turning a cracked bowl?

[Terry Achey]

I'm sure this has been answered before, but here goes anyway. Is it safe (or sane) to finish turn a roughed out cherry bowl with a crack?

The bowl is about 9" and has a crack extending about 2" from the rim and is about 3/16" wide at the rim.

I'm still green myself. Although I've roughed out several green bowls and treated with DNA bath, I haven't finish turned any since they are just approaching the 3 to 4 week "drying" time. I'm anxious to start but concerned about the bowl coming apart.

So, is my next step:

a) go ahead and turn it?
b) downsize and part it low enough to get below the crack?
c) dedicate it as the new flue cap for the chiminea?

Terry

[Bernie Weishapl]

Terry you have a couple of choices. You can take the rim down past the crack. My choice would me to take a sander to make me some sanding dust. Mix up some 5 minute epoxy then mix in the sanding dust. Put a piece of masking tape down the crack on the outside. Fill the crack with the epoxy/sanding dust mixture. Where you can't get any epoxy in the thin crack use some thin CA. Sit it is a position that the epoxy won't run out. I always let mine sit for 24 hrs to dry then turn as normal. Here is one I did using epoxy/sanding dust thinned with DNA. It is still sitting on the table 2 yrs later. You could also use thick CA with sanding dust but I like the epoxy better. Hope this helps.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=37219

[Richard Madison]

Terry,
You could wait another month to let it dry some more. Then tape one side of the crack and fill with epoxy. Might take two or three attempts to get it completely filled. Different folks mix different stuff with their epoxy, like sawdust, brass filings, inlace, etc. I just use black dye, as it looks good with mesquite.

Others will follow with other (and possibly better) advice.

[Paul Gallian]

Wondering if anyone has tried using J B WELD KWIK-SET to fill a crack leaving it the natural dark color?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Terry,

I have had pretty good luck repairing cracks and finish turning bowls by filing the cracks with epoxy and crushed instant coffee crystals. Like Bernie suggested, I put some blue painters tape on the inside to seal the crack there and then from the outside I fill the crack with crushed instant coffee crystals and epoxy. I let it dry over night; return it to the lathe and finish turning it.

Here's a link to the first one I tried it on. Look at the crack that is near the bottom and goes probably 60% away around the bowl. It's what is called ring or wind shank?. Anyway it works well for me.

Check the bowl out here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=39202

Good luck!

[Reed Gray]

I used to repair cracked bowls, but don't any more, unless it is a very special piece of wood. Two reasons. One, I was going through Mike Mahoney's web site and noticed that he guaranteed his bowls because they were free from any defects. I really don't know how well any of the repair methods work over time. Second, was the amount of time spent filling cracks, then sanding them back down again. When placed next to a bowl without a crack, they wouldn't sell. For me, it just isn't worth the effort. If you do save it, do the crack repair before you return it.
robo hippy

[Terry Achey]

Thanks for the good advise, guys. I'll give the epoxy method a try. I'm new at this so this will be good experience for me. Besides, I would really hate discarding my first bowl! I have five more large cherry blanks that I've sealed with anchorseal just waiting on deck for me to get the time to start roughing them out. I also have two red oaks bowls that swam in the DNA for five days and after about two weeks they appear to be crack-free.

I just got a wolverine jig and sharpened by tools tonight. Wow, this jig along with an 8" 1725 grinder really works great! Very good DVD directions from One-Way, too. (got this tip from the "Creekers" also)

Thanks again for the help.
Terry

[robert hainstock]

Terry,
for the last 35 years or so I have used a product called "Accraglas" from Brownells.com. I bought a large container of the resin, and smaller cont. of the hardner. It mixes 4:1. It has remarkable shelf life. I am still using the last few oz. from that purchase. It has a four hr. cure time and while some look at that as a drawback, It is such a marvelous material, and of such consistency so as to bond to wood better than most any other. There are at least seven coloring agents available. Keep makin chips.
Bob