Cut a round from a very large piece of elm last week that had been end sealed and drying for at least 15 years. Was going to make a 15-16? salad bowl. I left it for a few days as I was busy with work and serious checks developed. I?ll be lucky to get a 10? bowl. Sod it!
As a follow up: This bowl was going to be a 15-16? salad bowl but checks appeared in the blank and I had to resize it to 12?. Then further faults in the wood took it down to a 10?D x 6? high bowl. I was well into hollowing it and when I turned to the grinder to sharpen the gouge, I heard a very loud POP! That was the 3? crack in the photo.
Is elm a wood that always has inherent cracks? Or does not really ever dry? Guessing there are some woods that no matter how long the wood dries, still aren't suitable for turning.
I know that ring checks can be a problem but I turned a 12" bowl from the same tree a few weeks ago with no problems.
In my experience, end sealing is not a permanent preventative, just a delaying action for a few days til you can rough it out and in a bag to dry.
that is all there is to it
internal stress stored in the wood
no amount of drying will resolve the stress and only working it will release the energy
usually there are visual cues though
closely bunched growth rings or wavy rings or knots
can have interesting results on the table saw
Pros turn wood wet. So wet that the apron drips.
We (semi-pro want to be) pre-form e.g. going to have a bowl with 1/8" walls then make them 1/2" or 3/4" and get it down - pack it in a paper bag and seal it up - slow dry. Or microwave slowly with low power to drive out the water. Sometimes you plasticize the wood and you can shape it into odd shapes. Best done once turned to thin finished size. Then hand sand or slow machine to clean up any staining..
Mart> Is elm a wood that always has inherent cracks? Or does not really ever dry? Guessing there are some woods that no matter how long the wood dries, still aren't suitable for turning.
>
you mean they rough shape it while wet let it season for some time then turn the final form
depends on the wood too
from op description sounds like the wood had stress that no amount of dryness would remove
I've looked at it since and there are a few very small cracks that I think are due to stress. My estimate of 15 years drying was probably low. It could be 20 years - I didn't keep a record. Graham
At the time the tree was felled, I was way too busy in my profession to rough turn the wood. Furthermore, my lathe at the time could not handle more than a 12" blank. Therefore, to buy time, I end-sealed the pieces from which I had removed a slab around the pith line. I didn't realise that it would be many years before I could get around to turning them. I have rough turned bowls in the past using the paper bag + shavings method. I wonder whether this part of the log was near the main branching. Elm is notorious for cracks in that area. "Elm hateth man, and waiteth!" Graham
The seasoning is based on the thickness of wood.
If you have 1/2" thick wood (bowl) the time is short.
So if you pre-form the work - oversized - and bag them to slow down the change - some wrap in damp towel and such.
Experiment and see what works for you. The Green wood (cut from a tree that day) is preformed into a bowl and tons of wet wood is taken off and time is less.
Yes Yes they turn and I have - wood that is Green and fresh cut. It is easier and shears nicer.
I've watched Raffin turn weed pots for 30 minutes and he would be dripping from sap/water. It was a tough thing to watch someone so good turn out product so fast.
Mart> >
In the 3 days since that split occurred, it has widened and extended down to the base of the bowl as well as opening up across the interior. Now there's no chance of even getting a saucer out of it! Graham
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