advice sought re walnut bowl blank

[woodfarmer]

As some of you may know, last weekend I bought a couple of walnut tree trunks. the seller had cut the decomposing end off one of the trunks to show the good wood below. I decided to try to make a bowl of this. Sadly there is a split developing and as I hollow out the bowl the more of the split I am exposing. Is there any way to save this ? I am really pleased with the wood, the surfaces you see are straight off the bowl gouge.

 

[marcros]

i dont know from a safety point of view, so check before proceeding, but it could look good with a bowtie repair in it, in a contrasting timber. Alternatively, stictched together with a lace, if you could get it to finished thickness.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

How are you using the chuck, expansive or contractive?

If contractive I'd slow the speed right down, wear face protection and carry on hollowing from the inside, (you will be out of the line of fire if it does let go that way). Keep stopping to check that the shake is not developing and hopefully you can make a 'feature' out of it.

If your in expansive mode I'd leave it there or cut it up and try to salvage something from it.

Regards Mick

 

[paulm]

Pack it with fine sawdust of the same colour (as fine as you can get, make some from another piece if necessary) and then add liberal amounts of superglue (thin if possible rather than thick stuff), which should wick in to the sawdust. May need to repeat later as you turn down closer to finished form.

Cheers, Paul

 

[tekno.mage]

Make your crack a feature by filling it with bronze metal powder mixed into clear epoxy - that can look quite good against a dark wood like walnut. Once the epoxy cures you can turn and finish it just like wood (although it blunts tools quite quickly).

 

[finneyb]

Pack it with fine sawdust of the same colour (as fine as you can get, make some from another piece if necessary) and then add liberal amounts of superglue (thin if possible rather than thick stuff), which should wick in to the sawdust. May need to repeat later as you turn down closer to finished form.

Cheers, Paul

+1

 

[woodfarmer]

Thanks people. Think I will go with the fine sawdust and superglue. I will wait a while whilst it dries out in the house. Unless I think or hear of something better whilst I am waiting.

 

[Dalboy]

When I turn a piece that has a fault in it once I have completed the outside I wrap tape around the outside to help hold as I turn the inside. But before you go too far fill the crack with a contrasting colour and make a feature of it.

 

[Spindle]

Think I will go with the fine sawdust and superglue.

Hi

As long as you realise there will be negligible adhesion afforded by superglue and sawdust, (I don't think any adhesive is going to be very effective on unseasoned wood). The fault, if it develops, will travel across the centre of the bowl following the grain and if you are using the chuck in expansive mode it will be contributing force tending to open the fault further :shock: :shock:

Regards Mick

 

[woodfarmer]

Think I will go with the fine sawdust and superglue.

Hi

As long as you realise there will be negligible adhesion afforded by superglue and sawdust, (I don't think any adhesive is going to be very effective on unseasoned wood). The fault, if it develops, will travel across the centre of the bowl following the grain and if you are using the chuck in expansive mode it will be contributing force tending to open the fault further :shock: :shock:

Regards Mick

Thanks again, the wood was in a damp shed for about ten years. feels relatively dry but this is the end bit the seller had cut off. Think the start of the split was already there as it was a whole tree trunk. Now I am wondering If I use a biscuit cutter to make slots and use home made biscuits made from the same walnut trunk might help ?

 

[finneyb]

If you use the CA method use sanding sealer or similar on the surface around the crack so that the CA doesn't get in the bowl surface, otherwise the stain could look a bugger. Once CA complete you can sand off the sealer.

Brian