Advice on turning a large crotch is needed.

[Lary Sanders]

I have two green halves of a Norway maple crotch (pic) that I need to turn. What should be the plan? I have watched many videos but hesitant to cut into it. It is larger than my 11” lathe so I’ve drawn a circle on it for scale. Here are some assumptions and questions:

I assume the best figure is on the pith side(visible) so it would be best to have that at the bottom of the bowl and something like a natural edge? I’ve never turned a natural edge bowl. I could turn it without a natural edge but shallower (< 5"??).

I generally rough green then dry and final turn. Is this likely to work with the crotch or result in splitting? If I try to turn to final while still green, how fast do I have to be to deal with the changing shape while turning? How thick in either case?

I have many other questions but don't want to over burden. Any advice on location of the blank, e.g. closer to crotch vs toward the thicker end, etc..
Thanks, Lary

 

[hockenbery]

Have fun. The woods are full of crotches

assume the best figure is on the pith side(visible) so it would be best to have that at the bottom

True. The flame figure varies in thickness from the pith. Usually fairly thin. less than 2” thick. It can also be so thin that it won’t show on the inside bottom of a bowl

generally rough green then dry and final turn. Is this likely to work with the crotch or result in splitting? If I try to turn to final while still green, how fast do I have to be to deal with the changing shape while turning? How thick in either case?

. I get the most figure showing in footless NE bowls. 3/16” wall works well for me. With the footless bowl the center between the two leaders will warp upwards making a no rocking bottom.

Drying is more difficult - I’ve dried a lot of 1.5-2” platter slabs from crotches some crack others don’t. I probably loose 20%

You can once’s turn a platter or shallow bowl with out the natural edge. They will warp.

I have many other questions but don't want to over burden.

Ask away

I started a thread that focuses on turning NE heart shaped bowls from crotches.
You will have to cut your blank too small in diameter to get the hearts shape and get figure.

Naural edge bowl from a crotch

Turning a crotch is fun and produces a heart shaped bowl with a highly figured bottom. I put a video from a demo I did in may on YouTube. These are nice bowls for turners who have done 4-5 natural edge bowls without getting a catch. While best suited for intermediate and advanced beginners...

www.aawforum.org

 

[Lary Sanders]

Have fun. The woods are full of crotches


True. The flame figure varies in thickness from the pith. Usually fairly thin. less than 2” thick. It can also be so thin that it won’t show on the inside bottom of a bowl

. I get the most figure showing in footless NE bowls. 3/16” wall works well for me. With the footless bowl the center between the two leaders will warp upwards making a no rocking bottom.

Drying is more difficult - I’ve dried a lot of 1.5-2” platter slabs from crotches some crack others don’t. I probably loose 20%

You can once’s turn a platter or shallow bowl with out the natural edge. They will warp.



Ask away

I started a thread that focuses on turning NE heart shaped bowls from crotches.
You will have to cut your blank too small in diameter to get the hearts shape and get figure.

Naural edge bowl from a crotch

Turning a crotch is fun and produces a heart shaped bowl with a highly figured bottom. I put a video from a demo I did in may on YouTube. These are nice bowls for turners who have done 4-5 natural edge bowls without getting a catch. While best suited for intermediate and advanced beginners...

www.aawforum.org

Thank you for all the help. As it turns out I found your video NaturalEdgeCrothc Bowl May 2014 on the site before I joined the forum. It was very helpful. I'll look through the thread before I start on the crotches. At least 3 more large blanks to turn from this log before I start on those.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Al pretty much covered it. If you do NE, you can turn it green and let it dry however it wants. Warping on a NE bowl is accepted, and doesn't show like it would on a traditional bowl. If want to make some traditional bowls, rough turn them and then set them aside to dry. I center the flame pretty much just as your circle indicates. Another option is to turn it green and thin, and then let it warp. I don't think I would opt for that method with a crotch bowl. You want the flame to be the center point of the piece.

 

[John K Jordan]

Since the flame figure can be fairly thin, instead of bowls I sometimes use it for things like trivets, coasters, and platters. Or if it's small, cut a thin disk (flat or slightly domed) from the best figure and glue it into a recess turned in the top of a lidded box.

But a huge tree can have deeper figure.

JKJ

 

[Lary Sanders]

What to do with these worm holes? There are two open at the top, a bunch of filled ones and a couple of open holes near the bottom of the pic. Thinking epoxy or leave open or turn away? This is the bowl from the crotch above. Upon cutting the 11" blank we discovered live worms and ~ 4 holes. Since they seemed only on the outside bottom, I thought I could turn them away. Here's where I am now. what to do? The bowl has gone from 11" to 9 1/2" x 4" deep and the flame appears to be about 1" deep from bottom - about where the hole on top is. It appears to be disappearing fast. The open hole on top is about 3/4" deep toward center. I had hoped for a fairly flat bowl to keep the flame on the bottom. Now it like - fill or not? what shape should I go for? All advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks Lary

 

[hockenbery]

I’d clean out the holes
this can be hard since the material in the holes is often quite hard.


I’d leave the holes open. You have decide what look you want.

To me filling the holes will highlight the holes in unpleasing ways.

I you see filling the holes as highlighting them in a pleasing way, then you have a different answer that is right for you.

 

[John K Jordan]

I prefer to leave any bug holes. I made these from wormy American Chestnut. My stash of chestnut is dwindling...



JKJ

 

[Lary Sanders]

Looks like a good plan as we don't really like the filled look as you mention. Now to decide on a rough shape. Thanks

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I prefer to leave any bug holes. I made these from wormy American Chestnut. My stash of chestnut is dwindling...

View attachment 68660

JKJ

I also like to leave the bug holes.