Are Oak and Ash Suitable Woods for Yarn Bowls?

[Dave Bunge]

I recently made my wife a yarn bowl out of box elder, 8" diameter, 5" tall, see picture below. She likes it a lot. Now all her knitting buddies want bowls too and she graciously agreed for me to make them.
20160217_210732_001.jpg

I'd like to use cherry, maple, Bradford pear or some other close grained wood. Unfortunately, oak and ash are all that I have that are big enough. I'm concerned that the yarn in the slot might get caught on the open pores of the oak or ash. Any opinions or experience out there? I'd like to hear what people think.

Thanks,
Dave

[Marion Smith]

That yarn bowl is A-1! I feel your pain about getting volunteered to make things too! You're a good hubby!
I suggest applying CA glue to the open grained yarn slot and sanding to 600grit. Might take several layers to seal 100% Maybe test on a scrap piece first?

[david privett]

I think I would choose ash first of the two.

[russell dietrich]

Dave,
When I cut the fish hook in the bowl, I dissolve 5 min epoxy in a little DNA. Paint the mixture into the exposed grain, then sand smooth after it dries. This will usually stiffen the wood and fill pores.

[Dave B West]

How did you cut the slot into the bowl? I have tried a few different techniques, including a dremel and a coping saw, to mixed results. The slot usually turns out being wider than planned.

[Randy Red Bemont]

Your yarn bowl pictured is very nice. I hope you're going to get paid some to do the other bowls. Good luck.

Red

[Prashun Patel]

That is a beautiful design.

Every bowl that I've made out of oak has not been 'catchy'. Even if the pores are not filled completely, any film finish will partially fill the pores and at least round them over.

I would sand to a high grit, then use a film finish like WOP.

You can convince yourself of this by finishing one and then running a dry microfiber cloth through the slot and around the bowl.

I would, however, take great pains to make the slot as far away from the end grain as possible. Sanding oak end grain is my kryptonite.

[Wes Ramsey]

That bowl is gorgeous! +1 on my honey-do list for her mama.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've done several in ash. No catching has been reported by the knitters.

[david privett]

funny now that I think of it but the first one of these I made was from cypress boards stacked , the old lady uses it weekly and no complaints of snagging , sanded it to 600 and I finished it with natural minwax paste 3 coats.

[Dave Bunge]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm going to go ahead and use the red oak I have available. It's from a large diameter log, slow growing tree, so growth rings are small and sapwood is narrow. I'm going to try once turned, natural edge (no bark). I've had much better luck keeping oak from cracking when I've turned it thin right away. Since it's from a large diameter log, the rim will be almost flat. I'll keep the thinned epoxy or CA coating in reserve to use if necessary.

Dave West: I cut the slot using a coping saw. The bowl was still in chuck and the chuck was in my bench vise, so everything was pretty secure while I was cutting. I cleaned up the cut with an exacto knife in a few spots, then sanded.

Prashun: Kryptonite. Nice image. Sanding saps my strength sometimes too. Unfortunately, I think I'm stuck with sanding end grain here. I've read it's very important to cut the slot in the side grain part of the bowl so that you have long grain orientation of the wood around the slot to keep the wood from breaking easily. But that means the surface inside the slot is actually end grain. If I cut the slot in the end grain part of the bowl, the surfaces to sand would be face grain and easier to sand. But the wood around the slot would be easier to break due to the short grain. Hope that made sense.

Thanks again. I'll post some pictures and a report of how this worked out in a couple of months when the bowls are done.

Dave

[russell dietrich]

image_18330.jpgDave
How do you sand the slot. I have been using this. It is the quickest method I have found so far.

[David Gilbert]

I've made a lot of yarn bowls. I've used ash but not oak but wouldn't worry about using either one. Yours is very nice.

I cut my slots with a Japanese pull saw. I actually CA glued two blades together so they cut a wider slot. After the slot is cut, I drill the hole at the end. Sanding the slot can be a pain but I use cloth backed sandpaper. I rip it to 1" widths by 10-12" long and then fold it in half so I have a long 1/2" wide piece with sandpaper on both sides. I built a vacuum chuck that holds my bowl in place on my bench and then pull the paper back and forth and work through the different grits. I work to be sure that there are no rough spots to snag the yarn.

Cheers,
David

[Maria Alvarado]

Dave,
As a knitter and a turner I can say "well done!". I think the epoxy suggestion sounds good. I'm sure all the knitters will love their new bowls