green wood turning?

[English Oak]

Hi everyone
I'm wondering how many of you do green wood turning at all? I started playing around will it , using ofcuts and top boards from my timber csm milling. Any good advice??
Tom

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Most of the peices I've worked were green wood.

If you do not want a warped peice, then turn a thick consistant blank and dry in doubled paper bags. Some people throw turning chips in.

If you want to see the movement, then dry in the bags, but expect to loose a number to checking.

The beauty of it is that you can play peices without worrying about wasting a wood you paid for. I've done some nice cherry and walnut stuff.

I had a piece of hard maple with iron stains that I tuned a hollow form bowl.

One of my favorites is to take some crotchwood and turn on the axis of the large end. The inclusion will make a flame like pattern. I've done a few dry vases from oak and hickory.

 

[old hb]

a relatively good way to dry

On the advice of long term woodturners, I've started to soak the rough piece in denatured alcohold, then wrap it with paper, or in a paper bag until it dries out-depending on the wood a week to four. The finish turn it. If you look up sawmillcreek turning forums, there's lots on using this method.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I talked to one production turner who boils his rough blanks, he says that they will move evenly when they cool and dry.

Here is a search on the subject.

boiling turning blanks

 

[Kevin McPeek]

Most of my turning is green or at least semi-green wood. After roughing I usually seal the wood up with anchorseal again since everything dries too fast here. I loosely follow the 10% of the diameter rule for wall thickness to allow to turn the warp out of it when it dries.
Bill Grumbine has a couple of DVDs' that will help you out quite a bit in the process of turning green wood.
My advice is to not try to rush the drying of the blanks. You end up losing pieces to warp and check. Just get enough stuff in process that you don't mind letting the rough-outs sit a few months while they dry.