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Thread: Walnut bowl

  1. #1
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    Walnut bowl

    Running out of time to finish a bowl made from walnut tree my daughter and her husband cut down. It was green when I turned it and began cracking as soon as I turned it. I did the only thing I knew to do....I put it in a paper sack then a second and 3rd sack. Took it out recently and having left a face plate on it was able to turn it thinner and true it up somewhat.
    My usual finish of Tung oil finish was not an option with so little time so I did what someone on this forum suggested...I sprayed it with shellac. That sealed it but did not bring out the beauty of walnut I'm used to.
    With just days to finish what could I do to add a deeper, darker finnish? Thank you

  2. #2
    sand back the shellac with 220 and then use danish oil..it will dry more quickly and makes walnut look great
    Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "oh crap she's up!"


    Tolerance is giving every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.

    "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts are gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts will happen to man. All things are connected. " Chief Seattle Duwamish Tribe

  3. #3
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    Danish oil is a good suggestion, but it takes a few days to cure. Multiple applications over a couple of weeks will really bring out the beauty of the wood. But you don't have that kind of time. Also, IMHO Danish oil leaves an unpleasant smell on the piece for a long time, and if it is meant as a utility bowl for food I wouldn't go that route. Walnut oil is probably safest and smells great. Wipe on liberally and let it soak in. I make a mix of about 4-1 Mahoney's WO and beeswax. The oil helps the wax penetrate the wood better and after a few days of treatment it looks really nice and lasts a while.

    If this is for show then I'd do a light coat of DO, let it cure for as long as you can in as warm and dry an environment as you dare, then shellac.

  4. #4
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    Perhaps it's too late to do anything. The bowl has 3 coats of shellac and her birthday is the 5th.
    It's not that it looks particularly bad....just not what I wanted.

    I'd post a pic but recently I've been unable to upload pics. I keep getting a message telling me the image has the wrong format, although before I posted pics that were edited and crop, saved and uploaded the identical way.

  5. #5
    since you used tung oil, I assumed you did not make this as an eating bowl, thus danish is a great finish. It does not take many days to dry , and after 2 coats all you do is buff it..soft, luxurious shine. It would have been ready in time. And I have never had it stink, either.
    Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "oh crap she's up!"


    Tolerance is giving every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.

    "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts are gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts will happen to man. All things are connected. " Chief Seattle Duwamish Tribe

  6. #6
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    Dad, relax and do the best you can. She (they) are going to love and cherish the bowl and the thought forever. Put a note in the gift package explaining that the bowl might need to be "adjusted" later. After the heat of the moment declines, you can help her out by doing what is best for the bowl and your family. I, and I am sure others, have had the wonderful opportunity to turn something from sentimentally attached trees or lumber. I have always enjoyed it, but when things have gone awry some times, I included an explanation but the recipients never thought about anything but the gift and the meaning of it all. Best of luck, creating an heirloom...... and if there is more of the wood to be had, make more items.

  7. #7
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    When I finished up the bottom (I had screwed it to a faceplate) I made a kind of dish shape. As I was doing that the thought came to me to place a very thin plate of some kind of metal on the bottom and use the 4 screw holes ( that protruded into the bowl itself. It would need to be very flexible so I can press it into the curved bottom. My thought is to print a short note. Any ideas?

  8. #8
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    Just wanted to say thanks to everyone. I was near panic trying to make it the best I could.
    When I gave it to her she gave me a big hug and told me she loves having someone make gifts instead if buying. Then I told her it was made from her walnut tree and her eyes really twinkled then.
    Last night I thought I'd take a small piece of the same walnut tree and make a little lidded bowl for my 7-year-old granddaughter, her oldest child.
    It has a couple of things it needs done to it first....like hollow it out. Probably going to have to do that by hand. I am not going to throw out the 2-3 hours I spent lightly sanding both pieces as I sneaked up on a snug fit. And my HF mini's chuck wouldn't even make a good boat anchor.
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