Bowl blanks dipped in wax

Is she cute?

I would scrape as you mentioned. Are they really dipped or just painted with end sealer? Dipped, they will never dry. On wood that is prone to cracking, I often end seal the rough turned bowls and some still crack.

Many people work with green / wet wood. One doesn't finish the job, but leave thickness inside and out. Put it in a paper bag to retard the drying but allow it - and wait for a month or so.

Mart> A friend gave me several bowl blanks that she'd bought online... They

Yeah, these are dipped in what feels like paraffin... Totally sealed... I'm an Armorseal user, but only on end grain...

Thanks.. good advice, as usual, my friend...

Yeah, I figured that part out about 30 years ago, Martin... My question was whether or not to scrape the wax off all but the end grain...

It's not unusual for some commercial wood processing places to just dump them in and coat everything, takes less time then just the ends

For folks that prefer to turn green, it's actually desirable. Since you prefer otherwise, scrape away.

Cracking while turning happens, sometimes. If you are turning green blanks in "desert-dry" conditions, it probably happens more - I wouldn't know that part from experience. Less pain when it's firewood, of course.

I think so... Less time to process and less complaints of cracked blanks when delivered...

I dug out a purpleheart blank that I'd bought for one of my students almost 2 years ago... Didn't use a scale, but it feels the same weight as when it got here.... Scraping time tomorrow on 6 or 7 blanks...

I prefer turning green on shallow bowls, but these are mainly vase and deep bowl blanks.... No fun watching them crack before I can get them thin and deep enough to warp naturally...

I remember watching a video back in the day (Del Stubbs?) where he would spritz some water on the wood as he was turning to keep the thinner part he'd already turned from cracking while he tackled the rest...

...Kevin

Purple heart is so loaded with silica any moisture is swamped.

I broke the line on the glued up handle I made for a fancy handle file. Glue held only 25% of the edge. It is tricky stuff. I want to say I used thinner to dissolve the oil but might have just pushed it around...

Mart> >

personally, I like when the blanks are dipped in parafin - they dry much more slowly - if at all. I would suggest just turning to finished dimensions in one shot, and turn thin enough that it won't crack

Hey Kevin.... Some vacation!

I've tried plant misters, wet rags and Danish oil... All work well while turning...

Interesting thought on the Danish Oil. Not so prone to evaporation as just misting/wiping w/water. Probably want to stay out of the line of fire though as I'm sure it'll splatter a lot...

...Kevin

I wet sand a lot of my softer pieces with natural Danish oil, then buff 'em... Hardens the surface a bit and slows the drying to let them warp... It also fills in little gaps and grain rings...