# First Bowl



## Rcd567 (Jan 18, 2009)

I made great strides into my first bowl today.  I chose a chunk of purpleheart because it was cheap, and I figured for practice it would be fine.  I quickly found purpleheart is harder than stone. LOL.  As I neared completion of the bowl I noticed two minor cracks.  I used CA both inside and outside to mend it.  I still have to sand the bowl then part it off and I'll be done.

Is that the proper technique for cracks?

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## Skye (Jan 18, 2009)

Well, there's no wrong way to make anything, no one right way to make anything, but I've never heard of someone parting off a bowl. I take it you don't have a 4 jaw chuck?

Filling cracks, I'd take some thin CA and some crushed up purpleheart sawdust and fill them in. Just put the ca in the crack, sprinkle in the purpleheart. Let dry, repeat.


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## marcruby (Jan 19, 2009)

CA will work for cracks, but Only if they are very fine.  Larger cracks need f some sort of filler will structural strength.  I use industrial (24 hour) epoxy mixed with colorants or wood dust.  Sometimes I just let the crack become part of the features of the bowl.  Or fill it with contrasting material.  I have a dvd somewhere that shows a guy filling cracks with molten pewter.


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 19, 2009)

If you are parting off, I'm assuming you are using a waste block, otherwise,you're loosing a lot of wood on your blank.  I usually start a bowl on a face plate with the plate on the side that will be hollowed out, thus turning away the screw holes.  If the blank is relatively thin, I'll use the waste block, otherwise I like the recessed chuck method to hold while I hollow the bowl.

For the cracks, everything Skye and Marcruby said applies... it will depend on the nature of the crack as to which method works best.  If the crack is just a hairline crack, thin CA works fine, as it widens, you'll need to take other measures.  If it's a little more than a hair, I've put thin CA to create a seal, then added Med CA or Thick CA to flow into the crack... as it widens, I've had to add sawdust or other fillers.  Or as Marc said, just let it be part of the design.


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## Rcd567 (Jan 22, 2009)

ozmandus said:


> If you are parting off, I'm assuming you are using a waste block, otherwise,you're loosing a lot of wood on your blank.  I usually start a bowl on a face plate with the plate on the side that will be hollowed out, thus turning away the screw holes.  If the blank is relatively thin, I'll use the waste block, otherwise I like the recessed chuck method to hold while I hollow the bowl.
> 
> For the cracks, everything Skye and Marcruby said applies... it will depend on the nature of the crack as to which method works best.  If the crack is just a hairline crack, thin CA works fine, as it widens, you'll need to take other measures.  If it's a little more than a hair, I've put thin CA to create a seal, then added Med CA or Thick CA to flow into the crack... as it widens, I've had to add sawdust or other fillers.  Or as Marc said, just let it be part of the design.




Yes, I'm using a waste block.  I've been waiting to get to town so I can get a respirator before I sand it as I ate a lot of dust last weekend.  The cracks are hairline and I think it will turn out OK.  I'll get it finished this weekend and put up a picture.

Thanks for your replies.


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## rlharding (Jan 22, 2009)

I regularly part off bowls. Sometimes I think we forget that the wood 'we' tend to use for bowls is mostly found wood and not made of gold. What the others said about cracks, plus, for something larger than a hairline crack I often use brass shavings mixed with CA. I push the mix in with whatever I have handy. The final result looks like gold threads.  I get the brass shavings from the Home Depot key making section.

Not my idea, I believe I got it from Matt, of the Inland Woodturning club in Riverside CA....but I really don't remember.


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## holmqer (Jan 23, 2009)

rlharding said:


> I regularly part off bowls. Sometimes I think we forget that the wood 'we' tend to use for bowls is mostly found wood and not made of gold. What the others said about cracks, plus, for something larger than a hairline crack I often use brass shavings mixed with CA. I push the mix in with whatever I have handy. The final result looks like gold threads.  I get the brass shavings from the Home Depot key making section.
> 
> Not my idea, I believe I got it from Matt, of the Inland Woodturning club in Riverside CA....but I really don't remember.



The brass shaving from the borg is a great idea, I'll have to give that a try.


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 23, 2009)

rlharding said:


> I regularly part off bowls. Sometimes I think we forget that the wood 'we' tend to use for bowls is mostly found wood and not made of gold. What the others said about cracks, plus, for something larger than a hairline crack I often use brass shavings mixed with CA. I push the mix in with whatever I have handy. The final result looks like gold threads.  I get the brass shavings from the Home Depot key making section.
> 
> Not my idea, I believe I got it from Matt, of the Inland Woodturning club in Riverside CA....but I really don't remember.



Ruth,
I got my brass shavings from Lowe's when I worked there... I actually worked in the hardware dept where we made keys and everyone saved the brass for me, except on guy who couldn't remember to put it in the little bag I kept under key machine.  Even after I left they saved it for me, but it got too expensive to go 39 miles to pick it up, plus I had about 6 pounds of it... I donated some in a raffle for the IAP.  I don't know who I got the idea from, but think it was off IAP a couple of years back... looks great in the cracks and voids though..


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## OldWrangler (Jan 24, 2009)

Sometimes on a crack that needs some filling I will enlarge the crack with a dremel tool and fill with crushed turquoise. Makes a good contrast on either light or dark wood. The brass shavings is a great idea....I'm off to Lowes in the morning.


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## Rcd567 (Jan 26, 2009)

Well, here's the pic I promised.  I posted it also under the photo link.  I've got a ways to go to be considered any good, but this was a nice learning process.


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## Art Fuldodger (Jan 26, 2009)

Cheap purpleheart, huh?  I think I pay something like $16 or $18 per board foot, so it isn't terribly cheap for me.  But yes, that stuff is HARD.  Almost like turning steel.

After you're done turning the bowl, put it in some sunlight for a day or two, and watch the purple REALLY come out!


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## Rcd567 (Jan 27, 2009)

Art Fuldodger said:


> Cheap purpleheart, huh?  I think I pay something like $16 or $18 per board foot, so it isn't terribly cheap for me.  But yes, that stuff is HARD.  Almost like turning steel.
> 
> After you're done turning the bowl, put it in some sunlight for a day or two, and watch the purple REALLY come out!




Art,
It was the cheapest bowl wood at Midwest Woodworkers for a 6x6x3.  $8 plus tax.  Everything else I looked at was like $50.   They have a bargain bin where I got a mahogany 8x8x3 for $16.  My bride picked out an oak/walnut laminate 6x6x2 for $5.95.  I figure I can make a small dish for her earings out of that...or at least try.  Like my sig line says...so much wood, so little time.


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## Skye (Jan 27, 2009)

Rcd567 said:


> Art,
> I figure I can make a small dish for her earings out of that...or at least try.



Heh, that's how my bowls end up. I sure as heck can't sell them.


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