WHACK!!! This one got me!

[Steven Mize]

Thanks for posting your experience. I am fairly new to woodworking in general and especially to turning. Compared to all of my other tools, the lathe seems fairly benign. I read or hear about things not to do because it is a "dangerous" cut or whatever without hearing what the danger is or even what makes it dangerous. Your experience certainly gives me something to think about and finally explain why I always wear a face shield.

Glad you are ok!

[Dick Strauss]

Do you think maybe it was ring shake (internal stress/separation between the growth rings)? I would check each piece with mineral sprits before turning another chunk. If you have ring shake, usually the end grain will have concentric cracking that soaks up lots of MS. The cracks stay wet with MS for much longer than the areas without issue just like standard radial drying cracks.

[Roger Chandler]

Do you think maybe it was ring shake (internal stress/separation between the growth rings)? I would check each piece with mineral sprits before turning another chunk. If you have ring shake, usually the end grain will have concentric cracking that soaks up lots of MS. The cracks stay wet with MS for much longer than the areas without issue just like standard radial drying cracks.

Thanks Dick..........my plan is to indeed check each piece before considering mounting it on the lathe..........That blank in the pics........it is now on the firewood pile along with 2 other pieces! I just did not like the way it looked! I cut down 2 other blanks and took away any areas that were questionable also!