Quick Bowl Question

[Andydiy]

Been a couple years since I turned a bowl. When picking which part of the blank will be the base of the bowl, does it matter if it's bark side or heart side of the tree?

Also, if the wood is totally dried out does it really matter in that case?

[MichaelMouse]

More depth if the bottom is the barkside. Other than that, it's your choice to show what you will. If you cut heart down, the rings stay narrow, heart up, expand near the bottom of the bowl.

I would not assume the wood is "totally dried out" if it is of any thickness. Difference between internal and surface moisture content mght fool you. TDT - turn, dry, turn even wood you think is dry. Turn it a bit over thickness, let it relax a couple-three days, then true up.

[Arlin Eastman]

You can use either way to turn it and I even turn it 30* different to the end.

Hope to see what you are making.

[Herebrooks]

I would recommend David Ellsworth book on turning. Besides being one of the best books out there, he discusses what your asking in great detail. One point he makes is by beginning a bowl between centers actually allows you to make the selection of top or bottom when you can see what you've got going on(after the bark is gone and the block is balanced and round) Good stuff for all, even the experienced turner.

[MichaelMouse]

I favor free information. Here's some presentations to consider.

http://www.texaswoodshop.com/turning/Woo...andout.pdf

[Gary G™]

One can obtain Ellsworth's book from the library too; don't have to buy it.

[Arlin Eastman]

Gary G™ said:

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One can obtain Ellsworth's book from the library too; don't have to buy it.

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+++++111111

That is where my wife picked up the DVD of Del Stubbs and I just had to turn seeing his love to turning and wood.

[MichaelMouse]

Those of you fortunate enough to have access to a library might find it, or get it through inter-library loan. Nonetheless, there's more free on the web than just one book, so even we with no library privileges can get more information than we can ever digest on methods. Moving pictures, even. For the answer to the question, look at the nice PDF.

[clovishound]

If it is over 4 inches thick, a blank is unlikely to be dry without some major cracking. It takes a really long time for a 6 inch plus piece of wood to air dry.

[robo hippy]

For a wood like sycamore or white oak, they have strong ray patterns that only show well if the heart of the tree is the bottom of the bowl, so for them, though it does waste some wood, they look better that way, and you get a set of circle rings going down the bowl. For most other woods, you have the bark side on the bottom of the bowl, and you get kind of a figure 8 pattern on the rings.

robo hippy