Noticed something strange going on while starting to clean the inside. Fortunately I noticed it before it went flying all over.
Attachment 364187
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Noticed something strange going on while starting to clean the inside. Fortunately I noticed it before it went flying all over.
Attachment 364187
I confess that I did not always know that these cracks mean "try a different piece of wood."
Personally, I'd put my cage down and give it a try.......
CA is your friend, as well as lower speed, cage down and full safety gear. Stay out of the line of fire.
Or you could toss it. Why risk it if it's not a great piece of wood. No offense, but the wood doesn't look all that great.
No question - firewood!
I would cut through the crack on the bandsaw and turn the larger half into a much smaller bowl.
Steve
I feel your pain, Jim.
If you look closely there are other cracks, including one in the large half.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Peterson
My theory, " if you can't turn it- burn it"
This wood was what I call yard maple. One of those fast growing silver maples that developers love to plant because they grow fast. They also have roots that run on top of the ground and in a 10 year old tree will be, from my experience, 15 to 25 feet from the trunk. Impossible to cut under and unsightly. It was alive when cut down and I got a number of large pieces. After running them through the band saw I sealed them. That was about 6 weeks ago. What really puzzles me is why it broke in almost a stair-step fashion. I still haven't quite got the hang of this turning thing so I turn whatever I can get. I will attempt to turn some of the other pieces and do so very carefully. C&C's appreciated.
Jim, silver maple is an excellent wood to turn and often has figure and burls more often than hard maple. However, a piece that size would take several years to dry. If you are wet turning wood, you cannot leave a piece on the lathe for any length of time without covering it with a plastic bag. That may be why it cracked.
That may well be why it cracked since I left it on the lathe for about an hour during lunch. Lesson learned.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Keeton
I've learned to spritz wood occasionally with water while turning to keep it from drying out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Hipp
JKJ
Fresh Silver Maple is, and I agree with John Keeton, a nice turning wood, the crack in the wood is almost certain caused by the fall of the tree, I would not expect such a severe split from drying for a short time, and certainly not in the jagged manner this one did.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Hipp
Though the already present split would open up with drying, it is why we should inspect a piece very thoroughly before starting to turn it, and be aware of any hints that something is wrong with it while turning.
Absolutely needs to come off the lathe... but it might be worth cutting a smaller salvageable piece out... it would kinda depend on what it looks like. From the picture, it doesn't look particularly exciting, so I'm guessing I'd burn this one.