[Dynikus]

Spent a few hours today and turned this:

The wood is really green (as in my neighbor cut down her tree a little over a week ago). Anything I can do to minimalize cracking/deforming? I've heard sealing with paste wax/bees wax/miner oil helps

 

[clpead]

If there are any cracks now, you can put ca in them.

 

[duncsuss]

I think you just have to accept the fact that the wood will do whatever it wants as it dries out -- and it's part of the beauty of the material.

As clpead says, CA can stop a crack. Sometimes it discolors the wood in the area around it, this can be reduced by first coating the whole piece with pale shellac (I use Zinser Bullseye Sanding Sealer in an aerosol can, it's 100% dewaxed shellac so it doesn't interfere with polyurethane finishes if you want to put that on later.)

Good job on your first bowl :thumbsup:

 

[Dave Paine]

If you are turning green wood the options are :
a) Turn to rough dimensions, put away for weeks/months to allow to dry. The wood will warp, perhaps crack. As stated in other replies cracks are normally filled with glue, CA or epoxy depending on the size of the crack.
The dry warped bowl is than remounted and turned to final dimension.

b) Turn to final dimension and accept the warping. Same solution for cracks.

Do you still have a tenon to allow you to re-mount?

 

[ghost5]

I turn almost everything green now abd fix cracks as I turn with thin CA. I turn to finish then put the bowls in a closet for a few days to dry. I turn to 1/4 inch thickness or less then let the bowls warp. If more cracks form during drying I use CA and saw dust or epoxy and coffee grounds to fix them.

I do leave the tenon on so I can chuck them up again to help with sanding then part off the tenon or use my Japanese saw to cut them off and then sand smooth.

 

[Dynikus]

If you are turning green wood the options are :
a) Turn to rough dimensions, put away for weeks/months to allow to dry. The wood will warp, perhaps crack. As stated in other replies cracks are normally filled with glue, CA or epoxy depending on the size of the crack.
The dry warped bowl is than remounted and turned to final dimension.

b) Turn to final dimension and accept the warping. Same solution for cracks.

Do you still have a tenon to allow you to re-mount?

I do not, no. I actually did this entirely between centers. I'll just let it warp however it wants I guess. I made a small plate out of less dry wood a few days ago, and it's already starting to warp as well.

 

[Dave Paine]

I do not, no. I actually did this entirely between centers. I'll just let it warp however it wants I guess. I made a small plate out of less dry wood a few days ago, and it's already starting to warp as well.

If you did want to turn again after allowing to dry and do whatever changes it wants to make, you can glue a block onto the bottom with or without paper as a temporary tenon. I have just glued on a block for a tenon on a walnut blank I am trying to core.

Smaller piece will dry faster, so no surprise you are seeing the changes already.

 

[Manuka Jock]

I do not, no. I actually did this entirely between centers. I'll just let it warp however it wants I guess. I made a small plate out of less dry wood a few days ago, and it's already starting to warp as well.

Are you keeping it in anything to help slow down the drying ?
A paper bag full of shavings or the like ?

 

[john lucas]

A paper bag works great. No shavings needed, they just promote mold. Slowing down the drying by keeping air movement to a minimum and keeping it out of direct light is the secret. I will sometimes seal the end grain areas with wax or and end grain sealer if I think it might crack.