Bocote bowl checking?

[Rcd567]

Don't know where to ask this, since it's a bowl thought I'd try it here. I'm currently making a small bowl. Getting ready to sand it and notice the outside of the bowl has checkering all over it. Almost like it was too wet. It's been sitting in the shop for over a year and was supposedly dry when I bought it.

What causes this? I could try to sand it out, but the walls of the bowl are real thin so I probably can't turn them out.

Suggestions?

 

[mickr]

live & learn..if I understand your description properly, my best guess is that it was not dry as you thought ( 1 yr drying per inch of thickness in rather dry climate)..or there were stress cracks in the wood to start with....

 

[Gary Max]

Personally----everything except pen blanks-----I turn wet. Working on some Monster Cherry salad bowls----tree has been down less than 60 days---but that's just me.

 

[mrcook4570]

Most exotic turning stock is NOT dry when purchased.

 

[greggas]

I find that bocote is stable but a somewhat slow drier. If you have checking soon after turning perhaps the heat of turning built up too quickly?? With bocote I normally turn to about 3/4" rough thickness and let sit, non-waxed, for about 4 months.

 

[TellicoTurning]

That's unusual for Bocote... I think it's pretty oily naturally... I've put finishes on bocote that takes forever to dry and still feels sticky even after sitting for a week or more.... I've turned bocote bowls to the finished shape and never had a problem with checking...
I don't have an answer..

 

[JimB]

If it started as a bowl blank and was waxed, either completely or just on the ends, then it probably wasn't dry regardless of what the seller thought. You would need to rough turn it and then let it dry before final turning.

 

[Rcd567]

OK, I'm an idiot. This morning when I went out to the shop I saw that all my woodshavings and dust had turned green. It's not Bocote at all, it's Lignum Vitae. Should have known because of the smell, but haven't turned much bocote and the guy that sold it to me said it was bocote. That's what I get for buying bargain bin stuff.

As one guy said, live and learn, right on both parts. Most bowl blanks I buy are bargin stuff because I'm just learning. I don't want to mess up an expensive piece of wood.

Sorry for all the confusion...mostly on my part. As far as the checking...it disappears when I wet it. Going to try to finish it today or tomorrow. I'll post pics when I'm done.

Bob