Major Bummer!!!

[Shane Whitlock]

I haven't turned a hollow form for about a month so I decided today was a good day to turn one. I found an ugly piece of Box Elder burl on the back shelf and figured there had to be a beautiful HF hiding inside.

I got it mounted between centers and turned a tenon for the chuck.


Got it all shaped and sanded. The wood has some beautiful grain and some real pretty reds.


I hollowed it out with my bowl gouge and a homemade scrapper ... look at those pretty red curls.


I finished cleaning up the insided and made sure the wall thickness was a uniform 1/8" thick. I grabbed my big scrapper and got rid of that damn little nub on the bottom then I reached over to shut off the lathe when my hand holding the scrapper slipped off the tool rest and into the wood

Son of a #$@&# !!!


Cracked it at the opening and 3 spots on the side ... Major bummer!


I've got it glueing back together but I will always be able to see those dang cracks. I think I will mount it above my lathe as a reminder to pay attention.

Happy turning,
Shane Whitlock

[Mark Cothren]

Man Shane, that stinks... that was gonna be a dandy, for sure. Hope the glue-up works better than you're expecting.

[Raymond Fries]

Art takes many forms. Look at the breaks and then look at Stephen's work. Maybe you could incorporate his technique any turn it into something fabulous and even more beautiful that you had planned.

http://www.stephenhatcher.com/

Good Luck Shane.

[Travis Stinson]

I hate when that happens! Good luck with the repair Shane, looks like it's worth the effort.

[Larry Crim]

All the kings horses and all the kings men>>>>>>>
That really stinks I hope you get it back together.
Larry

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Shane..............Sorry for you!......

[Jude Kingery]

Shane, yep it happens - beautiful work by the way - and one suggestion is you might try actually accenting your glue lines with black, so you have an egg/cracked shell look as if you made it on purpose that way! Kinda like Raymond said, opportunity in the face of disaster. I always have loved horsehair pottery and you may be able to do something like that look. All the encouragement! Jude

[Bernie Weishapl]

Shane that's a bummer. I have had that happen twice and both times it was box elder. That stuff seems to crack while you are turning it. Hope it works when glued.