What's the best finish and how do you apply for the bark on a natural edge. Something to help keep the bark on and maybe semi-gloss. Chris Ramsey's bowls look to have a semi-gloss or gloss finish on the bark.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Ron, I click on the picture to enlarge and get an error saying I don’t have permission. to view.
The goblets pictured were turned from fresh cut live wood. The process is to first turn the inside of the cup, then move to the outside with a light shinning into the inside. The light will shine through to help as a guide in determining the wall thickness, which in this case would be about 1/32", then when turning is complete they are left to dry. The distortion on these was not induced by anything but the natural shrinkage of the wood of which cherry seams to produce the most interesting effects.Don, May I ask how you formed the rim? Water and heat?
@Don Wattenhofer does the NE goblets really well.Don, May I ask how you formed the rim? Water and heat?
The cherry goblets are end grain as well as Al's, they are made from small trees or branches. The way it is done is to mount a small round with bark intact and grain parallel to the axis of the lathe. Note: on the cherry goblets the top has the bark then the sap wood and finally the heart wood and if you look close the annual rings are visible going around the body of the cup.Thankx Don & Al for the very informative info. Are the goblets made by Don side grain and Al's end grain? It would seem that if tangential shrinkage - shrinkage parallel with the growth ring, from an internet search - wouldn't make as much of a ripple as side grain because the end grain goblet shrinkage would be circular (parallel with the rings) vs side grain where the grain is "broken up" ??
Setting the thickness with light? Sounds like a challenge or goal to head for. After a truck load of wood and 3 years practice, I'll hope to post my first "light guided wall thickness" goblet!!
I use Waterlox
One coat on the bark 3 coats on the wood.
what I have been doing some recently is one coat of Waterlox then 2 days later oldies oil on the wood.
I use mw semi gloss poly thinned 1:1, apply like danish oil, flood it on, keep wet for 10-30 min, wipe off, 3 coats unless more is needed, depends on the wood. Use a paper shop towel to dab pools off the bark. Bark will probably need some ca or other glue before finish.
This is the first time I have ever heard of a need for a different finish for the bark. If I use lacquer on the piece I spray it on the wood and the bark, the same if I use an oil. The goblets below in black cherry with walnut oil are the most recent of the 1000,s that I have done.
Thanks for the complement. Concerning the thicker bark coming loose it may have to do with the fact that there are different shrink rates between the bark and the wood and they can't distort with out some give or the sap may have been running at the time the wood was cut.Don, the goblets are beautiful and I've done a few thin vessels without issues with the bark but was reading that some folks had trouble with thicker bark coming loose. I am a beginner so most all I do is an experiment. My finishing to this point has been Danish oil and then buffing with the beal system but I don't think that will work with this type bark.