# Cherry Laurel Question



## WoodLove (Feb 24, 2014)

I have a fresh cut cherry laurel that I was going to use for firewood. the wood is beautiful but cracks like crazy as it dries. Has anyone had alot of luck with turning cherry laurel and it not cracking? If so, what is you technique to minimize cracking? I turned a bowl while the wood is green and it moves more than any other wood Ive ever turned. I turned it start to finish, including sanding, and the wall thickness is approximately 1/8 inch. I like the warping but Im not sure its going to survive without cracking. this was a test piece so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pic one: when the bowl was fresh off the lathe (turned saturday evening)


 

Pic two: the bowl after two days. (Photo taken when the thread was started)

Reactions: Like 2


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## Kevin (Feb 24, 2014)

I never turned any (I have not turned 99.9% of the species out there) but if it was me I wouldn't have turned so thin for being wet. Maybe 3/4 inch or even an inch? Then come back to it and finish it to final thickness. I'm curious to see what the real turners say though. It's a pretty piece I hope it survives.


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## WoodLove (Feb 24, 2014)

Kevin said:


> I never turned any (I have not turned 99.9% of the species out there) but if it was me I wouldn't have turned so thin for being wet. Maybe 3/4 inch or even an inch? Then come back to it and finish it to final thickness. I'm curious to see what the real turners say though. It's a pretty piece I hope it survives.


Kevin, can you move the thread to general woodturners discussion please..... I misread the forum I was in..... busy typing and playing with my puppy...... i apparently cannot multi-task. lol

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tclem (Feb 24, 2014)

I don't know the difference between this and my wild cherry but my cherry cracks all the time bi have turned a thick wall and let dry with anchor seal2 ad it cracked. Put it in a bag and it cracked. I have turned start to finish wet down to a 1/4" wall and the warping was great but not so much the cracking. Had a couple small cracks but I just kept an eye on it and filled it with ca and it turned out ok. Just thinking they may be close to the same but I could be totally wrong.


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## WoodLove (Feb 24, 2014)

good to know...... i was thinking it will warp if thin and more prone to crack if thicker.....


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## NYWoodturner (Feb 24, 2014)

Jamie - I have turned Cherry laurel and have some in my shop now. The piece you show here is 90% sapwood. The piece I turned and the pieces I have in the shop are 90% heartwood. That may be the difference. Its been my experience that sapwood in a lot of species is a lot more volatile that heartwood.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Informative 1


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## WoodLove (Feb 24, 2014)

i habe a piece about 12-14 inches wide that im hoping to turn by the end of the week...... if i do I will keep watching it to see how it reacts...... Im enjoying the challenge of turning it thin and watching it warp as it dries....... it makes for a unique art piece. Im hoping to turn a thin fruit bowl and let it warp naturally. 

Ill be meeting up with Joe Rebuild (Rob) on Wednesday morning and getting some wood he has set aside for me....... woohoo

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## SENC (Feb 24, 2014)

Tell Rob hello, and ask him if he's called any ducks, yet.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## WoodLove (Feb 25, 2014)

SENC said:


> Tell Rob hello, and ask him if he's called any ducks, yet.


I certainly will.


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## Tim Carter (Feb 25, 2014)

Another thing to keep in mind is that the grain orientation is a big factor in the warp and crack equation. Side grain pieces like the one in your picture have a much larger chance of warping and cracking than end grain pieces because the drying stresses run horizontally across the piece, creating uneven stress points that lead to warping and cracking. Turning the piece thin the way you did should reduce the cracking.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## MikeMD (Mar 4, 2014)

Jamie, I have no clue what cherry laurel is. If you could post a pic of the live tree/shrub, that would be great. Around here, we have cherry, and we have mountain laurel...but we don't have any cherry laurel that I'm aware of.

As for turning and cracking, here's what I know/my experience. ANY fruit/fruit related type of tree (cherry, apple, pear, whatever) likes to check/crack. Just seems to be the nature of the beast. That said, that doesn't mean it WILL or HAS to crack/check.

If you are turning green wood, which it seems you are, you have two options: Rough turn leaving the wall thickness 10% of the diameter of the bowl, dry the bowl (anchorseal...don't use anchorseal2, that's a waste of your money...or DNA), then re-turn to whatever thickness you want; or finish turn while green and allow to warp. If you chose the latter, the thinner you go, the less likely you are to get cracks...but as you've experienced, it WILL warp.

I know you didn't ask for this advice, but I'll throw my two cents in on this further tidbit of personal opinion... The difference between a well done turning and one that is...not, is in the details. By that, I don't mean adornments or flashiness. I mean paying attention to detail. From your pics, I can't really tell the curve or overall shape of the bowl, so I can't comment on how consistent the curve is, but what stands out to me is the tool marks. They may not be very prevalent to the touch, but I can see them. You don't have to be a good turner to not have tool marks. You just have to take more time sanding. And if you get down to your final grit and see some tool or sanding marks, go back to whatever grit you need to to get rid of them.

Now, if you've turned a bowl down to an 1/8" and it cracks, my guess is that your wall thickness wasn't consistent. That is the main culprit of cracking/checking/splitting while drying (though, again, some of it just cant' be avoided). You've obviously got some skills. You turned an 1/8" wall. Just make sure it is consistent the whole way down, and you'll likely reduce your cracking by a lot. Likewise, since you've got some turning skills (maybe more than me, sorry, not trying to put myself on any pedestal here!), really take the extra step and sand out the tool marks. In the long run, it is worth it!


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