[Bonanza35]

Large bowl advice please

I started this bowl with the intention of finishing it green as I normally do natural edge bowls. I had a couple of small complications with it and its by far the most challenging bowl I've turned, so I chickened out when I got it to 1.5" thick and put it up to dry.
Now I'm nervous about how it will dry with all the bark inclusions. I dont think I've ever twice turned a natural edge bowl much less one this big and gnarly. I like its potential so I don't mind waiting a few months but I'm wondering if I might be better off chucking it back up and trying to finish turn it now rather than risk drying problems.
What are your thoughts?
Oh, it's green ash, around 20" x 4".

 

[Jesus Saves!]

That will be a dandy for sure when finished. I've not turned long enough or anything that big to be able to recommend turning now or waiting. Which model Robust is that? Nice lathe and bowl.

 

[bond3737]

I let all my natural edges dry for a while. I would seal up the endgrain and put that puppy on the shelf. Also Ive had better luck with the natural edges by sealing up the edge of the bark and the sap wood as well. Ive turned a few that are that narly (but never one quite so big) sealed it up, let it dry and it turned out great. Worst case you get some crazy cracks on the bark inclusion but to be honest I think those would go great with the flow of the bowl. Lovely looking piece... cant wait to see the way it turns out whichever way you go happy turnin,
Bond

 

[Bonanza35]

That will be a dandy for sure when finished. I've not turned long enough or anything that big to be able to recommend turning now or waiting. Which model Robust is that? Nice lathe and bowl.

Thanks, but its a long way from "mission accomplished". It's surprising how much more difficult larger bowls are for me. Oh, and its an AB25. Almost a year old and I'm loving it.

I let all my natural edges dry for a while. I would seal up the endgrain and put that puppy on the shelf. Also Ive had better luck with the natural edges by sealing up the edge of the bark and the sap wood as well. Ive turned a few that are that narly (but never one quite so big) sealed it up, let it dry and it turned out great. Worst case you get some crazy cracks on the bark inclusion but to be honest I think those would go great with the flow of the bowl. Lovely looking piece... cant wait to see the way it turns out whichever way you go happy turnin,
Bond

Thanks, Bond. I'm leaning that direction. Maybe my tool skills will be up to the task by the time it's dry.

 

[Manuka Jock]

If it were mine , and if I decided to put it up to season some more , I would keep a close eye on it , maybe every two -3 weeks I'd rechuck it and spin it to see how out of round and balance it has got , and I would finish turning it when I figured that any more out of wack would be dangerous to me and it.

It looks good now.
If all you get off it later is another 1/2 inch , it will still be a fine bowl .
The wood you chose and the work you have done so far has seen to that :thumbsup:

 

[ghost5]

Looks like you have the answers you need so I will just say good looking bowl. I leave inclusions in all the time I love the way they look.

 

[Hwood]

Looks awesome. I sure hope you pull it off cuz it will be a dandy. Looks like there is not a whole lot of solid wood and will be mostly bark holding about 1/3 section together. That might let go when respun. I have used stretch wrap before to add an inward pressure trying to keep stuff from coming apart but nothing as big as that with so much bark in the wood where the bark looks like it will be some of the support. Not sure how well green ash holds its bark. Keeping the bark on hasn't gone so well for me on some woods that I let dry. I have had the best luck on green, start to finish.

 

[Bonanza35]

Looks awesome. I sure hope you pull it off cuz it will be a dandy. Looks like there is not a whole lot of solid wood and will be mostly bark holding about 1/3 section together. That might let go when respun. I have used stretch wrap before to add an inward pressure trying to keep stuff from coming apart but nothing as big as that with so much bark in the wood where the bark looks like it will be some of the support. Not sure how well green ash holds its bark. Keeping the bark on hasn't gone so well for me on some woods that I let dry. I have had the best luck on green, start to finish.

Thanks. Yeah, it's got a pretty high pucker rating for sure. I had it stretch wrapped while hollowing and will again. I'd love to finish it green but frankly, I think it's above my skill level and I'd hate to screw it up. Realistically I'll need time to make several cleaning passes to get it right and I know it will move too fast once I get close to final thickness if its still green. A 20" interrupted cut is new territory for me. I may get bold and go for it, but I think the odds of it keeping its bark look pretty good next the chances of me making an efficient series of finish cuts. So fingers crossed...