New Video: Saving some split bowls

[Bob Hamilton]

Hi:
I have uploaded a three part video series showing how I saved some bowls that had split during the drying process. The playlist is available at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL35D22909ED387880











Take care
Bob

[Bellsy]

Thanks for the post Bob.

Dave

[newguy]

Hi Bob; An excellent video on an unusual procedure. I notice your cracked bowls were rough turned about the beginning of the year. I have researched various web sites on drying rough-turned bowls and found a plethora of approaches. Some of them seemed pretty extreme. Could you advise what measures you took to try to ensure crack-free drying? Thanks. Bob P

[Bob Hamilton]

Hi:
I sealed the end grain areas of all the bowls with Anchorseal, both inside and out. I went completely around the tenon with the Anchorseal since I have had walnut before that split in a similar fashion and I thought it was because the tenon dried too quickly. I can't recall this sort of splitting happening with any other wood species but walnut. I turned some ash and elm bowls of similar size at about the same time as these and they all dried without splitting. The only difference that I can think of is that both the ash and elm was from trees that had stood dead for a year or two before they were cut down, while the walnut was a live tree when it was cut. The means the walnut was much wetter to start with.

Take care
Bob

[Roudhead]

Bob, the crack in that bowl was at a junction of sapwood and heartwood where the greatest difference in shrinkage rates would occur. So I would have finish turned to about a 3/8 wall thickness and then let it dry and warp. Also you mention using anchorseal inside and out. That slows down the drying but it means the outside will still dry faster than the inside because of a difference in surface area. Try sealing only the outside. I use oil instead of anchorseal and rarely have a problem.