Blowout Advice

[steven carter]

My son who is a golf course superintendent called and asked if I would like a piece of willow to turn. After reading last week's post about willow, I was happy to try my hand at it. While removing the core of the bowl, I noticed that it looked like there was some possibility of cracks on both sides of the bowl. I was just about to stop and apply CA, when the pieces blew out and bounced off my face shield. I retrieved the pieces and found that they were not damaged and would fit right back in. Now I am wondering if I should glue them back and finish the bowl, or leave them out. I kind of like it with the pieces missing and am leaning towards finishing like that but don't know if it would be too strange It won't look like anything I've turned before that's for sure. What do you all think?

[Tom Sherman]

Steve if you proceed do so with caution looks like you may have encountered some 'Shake', and there may be more waiting to surprise you.

[robert hainstock]

Tom is right on, and if you stick tthose pieces back, use a good grade epoxy, not hardwarestore brand. That is beautiful stuff, and I would try to save it. But then I hate to throw any weel figured wood away.
Bob

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steve - don't know if I would spend a lot of time with this one because of the type of separation. I would suggest epoxy the pieces and then set the bowl aside and see what else happens to it before trying to turn it. You never know - that may be the only problem - or it could be just the start. I'd wait for a while.

[Kim Ford]

Steve;

I had the same thing happen to an old growth doug fir bowl. Seems like the more I worked on it the more it resisted and to neither of our benefits. I would be careful with any type of glue back because it looks like a pitch pocket that came apart. If that is the case then it sometimes is like glueing jello to jello.

Good Luck and let us know what you do.

Kim

[Bernie Weishapl]

You got some good info. If it were me I would try to finish turning it without the pieces glued. If you do glue them back make sure like Robert said and use a industrial grade epoxy. Like I said if it was from wind shake which a lot of willow and cottonwood seem to have out here I would leave them out and give it a go.