Can a log be to wet?

I am going to vote for "off night". I have turned wood where I actually got soaked and it turned nicely. Billh

Off night I suspect. Can a log be too wet? Sure. If you can't keep it in a chuck or between centers due to it sliding off then I'd say it might be too wet.

- Andrew

It has been my experience that it's easier to get a catch (especially when first roughing out) when the wood is near the fiber saturation point. The wood is a lot softer and a very sharp gouge will dig in a lot more quickly and go deeper than when the wood is nearer its equilibrium moisture content.

Larry

Sorry to disagree but the fresher/wetter a log is, in my experience, the easier it is to turn and rough out as long as you don't mind the shower from the sap - it's like peeling an apple.

If you're having to hold your breath between sharpenings, it's too wet. Of course, you won't have a sawdust prohblem, as all the chips will just float away in the current...

...Kevin ;-)

Be sure to cover the cast iron tables on the other tools in your shop, and even with covers, check after turning. I've done "today" willow, and I can't think of anything that wicks water more than that.

H> > I turned a log from my pile last night that was rained upon a day ago.

Mark,

Try this - put a rough 8-10" green blank on and set the speed to about

250 rpm. Now put a very sharp gouge into it gently at a slightly bad (too agressive) angle. Because the wood cuts SO easily and SO quickly it's very hard to react fast enough and correct if you happen to start a catch. You end up with a much quicker and much deeper dig in. I'm not saying that the wood doesn't cut easier and faster. I'm saying that exactly because of that, any errors in technique that cause the beginning of a catch are magnified.

Hey thanks fellas... It was an off night. my technique was bad. last night i turned the same wood and i wasn't lifting the handle, i was just pushing in and that lead to the catches.. now i have it back... thanks for your help...

Larry

I see where you are coming from. However I use the heel, bevel, cut technique with the tool so don't tend to make aggressive cuts unless I intend to - can't remember the last time I had a catch . I hadn't thought of approaching the wood wrongly with the tool with my initial response.

I know what you mean. Once you learn the proper technique and do it long enough for it to become natural you kind of forget what a catch is. I agree too, green wood is a joy to turn. I really don't like to get showered (or rather I don't like my lathe to get wet) so I don't turn till the moisture content is down to about 28%. But even after it's dried below 10% moisture content, it still beats kiln dried wood by miles. If only I could get green Bubinga, Padauk, Zebrawood, Wenge, Macasser Ebony, Canarywood, and on and on and on....