• 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.

Finish for bark on NE bowl

Joined
Jan 29, 2019
Messages
115
Likes
57
Location
Rome, GA
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!
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
1,813
Likes
1,415
Location
Lebanon, Missouri
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.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
Messages
1,686
Likes
2,077
Location
Ponsford, MN
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. 9129-30Goblet.JPG
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
Messages
1,686
Likes
2,077
Location
Ponsford, MN
Don, May I ask how you formed the rim? Water and heat?
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.
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,590
Likes
4,885
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Don, May I ask how you formed the rim? Water and heat?
@Don Wattenhofer does the NE goblets really well.

the tangential shrinkage of wood is greater than the radial shrinkage. Each growth ring wants to shrink more than one inside it. the result is the ripple on the rim.

If you try them pick limbs or logs with the pith off center so that the pith is not in the stem. A stem With the pith in it will Be weak and likely to break.

Oak goblet you can see the pith in the baseA9384C09-D67F-4E5E-B2E3-311EAAF997FE.jpeg

holly vase by my wife SherryB72ED795-169B-49AA-80A5-D7793A360B3A.jpeg
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
Messages
1,686
Likes
2,077
Location
Ponsford, MN
Hock thanks for the nice words. I might add that the cherry bark apparently shrinks less than the wood so that also enhances the ripple effect. As far as the pith is concerned species such as black walnut tend to have hollow pith and some others like oak may have checks around the pith, which can cause weakens in the stem. The cherry pith usually is not in the center but you must get consistently thin walls so that the pith can bulge out rather than crack.
I didn't intend to hijack the thread but but it did seam to be relevant to the original subject .
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 7, 2019
Messages
64
Likes
23
Location
Walworth, NY
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!!
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
Messages
1,686
Likes
2,077
Location
Ponsford, MN
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!!
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.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2019
Messages
115
Likes
57
Location
Rome, GA
Sorry, it looks like I ask a question and then just bailed but I've had medical issues again and recovering.

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.

Thanks, hockenbery I'll have to research Waterlox, I don't know what that is.

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.


Thanks for the reply Doug, is this a wiping poly and what do you use to thin?

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.

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.

P1195729.jpg

Well there you go, I've learned a lot from Don and Hock by just asking a question on bark.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
1,813
Likes
1,415
Location
Lebanon, Missouri
Ron I use regular minwax semi gloss poly thinned 1:1 with mineral spirits, makes it ~ the same as the wipe on for ~ 1/2 the $. Also mix dye into the poly. Try it you will like it better than DO.

I buff them with the Beal method, but sourced the everything myself. I use different sized mushroom buffs. usually 4”, mounted in a 2500 rpm drill. For NE bowls, I mount on the lathe, and buff the wings w/o the lathe on, do the lower part with the lathe spinning.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
Messages
1,686
Likes
2,077
Location
Ponsford, MN
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.
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.
 
Back
Top