What is everybody turning?

[Steve Paxman]

Before I started turning, everything I read talked about the traditional way - turning wet wood to a pretty thick bowl, then drying it (on a rack, in a bag, in shavings, whatever) for a year, then finish turning it.

Is that really what most folks are doing? What I see here and in some facebook groups seems more like folks just finish turn green wood all the time. To various shapes - bowls, boxes, hollow forms, whatever. Does that mean everyone really just has a bunch of warped stuff lying around after it finishes drying?

Tell me, what are you personally really turning? Wet or dry, finish turning or twice- turning? And to sell it, don't people pretty much want round, non-warped bowls?

[George Overpeck]

I'm turning once turned end grain work almost entirely right now. Sometimes the pith is visibly no good and I'll face turn, twice. But mostly once turned end grain. I end up doing a fair (unfair) amount of sanding sometimes but that's incentive to make the finishing cuts perfect.

I like the flow of doing it that way - instant feedback on form, more interesting rims than the standard "pringle" rim that face turned NE bowls have. And challenging to get it done well with the steel.

I do miss sending out long ribbons of shavings rather than end grain chips. But let's face it, the second turning is usually less fun than the initial roughing because you're throwing out hotter dustier shavings.

As far as warping goes, I think people just like to have a flat base on it. A little oval shape makes it interesting to most people.

[Thom Sturgill]

I think of it as a conversation. The environment and the tree influence the tree's growth, man cuts and shapes the tree and then the wood gets a final say as it dries followed by a finish coat by you. Twice turned the wood does not get that final say as you re-cut to enforce your vision on the wood. I tend to use kiln dried wood for formal goblets and boxes and turn to final thickness for bowls and hollow forms.

[mike ash]

My turning is probably 90% done in 2 stages, First turning green wood with wall thickness 10% of diameter and then drying in a cool and protected environment (under the house) until the weight loss (moisture loss) stabilizes. Depending on the wood species and the grain orientation, I may shrink wrap the rim of the bowl for a period of time. I have gotten away from using the grocery bags and even from drying them in a large container of shavings.....as the my success rate has been just as good without. I weigh them individually with a baby scale and record the weight on the piece, ans when there is no change in weight for a couple of weeks, the moisture content has stabilized.

When I have a desire to do a certain turning, I go into my treasure trove (probably 300-400 rough turned bowls) and select the one I will final turn. I usually get very little or at least acceptable warpage at this point, and can proceed to final finishing. When I have a piece that needs to remain absolutely stable (like one with a fitted lid, etc) then I turn to pretty much final dimensions and then let it acclimate in my heated shop for a week or so before doing final fitting and finishing.

I know there are other variations, from some expert turners in here, but this is the method that seems to suit my needs and skills!!

[Dave Cullen]

I turn dry wood, and even that has the last say in the result.

[Pat Scott]

I always twice turn. Rough it out, wax it, let it dry downstairs for a year. I can't stand warped pieces. The majority of what I make is utility pieces, and I want them to be round with a flat base. During the 2nd turning, once I remove wood and take it to final thickness I will get some movement (which drives me nuts). I know I'm relieving stresses in the wood which causes the movement, so I live with that.

[Dennis Ford]

I do both twice turning and green to finish. Natural edge bowls don't look round even if they are and are much more likely to lose the bark if twice turned; I turn those to finish from green wood. I usually make a hollow foot that can be flattened later so the bowl will sit without rocking. Hats have to be turned to finish while green. Boxes need to be turned from dry wood to maintain a good fit.
For basic bowls, you can go either way. Some people do not like oval bowls; others prefer them. When I get a fresh log, I make a few pieces final thickness and rough turn the rest to dry (some varieties I will cut blocks and let them spalt).
Highly figured wood will have a lot of texture if turned wet to final thickness; I prefer to twice turn it.
Fairly straight grain oak makes great hollow forms if turned wet to final finish (dramatically oval).

[Wes Ramsey]

I'm still quite a newbie turner and am still working on my preferred technique. I have a massive stash of wood right now that requires much more time to turn than what I have, so it will sit on the ground and nature will take its toll while it waits to be turned. If I can't cut away the cracks I fill them or save for the fireplace. And a lot of what I find is already in some state of 'dried'. We have a cabin in MO on a wild river and every spring with the rains we get a fresh batch of driftwood. This spring I got chunks from a huge sycamore with really pretty, tight grain that smells so bad I haven't done much with it, a smaller sycamore that was wet enough to spalt beautifully as it dried on my shop floor, and a relatively dry 15-18" cherry that I need to go back for more of. The dry end grain sycamore chips out really badly no matter how sharp the gouge, so lots of sanding is required, but I've done two pieces with it over the course of a couple of weeks without much movement at all. Same goes for the cherry. A good friend with the highway department feeds me intel when they cut trees so I also have a good source for green wood and I do enjoy turning it...just not so much the waiting to dry part. I've had good success with most rough-outs just sitting them in my office bathroom attached to my shop for weeks or months. I have NOT enjoyed turning dry walnut as it requires sharpening often. I have enjoyed turning green ash and maple though and I will probably be finishing some of those in the next few weeks, long before they're dry. I'm curious to see just how thin I can turn a green piece, how good a finish I can put on it without copious amounts of sandpaper and how interestingly it warps!