Im stumped.. Black Walnut is one of my favorite woods but for the life of me I cannot find the formula for working with it. I have blown up a bunch of walnut bowls. One morning I lost three good sized bowls. 1,2,3 boom, boom, boom. Being a manly kinda guy, I did not cry, I repressed and turned the lathe off for the day. But, my problem with walnut is making me crazy. I have the remains of a dozen mature walnuts that we harvested this winter.. I have a mountain of walnut waiting for me but Im afraid to jump into it.
Being very stubborn and still in some denial, I cut up a couple of large log butts and have a dozen blanks yesterday. Before I get into these, Id like some help (see, I can ask for help and maybe I can get a few bowls out them.
The problem:
I bet well over half of the rough bowls Ive turned have developed fatal cracks while drying. The checking is bad enough but I tend to get canyon sized cracks.. top to bottom. This morning,I found two that I roughed out a few weeks ago ruined. I soak my roughed out bowls in DNA. I leave the prescribed 10% thickness. Ive been patient about letting them dry. Maybe they dry to quickly in the DNA...I dont know.
If Im fortunate and the bowls have survived the drying process, Im batting about .500 on the lathe. The tend to detonate (spectacularly). I know Ive caused a couple of these, but some just seem to let go. On inspection there seemed to be hair line cracks along the growth rings.
Any suggestions?
tia,
Tom