Plum Wood . . . The Good and the Ugly

[W.Y.]

Some here will probably recall this picture in another thread when I tried the boiling method for curing the green wood and regretted it later because it was cracking and turning moldy due to the fact that I had not used the usual DNA method which would have made those a couple of beautiful pieces. .

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This thread will be in reference to the bottom one . It got to the point where it tested anywhere from 0% to 3% moisture by checking in different areas of it so I final turned it today . I had soaked the cracked area with thin CA both inside and out which turned out to be a mistake because it migrated right into the pores of the wood and no amount of turning or sanding will remove the dark areas around the cracks. If I had used medium CA, that probably wouldn't have happened.
Because of the shape of this one my original plan (if I had used DNA) was to make it a lidded vessel with a finial on top but seeing as the cracked area turned out so ugly I decided to just make it an odd shaped bowl .

Left side of photo showing the good side from side and bottom.

Right side of photo showing the ugly side from top and bottom.

Surely someone will like it if I price it low enough and if it doesn't go that way it will be one of my give away pieces. At least it got saved from the burn pile.

 

[David Keller]

Nice save... it's pretty wood.

 

[rdunn12]

I think the "bad" side adds character,looks good to me if I was gonna display it I would show the "bad" side.:biggrin:

 

[Fred]

Hello William ...

Very beautiful wood and nice "saves". I am an advocate for boiling green/fresh cut woods that I have pre-turned. I am sorry that these bowls cracked on you, but like to state that my results have been VERY successful.

Maybe you didn't 'boil' long enough or maybe something else caused the bowls to crack. My success rate is about 97%. One thing I learned early on was to definitely control the rate of drying. I always have placed the just boiled woods into grocery store type paper bags, rolled the top down, and stapled the bag closed. Then I place them on a shelf and just forget them for several weeks, checking the bottom of the bags for dampness.

If they still feel damp I just put them back for more drying. I DO NOT have these bags anywhere that they are exposed to rapid and/or prolonged air movement. They are just back in the shop on a shelf well away from the door and dust collection air flow.

They just sit there and slowly dry out over a period of weeks or months.

Maybe you could boil some more pieces and then soak them in alcohol for a bit of time. Heck, these that cracked may have just been 'flukes' that were out to get you. I just don't know as I don't have any that crack after boiling, but sure did prior to using the boiling method.

Nice pictures BTW and again, nice bowls ... cracks and all!

 

[W.Y.]

Thanks Fred but I won't try the boiling method again . I have such good sucess with DNA. There were half a dozen bowls in that one batch of beautiful wood and I have not got one that didn't mold or crack. I am certain every one would have been no problem at all with DNA .
And boiling and then DNA althogh might work seems like overkill when DNA works so good in a 24 hour soak so does not require boiling first.
DNA treated ones do not go into sealed papper bags . Only the outside and the rim is covered with brown paper and they are dry and ready to final turn in two weeks or any time thereafter.

I boiled those bowls for 2 hours . Some say more, some say less . I let the water cool before taking them out in this batch . Some say take them out hot and some say let them cool in the water. I put them in brown paper bags and they molded and cracked.
There were no real stress's in that particular plum wood because it was from trunk wood rather than the fruit bearing limbs that can sometimes cause a problem.
Too many if's and maybe's for boiling for me whareas the DNA soak is so foolproof the way I do it. .

But then , to each his own. Whatever works best for anyone is the best way to go . Who knows, . . perhaps factors like different mineral contents etc in the ground where certain woods grow has affect on it as well as climate from one area to another. . Up here in the Rocky Mountains the DNA system works best for me. .