Why bowls tend to be cross grain

[russ stanton]

I teach beginners bowl turning and that is a question sometimes raised and I do not have a good answer. Why are most bowls turned in a cross grain orientation?

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I don't know the reason, but I'll throw out that:
end grain is harder to turn
end grain is more porous (if anything is going in the bowl)
to turn an 8" wide x 2" tall end grain bowl you'd need a piece of wood 2" long, but 8" wide and 8" thick, and thick boards are harder to come by.

 

[John Grace]

End grain bowls are highly prone to cracking as the pith remains. A properly cut cross grain blank removes the pith thereby mitigating against cracking.

 

[John K Jordan]

When I turn end grain bowls, boxes, and vessels I NEVER leave the pith. This may require having access to larger blanks. I also normally let them dry first so cracking from drying is not a problem.

I think one reason is as Mark mentioned - bowl and platter blanks are typically cut from either lumber or from easily acquired green log sections. These are limited in size for many due to the means of loading, hauling, and working with huge blanks. Far easier to cut and manhandle cross-grain blanks, green or dry, from smaller log sections. When I get logs up to about 28" I usually slice them up on the sawmill - it's easy to cut and handle even thick slabs.

That said about large blanks - when I get big wood people who turn big things (cowboy hats, big bowls, etc) come with a truck or trailer. I can usually gently load even large log sections with the excavator. I have a 36" y.poplar tree coming down soon as well as a 28" red oak. Also some big sassafras and other species.

I'm in the process of clearing and prepping a site for a new building. Took down 14 smaller (10 to 18") trees recently by digging around the roots and either pushing and/or pulling them over. Doing this with most trees over 24" diameter scares me!

An exception: this pine was about 36" in diameter at the base BUT it was already leaning in a good direction with enough clear space that it wouldn't get hung up in other trees. Had to dig around the roots 4' down and 6' across before it would budge:

View: https://youtu.be/iTx7IDZ8sQQ


Once, however, a friend called me with some beautiful ambrosia maple log sections about 40" across. Took a lot of chainsawing to make pieces small enough for us to load in my truck and years of drying blanks but I now have some big end-grain pieces to turn.

BTW, for those who have a suitable trailer it's relatively easy to load even large logs (as long as they are round with limbs removed) with just a rope or a chain and a couple of improvised ramps (I use two 10' lengths of i-beam). Look up "parbuckling". Many time I've hauled a big trailer to a site with the truck, wrapped a chain around the log, rolled the logs by pulling on a chain with the truck or a car, then tied down and drive home. Can even load by hand with several helpers.

JKJ

 

[Richard Coers]

Google AI answers;
AI Overview



Most wood bowls are turned from the side of the tree (side-grain orientation)
to increase structural strength, prevent splitting, and allow for better wood movement during drying. By cutting from the side and avoiding the center pith, the grain runs horizontally, reducing the risk of cracking and creating a more stable, durable bowl.
Turn A Wood Bowl +2
Key Reasons for Side-Grain Orientation:

• Structural Stability: Turning from the side (side-grain or "face grain") ensures the grain runs across the bowl. If an end-grain bowl is made, the bottom can act like a sieve and is prone to splitting.
• Preventing Cracks: The center of the tree (pith) causes excessive stress and splitting when drying. Avoiding the center by using the side of the log ensures a more stable, crack-resistant finished piece.
• Enhanced Aesthetics: This orientation often allows for beautiful, consistent grain patterns (like "butterflies") to appear symmetrically around the bowl, rather than just concentric circles.
• Efficiency: From a single log, taking blanks from the sides allows for larger diameter bowls compared to using the end grain.
  Turn A Wood Bowl +4

While it is possible to turn end-grain bowls (where the grain runs vertically), side-grain turning is the standard for producing durable, functional bowls

 

[robo hippy]

For me, it is more about getting the most out of the logs I get. You just get more bowls per log if you go with side grain. I did mistakenly cut some end grain blanks. I don't like turning them AT ALL! For bowls that have spectacular medullary rays like oak or sycamore, I cringe, but some times do it anyway, I will cut the blanks with the pith at the bottom of the plate form. Another way is to quarter saw the blanks. One can waste a lot of wood going that way....

robo hippy

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

End grain bowls are highly prone to cracking as the pith remains. A properly cut cross grain blank removes the pith thereby mitigating against cracking.

Both side grain and end grain bowls have drawbacks and both can present the grain in an attractive fashion.
The side grain bowl will benefit from a low sided sweeping curve, where as the end grain bowl needs to be higher sided but still have the sweeping curve
The side grain bowl has both end grain and side grain and the 2 transition points are very difficult to turn without tearout.
The end grain bowl can be turned with or without the pith and there is no transition point.
The side grain bowl will go oval as they dry, where as an end grain bowl with the pith has less tendency to distort, but an end grain bowl without the pith will go oval as it dries.
The end grain bowl with the pith should be turned from green wood that does not have checks near the pith or any end checking in the blank that can't be cut away.
I personally do not turn many end grain bowls but since about 1995 I have been making threaded lid urns with the pith visible in the base.

 

[russ stanton]

Thanks for all your replies. The reasons expressed are pretty much along the line of my thoughts and I will pass these along to the students

 

[hughie]

Grain orientation is very important for me and its all about the type of embellishment I am using as I use it to accent the carving