Coaxing wood into shape after drying

[Eric Gourieux]

After turning this cherry crotch to shape, I soaked in DNA and wrapped it in a paper grocery bag. For some reason, it dried too quickly and warped and cracked significantly. The cracks were there before drying and I was hoping that they would behave and provide a lot of interest. Instead, the cracks warped relative to each other and the HF basically twisted. Some of the wood adjacent to the cracks is out of step with the other wood by the full thickness of the wood.

Here is my question:

Has anybody tried "unwarping" or coaxing the form back into near-round? I'm considering soaking it again in either water or DNA and while wet, place it in a jig to help create and hold the form. Can something like this be done?

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[Sid Matheny]

Never tried anything like that. Have wet warped boards several times and put weight on them to straighten them and that worked most every time. From the looks of that piece I think it would be worth a try anyway. A little time wasted if it don't work but worth the time trying IMHO.

Sid

[Russell Neyman]

Try steaming it and somehow pushing it back into the shape you desire. Softjaws? Nylon straps? A home made clamp? All of those have worked for me in the in the past. In reality, this is no different than steaming wood to bend it.

[John Keeton]

IMO, steam bending wood is somewhat different in that one is usually working with a piece of flat stock that is otherwise straight grain and has no apparent internal stress. When a larger piece of wood moves significantly, it is because of internal stress. The forces involved there are substantial, and usually beyond one's ability to contain them.

Back in my rifle building days, I had a beautiful curly maple stock nearly finished with substantial rococo carving. Without warning, it warped in the wrist. I was sick! I had well over 80 hours in that stock. I tried everything - wet towels, clamping, steam, etc. I would get it straight, but not for long. Personally, I don't think you would have much success in this endeavor, but perhaps others have different experiences.

[Michelle Rich]

John hit the nail on the head. The stress cannot be overcome. Sorry

[Bob Rotche]

Although it looks like it would have been a very nice piece, I would chalk this one up to experience and move on.

[Dennis Ford]

I don't think you will be able to make it round but would not necessarily toss it. Consider making the cracks into features (maybe sew them up with wire, leather or ??).

[Roger Chandler]

Move on! This one is firewood now...........life is too short to turn bad wood............at least that is what I have been told numerous times!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Eric,
The pictures look like you hollowed this piece through the center. I can't imagine anything stopping cherry from cracking under that circumstance. Even soaking in DNA will not help. By the way, I usually bag my bowls and HFs once I remove them form the DNA and let the alcohol evaporate. Let your form finish dry and crack then evaluate it to see if it is an "experience piece" or if some creativity will save it. Trying to force against the stresses is like pushing a string.
faust

[joel nucifore]

Fire wood works but one method that has worked but long prosses to do is hose clamps. Soak the wood in tub of water then get some big dryer hose clamps and place in 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 areas and tighten every couple of hours might need another soak and repeat use an epoxy on cracks when it is closed up.

use laquer as a finish super glue will show up. BUT FOR THAT AMOUNT OF EFFORT START ANOTHER ONE AND MOVE ON.......

[Nathan Hawkes]

Eric, I think I would start over on a new piece of wood. You will more than likely be dissatisfied with the results of any attempt to salvage the piece. In looking at the pictures of the top of the vessel, there likely isn't anything you could've done to prevent this from happening. The cracks seem to have been some sort of ring shake or wind shake cracks that were present at the time of hollowing. In picture 2 you can tell the discoloration that occurs around the cracks that must have been present during the tree's lifetime. If you hollow another with similar markings, you will want to soak these cracks in CA glue before the catastrophic failure occurs.

[Harvey Ghesser]

Design opportunity!!

[Fred Belknap]

I suspect that the cracking here is from internal stress in the wood, not from drying . I had a cherry bowl that was a crotch and it had a small crack on both sides at the feather, I used epoxy to seal the cracks but a few weeks after it was finished it did something like your bowl. The epoxy didn't stop it. It was varnished and buffed, keep it in the shop to put some stuff in, reminds me that they don't all work.

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

Eric, as to all the advice a bove, I'd go with the "leave it as an experience piece", BUT if you fancy something differently creative, try splitting the base along the crack, so you have the front and back of the "moth" as seen in pic 2. clean / carve the edges of torn grain, and see about positioning them relatively close on a solid base, to make an 'arty' piece instead. You could also separate them and lie them on their sides (split edges up), and see if you can carve two bowls?

Good luck, whatever you decide.

[Russell Neyman]

Try steaming it and somehow pushing it back into the shape you desire. Softjaws? Nylon straps? A home made clamp? All of those have worked for me in the in the past. In reality, this is no different than steaming wood to bend it.

Replying to my own previous comment, I simply did not look at the photos closely enough and didn't realize that the base was split through. There's no safe way to turn this again. At this point, what you have is an appointment at the emergency center to have stitches put in your forehead. Put it on the scrap pile.