burn pile, at a crawl! The tractor was a little small for the operation too.

Didn't know anyone locally with the saw or lathe to deal with it. Seemed a shame though. over forty inches diameter at the largest.

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

Turn it outboard.

 

[Hu Lowery]

that could work!

Turn it outboard.

Let's see, a home made floor based steady rest, a ten horse helper motor, adapt the three point hitch auger as the tail rest, don't know why I didn't think of this myself!

Keep on thinking Bill, you are good at it!

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

Glad to help.

 

[Keith Barrett]

I know the feeling. Ive got 6 20+" pecan blanks waxed in my shop awaiting a lathe that can handle it. My 1442 just wont do.

 

[Hu Lowery]

it has crossed my mind . . .

I know the feeling. Ive got 6 20+" pecan blanks waxed in my shop awaiting a lathe that can handle it. My 1442 just wont do.

There is a buzz saw set up to hook to the tractor three point hitch and run off the PTO. The saw would be very handy at times and it seems like swapping the blade for a faceplate might let me turn the huge bell I want to turn someday. . .

I tried latex paint to protect the endgrain of my blanks, seemed to have no effect. Lost the wood just as quick. Got to try something made for the job or a wax mixture but looking at past losses discourages too much work to store more blanks for awhile and then burn them.

On the other hand if you are a married man storing oversized blanks until you reach critical mass could be a good idea: "Honey, I have to buy a bigger lathe. I have too much time and money invested in these blanks not to."

Hu

 

[Keith Barrett]

"Honey, I have to buy a bigger lathe. I have too much time and money invested in these blanks not to."

Hu

SHHHHH!!!!! She might hear you!

 

[Hu Lowery]

i'll try to type quietly

SHHHHH!!!!! She might hear you!

:cool2:

 

[Bill Weaver]

A long dead pecan fell in the side pasture. At the top of the trunk it limbs split in four directions at the same height. The biggest was sixteen or eighteen inches diameter and the smallest about twelve. Should have been some interesting grain and only the outer couple inches of the tree were rotten. Had to regretfully admit that my sixteen inch toy chainsaw and fifteen inch lathe just didn't make whittling it down to bite sizes worthwhile. The part that wasn't rotten was hard as iron and I'm getting a lot of blank cracking before I get them roughed. The thought of working a day or more to see the blanks crack was pretty much the final decider, off to the burn pile, at a crawl! The tractor was a little small for the operation too.

Didn't know anyone locally with the saw or lathe to deal with it. Seemed a shame though. over forty inches diameter at the largest.

Hu

I tried latex on some 20 inch or so ash trunk pieces a couple years ago, have not cut to size yet and they are holding up okay. I bought some anchor seal recently and sealed end of maple looks like it is going to work.

 

[Hu Lowery]

rain and sunshine

I tried latex on some 20 inch or so ash trunk pieces a couple years ago, have not cut to size yet and they are holding up okay. I bought some anchor seal recently and sealed end of maple looks like it is going to work.

These blanks were mostly stored in rough conditions, outdoors with frequent cycles of rain and sunshine. Best I could do was shaded most of the time. My smaller blanks stored inside a small cinderblock building with a shingle roof, no climate control, didn't fare much better though.

Shipping is pretty rough on the Anchor Seal and I don't know anywhere to buy it locally. I am going to try some wax or a wax mixture, maybe try to get the wood roughed ASAP, paint the end grain, and wrap in brown paper.

I have to find what works down here in south Louisiana. We are technically in the subtropics but not that far from the line and our weather often feels more tropical than sub!

Thanks for the suggestions.

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

Our club buys Anchorseal by the 55 gallon drum. Even so, the increased cost of shipping has caused out price to go up over 50% from what it was about eight years ago. Currently our members pay $12 per gallon. I hear that many other clubs do the sme thing. I don't know about the club in the New Orleans area. I just finished rough turning a fairly large piece of box elder and have it coated with Anchorseal. I have a lot of wood stored outdoors that is coated with Anchorseal, but I do not recommend that because of the extreme 100+ °F summers here. When it gets that hot, the wax soaks into the wood and I can't even tell that the wood was ever waxed. If you can store it out of direct sunlight, it will be much better. If you have an air conditioned space to store it that is the ideal solution. The kitchen and living room would work for single guys or those who will soon become single as a result of this. Here is my latest turning.

I balanced it between centers and then flattened an area for the faceplate. At this point, the maximum dimension is about 24 inches across.



The next day, I wheeled the lathe outdoors and roughed out the shape to about 18 inches diameter. After that, I took it to a fellow club member's shop and we cored out a couple more bowls.



The half log started out at 55 pounds and the largest roughed out bowl is 22 pounds.

 

[Hu Lowery]

despite the temptation

Our club buys Anchorseal by the 55 gallon drum. Even so, the increased cost of shipping has caused out price to go up over 50% from what it was about eight years ago. Currently our members pay $12 per gallon. I hear that many other clubs do the sme thing. I don't know about the club in the New Orleans area. I just finished rough turning a fairly large piece of box elder and have it coated with Anchorseal. I have a lot of wood stored outdoors that is coated with Anchorseal, but I do not recommend that because of the extreme 100+ °F summers here. When it gets that hot, the wax soaks into the wood and I can't even tell that the wood was ever waxed. If you can store it out of direct sunlight, it will be much better. If you have an air conditioned space to store it that is the ideal solution. The kitchen and living room would work for single guys or those who will soon become single as a result of this. Here is my latest turning.

I balanced it between centers and then flattened an area for the faceplate. At this point, the maximum dimension is about 24 inches across.

View attachment 6263

The next day, I wheeled the lathe outdoors and roughed out the shape to about 18 inches diameter. After that, I took it to a fellow club member's shop and we cored out a couple more bowls.

View attachment 6264

The half log started out at 55 pounds and the largest roughed out bowl is 22 pounds.

After losing my home to Isaac I'm living alone in a three bedroom home. As wonderful as my landladies are I may want to stop shy of rough blanks in the house. The home is furnished and I have largely taken over a huge display case and the mantle with my stuff, mostly finished or through with wood turnings. Yeah, some on display aren't finished, just reminders until I get in the mood to clear space and burn them.

I'm getting better but still have a long ways to go!

Hu

 

[hockenbery]

Bill,

When I prepare a chain saw blank. I mark two circles on the face. One the the size of the blank I want and one 2" larger.
With the chain saw I then cut off all the big circle and leave all of the little circle. Cutting on opposite sides.
Produces a somewhat balance blank weight wise.

I know you want to show off the 25" swing

It looks like the roughed bowl is maybe with a 20" and 18" diameter circles and 3 minutes of chain saw refinement can cut the roughing time in half.
Also takes the weight down a too.
I'm not particularly fast. I generally take about 10-15 minutes to rough the outside of an 18" chain saw round bowl

Nice chunk of wood..... Nice rough out in progress!
Our club buys anchor seal in drums too. I think we are doing $12 a gallon.

Al

 

[MichaelMouse]

Since freezing doesn't enter into your area (38 sweltering degrees here last night), you can try a big blender, paraffin and a surfactant to keep things in suspension. http://nanoparticles.org/pdf/Salager-E300A.pdf No additional antifreeze needed.

Other methods of controlling end checks other than occlusive coverings are bulking agents like pentacryl, PEG, or even the starch from a boiled potato. They keep the endgrain expanded, so checking doesn't start. PEG is pretty cheap, and a 2:1 by weight with water can be painted on directly. It'll hog up moisture from the humid air of LA.

It's up to you to get the stresses under control. In the round is a virtual guarantee of failure. Interrupt the round all the way to the heart, and avoid heart checks.

 

[Hu Lowery]

Been striking out

Since freezing doesn't enter into your area (38 sweltering degrees here last night), you can try a big blender, paraffin and a surfactant to keep things in suspension. http://nanoparticles.org/pdf/Salager-E300A.pdf No additional antifreeze needed.

Other methods of controlling end checks other than occlusive coverings are bulking agents like pentacryl, PEG, or even the starch from a boiled potato. They keep the endgrain expanded, so checking doesn't start. PEG is pretty cheap, and a 2:1 by weight with water can be painted on directly. It'll hog up moisture from the humid air of LA.

It's up to you to get the stresses under control. In the round is a virtual guarantee of failure. Interrupt the round all the way to the heart, and avoid heart checks.

I have tried short sections of full rounds and basically half sections with the pith cut out. They both seem to crack equally well. Right now I'm just leaving logs in six to eight foot sections and cutting until it looks good when I need a blank but that is a ridiculous amount of waste as there may be several feet of cracking. I'll look into the PEG and starch. I remember the initials PEG but not the details, have to do a little digging. I think rice cooks down to pretty much a starchy mass, might see what I get boiling it to death too.

Hopefully a little cooler weather soon without the major humidity swings. That should help me a little.

As always, your posts are much appreciated.

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

PEG = polyethylene glycol. The stuff that was used by woodturners for a while was PEG1000. The 1000 means that is its molecular weight. PEG is available in molecular weights from about 200 or less to above 20,000. It is used in cosmetics, lotions, detergents, waxes, and who knows what else. It is basically inert at normal temperatures.

Supposedly it was good for stabilizing green wood. It is, BUT there are side effects like the wood looks and feels greasy. It is useless to use it on wood that is already dry. I have no information about using it to seal end grain, but I suppose that it might work if the wood is fresh cut green wood.

I have two five pound blocks of the stuff that I haven't been able to give away for ten years. Maybe you ought to try it, Hu. Price = cost of shipping.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The low molecular weight PEG is water thin and the high molecular weight PEG is as hard as a brick.

 

[Charles Hill]

Try aluminum roofing paint
Charles

 

[Keith Barrett]

What I've done so far (anchorseal not readily available), is melt canning wax and paint the chainsawed/bandsawed blanks with it. Seems effective so far, BUT the blanks dont travel well when coated that way. But its what I had at the time.

 

[Hu Lowery]

Gee you make it sound so appealing!

PEG = polyethylene glycol. The stuff that was used by woodturners for a while was PEG1000. The 1000 means that is its molecular weight. PEG is available in molecular weights from about 200 or less to above 20,000. It is used in cosmetics, lotions, detergents, waxes, and who knows what else. It is basically inert at normal temperatures.

Supposedly it was good for stabilizing green wood. It is, BUT there are side effects like the wood looks and feels greasy. It is useless to use it on wood that is already dry. I have no information about using it to seal end grain, but I suppose that it might work if the wood is fresh cut green wood.

I have two five pound blocks of the stuff that I haven't been able to give away for ten years. Maybe you ought to try it, Hu. Price = cost of shipping.

thought I remembered something about PEG

I don't use PEG1000, but I do have two "wheels" of the stuff (5 pounds weight apiece). The shape is something like cheese wheels except for being solid white and having somewhat of a waxy feel. I bought them years ago when I first started to turn wood because the PEG treatment fad seemed to have hit a peak about then (along with dish detergent which may have also contained some PEG at the time). Anyway, I read enough about the subject to discourage me along with some nasty results from using Pentacryl, a green wood stabilizing ingredient. I don't know what the Pentacryl contained, but I did not like the results and figured that it would likely be more of the same with PEG based on comments from those who did try it. I have been trying to figure out how to unload the two wheels of PEG that I have, but can't in good conscience sell or even give it to some poor unsuspecting soul.

Bill,

I do appreciate your kind offer, think I'll pass!


The rest of this post is general reply to everyone.

I do have some wonder dry wood stabilizer called Resolute. Full of iso-cyanates I believe. No strong smell but it takes my breath away after being overexposed to iso-cyanates long ago. I have to use it outside with a strong fan running. Might try some with about an inch of it in a pan and just dipping the ends of the blanks in it after letting the blank dry a day or two. I don't know, I have a couple three gallons of it left from stabilizing pool cue wood, can't hurt to try I guess.

The aluminum roof coating is still mostly tar with an aluminum powder or something that floats to the surface, don't want to turn tar. Some of the waxes seem like maybe the best solution this side of Anchor Seal. I haven't heard of the local club buying any but I'll check next week if I make the meeting. Only one or two more meetings this year that I can make so I am probably saving my membership dollars until next year, maybe the year after! Not really sure I want to join. The $25 membership isn't bad but the $25 a meeting fuel bill is a bit rough and all the members seem to live further away so any assistance would cost me half a tank or a tank of gas in my old truck. Found someone who gives lessons down in New Orleans and may spend some time with them someday but this forum and some other online help have pretty much got me over the worst of the beginner battles.

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

Bill,

I do appreciate your kind offer, think I'll pass!

Dang, I got busted. I was hoping that you didn't remember that previous post.

It's like owning a white elephant -- great stuff with no practical purpose.

 

[Hu Lowery]

I have a tub of moly powder

Dang, I got busted. I was hoping that you didn't remember that previous post.

It's like owning a white elephant -- great stuff with no practical purpose.

Bill,

I have a tub of moly powder tucked away somewhere that is the same way, great stuff, I just ain't sure what for! I have been trying to give it away for years, decades now. I don't know where it is at but I remember seeing it not too long ago, survived Isaac just fine of course. Fifty thousand years from now some archeologist is going to dig up a pristine looking plastic container full of silver gray powder and ponder what it was used for. Bet they decide it was some kind of cosmetic and everyone painted themselves silver in a fashion fad.

I think I'll turn a nice urn style vessel, fill it with the moly and leave it where it will be dug up someday just as a prank on people that won't be born for thousands of years yet!

Hu

 

[KellyDunn]

Hu, I wax all my blocks before roughing. If not most would crack. and I live in a wet part of Hawaii. There is sealtight 60 made in Memphis and Anchorseal made up north someplace. To Hawaii the shipping for a 55 gal drum i am going to be afraid to ask next time I get one. But if I dont use it on blocks and roughed bowls I lose blocks and roughed bowls.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Dang, I got busted. I was hoping that you didn't remember that previous post.

It's like owning a white elephant -- great stuff with no practical purpose.

Mallets. Green wood, heart in, turned and weighted into a bucket of 50/50 @ 68F will be ready to use in three-four months. Warm to 100 with a fishtank heater and take half the time. Times based on hard maple or hop-hornbeam.

Makes a great addition to a carver's mallet because it pulls moisture from the air. Softer surface doesn't ring the elbow, and adding a bit of weight seldom interferes.

 

[Hu Lowery]

We are probably in the same boat

Hu, I wax all my blocks before roughing. If not most would crack. and I live in a wet part of Hawaii. There is sealtight 60 made in Memphis and Anchorseal made up north someplace. To Hawaii the shipping for a 55 gal drum i am going to be afraid to ask next time I get one. But if I dont use it on blocks and roughed bowls I lose blocks and roughed bowls.

Kelly,

I suspect it is all the wet or very high humidity cycles combined with the hot dry cycles that cracks my wood. I would probably be better off if it stayed wet or stayed dry, not the nature of our weather. I remember the daily showers when I was on the main island for a few weeks. All that moisture in the air then drying rapidly over and over seems to be our downfall. I tried to put some shavings in a bag with the bowl blanks to slow drying and had heavy condensation and mold, no happiness!

Plenty of room, I may build some kind of poor boy kiln to try to regulate moisture better someday. Until then and maybe even then I think you are absolutely correct, seal or expect cracking.

Thanks for your post, I'll look into the sealtight 60 too.

Hu

 

[Bill Boehme]

Bill,

When I prepare a chain saw blank. I mark two circles on the face. One the the size of the blank I want and one 2" larger.
With the chain saw I then cut off all the big circle and leave all of the little circle. Cutting on opposite sides.
Produces a somewhat balance blank weight wise.

If I had cut the wood myself, perhaps I would have spent a bit more time with trimming it up so that it was a bit rounder. However, I bought it at SWAT a couple weeks ago for almost nothing ($40) considering that somebody had spent time and gas to cut it up, wax it, and haul it 1000 miles to the symposium. Since using a chainsaw in +100° F weather isn't on my list of fun things to do, I just decided to go with it as is. I am not certain that I would have saved much time, but I did keep the speed down until it was round. Even so, my "high speed" turning was in the neighborhood of 300 to 400 RPM.

I know you want to show off the 25" swing

I remember that Norm Abrams used to put a piece of black tape over the brand name of the tools that he used on the New Yankee Workshop as if nobody could figure out the brand. Hope that you aren't feeling too jealous. I'll try to not mention the 25 inch swing too often, but it was really nice to have the 25 inch swing. As soon as I get an engine hoist from Harbor Freight, I will try out my outboard tool rest. I have a plum tree that looks like it might make a nice tall vase.

 

[hockenbery]

Bill,
I occasionally turn square end half rounds in demos.
Usually small pieces ten inches long and 6-8" diameter.
For bark edge bowls or square end pieces

It adds a some interest to the demo.

my big white machine has a 48" swing on one end and 24" on the other end.
I'm not envious I would say I am happy for you and your excellent choice of machinery.

The only machines I would consider buying currently are ONEWAY and Robust.
The American beauty is a pleasure to turn on for sure but the 2416 and 2436 are my first choices.