Well I had to hit it again today, had the day off so after extensive clean up in the ol shop/garage, I found some time to turn a couple pieces. First I attempted a small bowl with California Live Oak. I was successful turning the outer shape, but when I flipped it to hollow it out that is when everything just got to grabby and studdery and chips and gouges occurred, so I think I have learned today, at all costs stay away from Oak for bowls!

The image below is an olive wood bowl I cut from a log then chucked it up on the lathe and came up with this shape. It is green wet off the chisels. I loved it, it was a tad warm today and I could feel the cool air coming off the small log as the chisels cut into it.

Right now as I sit here, the bowl is still on the lathe faceplate, it may crack overnight it may not, cross my fingers. I just read that nice little topic Cliff put up about soaking the work in a solution of water and detergent, that'll be one I'll have to try for sure.

Image below, Olive Wood Bowl Outer

The next image is the top of the bowl at the face plate, you can see it's pretty rough looking, I am not sure if I am going to be able to successfully complete this one without it fragmenting into 3 different pieces during the process.

What do you guys think, should I abandon ship on this one, or give it a whirl?

This is great fun. By the way I have a stack of green olive logs about 8 feet tall and 20 feet diameter where I work, I can get these any time! Cool figure eh! You know the shavings actually smell like the olives we eat too.

 

I'll bet that smelled great when you turned it.

 

A word of caution about turning wet (green) wood- the moisture from the wood will rust the face plate and chuck if left on them for very long. I left my TeknaTool chuck and a piece of walnut together for a couple of days- on the lathe. The I removed the wood, the chuck had rusted so badly I had to tear it apart and wire brush all of the moving parts to get it working again.

I'll bet that smelled great when you turned it.

 

A word of caution about turning wet (green) wood- the moisture from the wood will rust the face plate and chuck if left on them for very long. I left my TeknaTool chuck and a piece of walnut together for a couple of days- on the lathe. The I removed the wood, the chuck had rusted so badly I had to tear it apart and wire brush all of the moving parts to get it working again.

Thank for the tip Lew!!! Going out now to remove bowl!!!

John

Maybe Lew can verify this also. You can "dry" your bowl blanks in a microwave. George Vondriska showed a short video on this with a moisture meter and it worked. There is not set science on time etc. So lots of experimentation and a note book will be needed. Also get a cheap microwave from the second hand store, you don't want to contaminate the one in your kitchen. The video showed that it worked.

 

Wayne

John

Maybe Lew can verify this also. You can "dry" your bowl blanks in a microwave. George Vondriska showed a short video on this with a moisture meter and it worked. There is not set science on time etc. So lots of experimentation and a note book will be needed. Also get a cheap microwave from the second hand store, you don't want to contaminate the one in your kitchen. The video showed that it worked.

 

Wayne

Need the microwave for sure. A fairly accurate scale (digital preferred) can substitute for the moisture meter. When the blank no longer decreases in weight, the moisture has been reduced to an acceptable level. I just wait until Mimi is on one of her road trips and use the ones in the kitchen.

A word of caution from me. Turning wood is contagious.  Not only is it contagious, it is addictive. You will find yourself wondering about the wood and what you will do next.  You even think ahead about what you will turn tomorrow and how you will do it. It effects your mind. You will find yourself thinking about several projects and how you may do them. Problems develop when your turnings fun take over and you find you would rather take to turning wood that turning to your wife............This can be serious and could lead to a separation. Separation is bad, it can ruin a good project. :-)

A word of caution from me. Turning wood is contagious.  Not only is it contagious, it is addictive. You will find yourself wondering about the wood and what you will do next.  You even think ahead about what you will turn tomorrow and how you will do it. It effects your mind. You will find yourself thinking about several projects and how you may do them. Problems develop when your turnings fun take over and you find you would rather take to turning wood that turning to your wife............This can be serious and could lead to a separation. Separation is bad, it can ruin a good project. :-)

HAHAHAHA! That was good Ron, and the scary thing is, I can see this becoming very addictive. The main reason is the quick satisfaction one gets. It's not like building a piece of furniture where takes weeks or even months before it is finished. Yet a bowl can be turned and finished in an hour, after work, or just because, it is very cool and I love it so far.

A note on that olive bowl above, woke up this morning and the crack got bigger, dividing the bowl virtually, no way to hollow it now without it shattering. I wonder if epoxy could be used to fill it then turn it?

A note on that olive bowl above, woke up this morning and the crack got bigger, dividing the bowl virtually, no way to hollow it now without it shattering. I wonder if epoxy could be used to fill it then turn it?

 

 

CA to penetrate, Epoxy to fill and then a large hose clamp. Wrap the turning in a piece of inner tube to protect the outside, if it has bee sanded.

If you use the microwave, don't use the one your wife uses to cook in. It can and will leave orders in there and she will not be happy.

 

I picked up a couple at yard sales that work and didn't cost much. I keep them in the shop close to the lathe. Don't try to dry it too fast or it will crack. Take it slow even with the Microwave.

 

Wet is fun to turn cause it comes off nice. Leave it a bit thicker than the final, put it in a brown paper bag, fill it with the shavings, label it and sit it aside for a while. It will be fun when you come back to it.

 

You could also get some of those blanks and let them be drying in the shop.

John, when you say put it in a brown paper bag with shavings, at what stage of the game should I do this? Thanks.

I usually turn the blank to the rough shape- inside and out- leaving the walls about 1/10 the thickness of the diameter. A 10" bowl blank would have 1" thick walls/bottom. At that point I take it off of the lathe and put it in the bag with the shavings. Or, you could start the microwave process at that time.

 I have a stack of green olive logs about 8 feet tall and 20 feet diameter where I work, I can get these any time!

 

Well now that sounds like a  fine use for the Flea Bay.  You can sell that stuff you know.

I think I like the bag idea over the oven. Seem more natural. Not saying the oven does not work, but the bag just seems organic and right.

Well now that sounds like a  fine use for the Flea Bay.  You can sell that stuff you know.

It could be Cliff, I know Olive wood is sought after by turners for it's color and beautiful streaks. This is a more of a community pile of logs at work, I can have what I need but only for personal use. If they caught wind of me selling it on Fleabay, that'd be the end of that.

With the bag process, you can have a bunch of blanks in various stages of dryness. I found a couple hidden in the basement that were over a year old. Which reminds me, write the date on the outside of the bag.

With the bag process, you can have a bunch of blanks in various stages of dryness. I found a couple hidden in the basement that were over a year old. Which reminds me, write the date on the outside of the bag.

Great tip Lew, thanks!

Need the microwave for sure.

 

 

I've tried this with a microwave.  All I ended up with was charred wood. It chars from the inside out.  Once you char it the measurement is going to be off.

I tried it in my oven but the cursed thing is highly efficient and seals the moisture in so  that too was a problem. I had to constantly open the door to let the damp air out.  Takes a long time in the oven at 250 - 300F.  Wood combusts at around 500F

John, when you say put it in a brown paper bag with shavings, at what stage of the game should I do this? Thanks.

 

John, turn it as Lew said to about 1/10 of what you what it to be in the final and then remove it from the lathe and put it in the bag. Label the bag with what you were turning and put a date on it. You can check it with a moisture meter and see when it is down enough to finish. I do this quite often when turning bowls.

John, turn it as Lew said to about 1/10 of what you what it to be in the final and then remove it from the lathe and put it in the bag. Label the bag with what you were turning and put a date on it. You can check it with a moisture meter and see when it is down enough to finish. I do this quite often when turning bowls.

Thanks John, and guys!

John, when you are doing clean up, look at the pieces of wood that you find as you clean.  Pick up the interesting ones and put all together in one place. Do this each time you clean.  Then some day, lay them out, sort them and glue some together. These can make some great small projects