Cutting Effiency

[delaney001]

Can anyone please advise the best way to cut this log.
http://imgur.com/AGWad4L
http://imgur.com/K7V7PoV
http://imgur.com/DXJuWQS

Have to take into cutting it over the weekend and I really want to try make the most of it.
I am mostly interested in bowl/platter type turning work. Not that much interest in spindle work.
I have a rough idea how to go about cutting it but I'm afraid Im going to do it the 'obvious' way and waste a load of good turning potential.

Any advise greatly appreciated.

 

[delaney001]

The way Glenn Lucas goes about it @ 1:44 in the video below is the kind of thing I'm taking about.
I assumed you'd just cut rings and turn them but this looks a very interesting way of doing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIA93OkjhLc

 

[CHJ]

....I assumed you'd just cut rings and turn them ...

That's exactly what you do not want to do.

Study this PDF for shapes of logs and expected grain patterns they produce.


Cutting that green log into small bowl size pieces is going to prove a great disappointment unless you can rapidly turn the bowls into thin walled examples.

I take it you have read the guidance notes on handling green wood in the help sticky at the top of the forum.

 

[delaney001]

....I assumed you'd just cut rings and turn them ...

That's exactly what you do not want to do.

Study this PDF for shapes of logs and expected grain patterns they produce.


Cutting that green log into small bowl size pieces is going to prove a great disappointment unless you can rapidly turn the bowls into thin walled examples.

I take it you have read the guidance notes on handling green wood in the help sticky at the top of the forum.

Thanks for that CHJ. I hadn't seen that link before, completely missed it

Can I ask what would you do with it? I'm very inexperienced at this so really not sure what to do with it?

 

[CHJ]

Can I ask what would you do with it? I'm very inexperienced at this so really not sure what to do with it?

If you are not into green turning or using it as potential throw away practice items then cut as appropriate, seal the ends and store it under the bench for 1-2 years.

 

[leisurefix]

What the PDF doesn't include, and what I would do, is to maximise what you can get from the piece of crotch wood. That being the bit of wood where the main trunk splits in to the 2/3 limbs. After cutting off the limbs, and the cutting through the main trunk I then cut the wood in half lengthwise, through the middle of the main trunk and the middle of the limbs if possible. Cut the 2 blanks round on a bandsaw, and then turn them, keeping the wood from the middle of the log as the bottom of the bowl so that all the interesting grain can be seen.
Crotch wood generally has really nice grain, but does need to be turned quite thin while the wood is still fairly wet, as crotch wood has a tendency to split.

As for the rest of the wood, cut it in to lengths, then cut in half along the length of the wood, then coat the end grain with slightly diluted PVA glue and store until ready for use.

Really interesting video link, good to see a youtube clip of someone who really knows how to turn, and to sharpen.

 

[CHJ]

What the PDF doesn't include, and what I would do, is to maximise what you can get from the piece of crotch wood. ...

Sample:-

Personally never had any more of a splitting problem with crotch wood when drying than the run of the mill stuff as long as all endgrain and branch scars are well sealed. But there are so many variables of wood type and drying environments it's as much "suck it and see" as anything else.

 

[SimonT]

Theres loads of youtube videos on this, if you do a quick search on "preparing bowl blanks" i wouldnt necessarilly follow all there techniques as frankly so are dangerous but it highlights the process from bowl to blank. Of i were you i would also search "roughing out bowl blanks" or " turning green wood" to show the a process of dealing with wet / green wood. (Sorry i couldn't attach some hyperlinks but for some reason it wouldnt allow me?)