first bowl done - now cracked bowl

[trojan62]

hi all
i posted some pics of my bowl yesterday, but overnight its gained some new features.
it was green wood, someone suggested oak, that i turned and immediately brought into the house.
i had some idea this might happen, but not just yet.
whats the best way to stop this happening again with fresh green wood.

thanks in advance.

cheers

chris.....

 

[J-G]

whats the best way to stop this happening again with fresh green wood.

If you left it overnight on the radiator that would have done the damage #-o

 

[NickWelford]

Radial splits will pretty much always occur in green wood as it dries. It's difficult, if not impossible to do an end grain bowl such as this in green wood. Better to split through the heart.

 

[trojan62]

hi
i should of mentioned, the bowl was not left on the radiator overnight, just for the photo.

cheers

chris....

 

[Mark Hancock]

Hi Chris

The cracks are classic for a green turned end grain bowl where the wall thickness isn't even throughout. I believe someone mentioned in your other thread about the use of a recess to hold the piece and the consequential thicker base area. Also taking the piece straight in doors hasn't helped; green timber doesn't respond well to dramatic changes to it's environment - cold workshop to centrally heated house.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with Nick that radial splits will pretty much always occur in green wood as it dries. 90% of my work is turning green wood on pith centre and in the vast majority I don't get star checking at the pith or splits. It all comes down to wall thickness and allowing the vessel to dry evenly over the whole form.

 

[Woodmonkey]

If you can slow down the drying it can help, eg leave in a paper bag or box full of shavings, it's in the lap of the gods though really...

 

[KimG]

I'm not entirely convinced it is Oak, it looks more like Alder to me, I have just finished roughing out some Alder bowls and it has medullary rays akin to Oak (though more like hazel) that match this, plus the orange flecks in this are very much in keeping with Alder, the fine grain, as opposed to the rather coarse and open grain of Oak, plus finally, the lease sure guide of all, but still indicative, the colour, not really Oak like.

Was the log by any chance really rather Orange looking on the end at any time, this is a key signature of Alder, fresh cut it is pale, but within 24 hours or so it begins to colour very Orange.

That's my guess at any rate, and I freely accept I could be totally wrong too!