Grain problem

[Carole Valentine]

Today I started on my first "real" hollow form, a SW style. But the piece of maple I happened to pick turned out to have some of the most onery (not pretty, just ornery) grain I have ever run into! I have tried a shear cut, a vertical shear cut, scraping, all with super sharp tools. I finally resorted to the 80 grit gouge (don't have any 60) and it still looks and feels fuzzy! I know there are some "last resort" tricks to handle this, but I can't remember them or locate them anywhere. Seemed that some folks used CA, but I hate using that stuff unless it's for a crack or something. Any other suggestions? Do you think wet sanding with oil while it's on the lathe would help?

[Ernie Nyvall]

Hi Carole, I have used Minwax wood hardener on stuff like that, but have read of mixing 50/50 water and white glue for punky wood as well. I'm not sure it would work on what you have or if it might discolor it so that you would have to cover the whole project. Has the wood been dry for long? I'd sure wait on someone else to answer this before going this way though.

Ernie

[Matthew Clarke]

Hi Carole,

Ernie is right. I have used the 50/50 water-glue solution as long as you do not intend to stain the piece. Otherwise, use the minwax wood hardener. I have used it on maple and poplar with great results and no discoloration.

[Carole Valentine]

Ernie, it's not punky. It is semi-green wood. I plan to finsh turn it and let it have it's way. I have this thing for distorted vessels, LOL

[Ernie Nyvall]

Gotcha. I don't know if either would work on green wood.

I know what you mean about the warp. I had one out of honey locust that almost looked like a clover leaf by the time it was dry. It was really roughed out rough though and I didn't feel like sanding that stuff by hand.

Ernie

[Mike Ramsey]

Carole, had the same problem tonight with some wet poplar, gave up and went into the house turned on the TV but couldn't set still thinking about the bowl so i went back out & took some 100 grit sandpaper, turned the lathe up high and that fixed my problem.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Carole, I run into that more often than I like. In fact I have just finished hollowing the box elder and had the same problem with it. I have used 50-50 glue and water, 50-50 poly and thinner, and floor sealer. They all seem to work pretty well for me. I think the water based floor sealer dried quicker than the others. Hope this is of some help.

[Carole Valentine]

Ernie, I have some of the Minwax stuff but have never used it. Does it change the color of the wood? Can you still use Danish oil over it? Do I need to coat then entire piece in order for it to be uniform? Sorry for so many questions.

[Carole Valentine]

Don, I found the one piece of Box Elder that I have turned so far to be fuzzy in places too. I wet sanded it with Danish Oil and it turned out OK. I have only turned one piece of it so far and was hoping the rest was better.
Post a pic of what you end up with.

[John Hart]

Carole...my latest walnut bowl has the same problem...I'm fuzzy on two sides and on the inside and outside. Seems to be related to the endgrain and the greenness of the wood. Mike Ramsey's method seemed to work on the outside but the inside is really being stubborn. I'm trying the hardner method today.

[Jim Becker]

Hollowforms are easiest to turn in end-grain orientation, both from the cutting standpoint and from the finishing standpoint. No matter, however, faceplate orientation on any kind of turning can present the problem you describe as you move from flat gain to end grain and back twice per revolution, depending on the particular chunk of wood. It's almost impossible to cure fully on a hollowform with a small opening due to access, but can be controlled completely or to some degree otherwise by very sharp tooling and sometime application of either beeswax or a sanding sealer/turps mixture at the transition point right before the "final cut". And, of course, there is always the "60 grit gouge"!

[Raymond Overman]

I was wrestling with a piece of dried maple last night that had this problem on the outside of the bowl in the end grain. I was finally able to do a very light shear cut with a freshly sharpened bowl gouge to keep from tearing it out. The key was laying the bevel on the wood first then slowly rotating the long cutting edge into the wood until it just barely started taking off shavings. Then riding the bevel through the cut. The shavings were barely even wisps. It took a lot of passes but I'm satisfied with the finished product.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

[John Hart]

... and sometime application of either beeswax or a sanding sealer/turps mixture at the transition point right before the "final cut". And, of course, there is always the "60 grit gouge"!

Jim...I'm curious...Do you melt the beeswax and apply it hot or mix it with oil? What's the waiting period before making the "final cut"?
Thanks

[Jim Becker]

John...you can mix up some beeswax with turps or MS and keep it in a small jar near the lathe for this purpose. This, combined with shear cutting, can make a wonderful different with the "fuzzies". Do be sure to either cut it all away or clean the object thoroughly with mineral spirits before finishing.

[John Hart]

Okie Dokie. Thank you sir. Wish I could run home and try it out. Sheesh! Gotta wait for everything!