Pear bowl / wood movement

[Sheffield Tony]

Thinking about wood movement whilst seasoning prompted by this thread, I remembered that Pete Maddex asked me how my attempt at a bowl made from green pear wood turned out - sorry about the grotty photos, but I think it makes a great illustration of the extent of wood movement whilst seasoning.

Here's the bowl, made from wood which had been felled 1 week earlier, turned very wet on the pole lathe. And I mean very wet - I got a shower from water spun out of the wood by centrifugal force.

Left to dry for a few months. Plan view:

Oh dear. That's not an error in the aspect ratio of the picture, it is now 165mm x 140mm. This is the most dramatic shrinkage I've seen. The next worst was cherry, but there I used a crotch, and so it dried out almost triangular !

 

[SVB]

Scary insn't it. To think, Vicmarc marketed a device to turn ovals on a lathe for over £1500, not reqd, just get the wood choice right and let nature do her thing!

I guess all other fast growing timbers will have the same effect which would include most fruit wood etc. I know there are a professional artistic turner who really exploited this effect turning eucalyptus - Google Melvin Firmager.

Thanks for sharing,

Simon

 

[Racers]

Wow that moved a lot!

Shame the colour didn't last.

Pete

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Wow that moved a lot!

Shame the colour didn't last.

Pete

It is rather. When fresh, the colours were gorgeous. Quite light sapwood with a whole range of browns and pinks in the heart. All turned that pink/brick red on exposure to the air whilst turning, then to a lot less interesting brown when dry. It is bare wood mind, so it might get some life back if oiled.

A nice wood for colour was Alder; it picks up a warm orangey colour whilst drying. According to Wikipedia is was used to make dyes. Tears a bit when turning green though. Here's one:

 

[Racers]

Nice bowl Tony.

One of your spoons?

Pete

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Ah yes. A friend gave me a lot of prunings of a contorted willow. I'm not really much of a spoon carver but thought it would make an interesting shape. Only when I had finished did I realise I had made a left handed spoon ! Curiously, I made exactly the same mistake making my spoon knives - I ground the bevel on the wrong side, and only when it was red hot and I was about to bend it into a curve did I realise I'd made a left handed one, so I then had to make a pair. Still, I find having both useful.

 

[Racers]

I have made a left handed spoon as well!

Pete