Seasoning timber.

It may be too late already, but split the piece by cutting each side of the plinth (very center of the tree) removed as it is the source of splits as the piece is drying. Then paint the exposed end grain with two or three coats of latex paint (assuming you cannot get your hands on Anchorseal).

If you are going to turn the cherry, you really want to rough turn it green and leave the wall thickness 10% of the diameter. Then put it in a heavy brown paper bag. or wrap it in a couple layers newspaper, and let it dry for at least six months. Then remount and do the final turning and finish.

Deb

Stuart,

The largest bowl blank that you will get out of the 400mm x 200mm is

200mm. To get a bowl blank, you split the the log length wise in half, so you will have 2 pieces 400mm wide x 200mm long x 200mm thick.When you cut it in half, you want to cut it through the pith, which is the center of the growth rings. doing so, one piece may be thicker than 200mm, and the other will be less than 200mm. The length, not the diameter, determines the diameter of the bowl. When to cut a 200mm circle out of your 400mm x200mm piece, it should fit fine on your lathe.

Thanks for that.

At present I have a 7x12 metal-working mini-lathe but I have an 11x27 metal-working lathe on order. This has a Tee-slot cross-slide so the standard top-slide and tool-post can be removed and something more akin to a conventional wood-turning tool rest fitted. I have a 4" wood-turning chuck (Axminster clubman) which I intend to modify to fit.

I have often seen mention of "Latex" paint where American woodworkers are involved and came to the conclusion that it must be what we in the UK call "Emulsion" paint. Is anyone able to confirm this?

Noted

I don't know if it's the same or not, but latex paint is water based and cleans up with soap and warm water. The other common type of paint is "oil paint". If Emulsion is water based, odds are it's equivalent...

You dont need to semi cut your "log" at all , brush both ends with molten w ax , no fancy end seal is needed.. and store in a cool to cold but not free zing well aired place for 1 year per inch diameter.. so yours is 200mm/8 in ches... wait 8 years and it will be perfectly seasoned... I know it sounds harsh to deny you working your wood but turning is a life not a now and the n... the more wood you season the more wood will be yours in the future..

as for the pith, as it dries over the years it can be tube plugged and the ending and lasting result will be a mid ring piece of craft and not just a side grain swipe at one of the best fruit woods you can turn.

Best wishes .. Foxwood.

if 400mm diameter , 16-17 inches then bole into 400mm lengths, wax and store for the future.

Thanks for the info.

It is currently residing in my shed, which is well insulated and has a

300W heater on a thermostat set at 10 deg C.

Waiting is not an issue as I have plenty to occupy my time. When I retired almost eight years ago I had a number of things which I intended to do and haven't done a fraction of them. I thought being retired I would have loads of time but it doesn't seem to work that way

It is safer (as in lower failure rate) to split the log and take the pith out

Ditto what Ralph said.

When I have larger pieces, I'll typically cut them in half and cut the length to approximately twice the diameter, plus a couple inches (50 -

75 mm) to allow for minor checking. I seal the ends. They'll last much longer that way.

For smaller pieces such as you have, I'll seal the ends and leave them until I can get to them. There's usually some checking on the end to cut off but on a 2 or 3 meter log that's no biggie.

The best thing to do is to halve the log, then rough out the bowls as soon as possible leaving the walls overly thick; about 10% of the diameter is the usual recommendation. I seal the end grain on them, put them in a paper bag, then set them aside for 3 - 6 months. After that, they will have warped but will be a equilibrium with their environment. At that point you can finish turn them. No need to wait for years.

If you cut away 80% of the wood during rough turning, you've turned away

80% of the water as well! Plus, the end grain is only a dozen or so mm thick so the water can leave the wood much more rapidly.

HTH...

...Kevin