# Um, yeah, I'd rather rough it out green



## Schroedc (Aug 26, 2014)

So a friend gave me big chunk of cherry burl but of course it had been cut about 20 years ago so it's a wee bit on the hard side. Got the outside turned and sanded to 400 and then flipped it over and said to myself, "Self, let's try out the coring rig and see what happens" so now I've got a bowl mostly done and a nice core to use for another bowl. With the ease of setting it up now that I wrote down all the measurements I can see myself using the coring rig quite a bit to stretch my material and make forming the inside a lot faster.

I need to call Oneway tomorrow and see if I can replace a couple bent knives without buying the tool rests (I wasn't the one that bent them, they came that way from the previous owner)

Reactions: Like 7 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Mike1950 (Aug 26, 2014)

Beautiful start on bowls- I LOVE cherry burl...........

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Schroedc (Aug 26, 2014)

Mike1950 said:


> Beautiful start on bowls- I LOVE cherry burl...........




Except for how stinking HARD it is once it gets dry. This stuff is so dry it doesn't even smell like cherry any more.


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## Sprung (Aug 26, 2014)

Very nice bowls! You'll definitely have to post pics when they're completed!

Cherry burl has quickly become one of my favorites.


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## Schroedc (Aug 26, 2014)

I'm hoping to get the big one done tomorrow and on to finishing but I have to close the shop at 2 for an event and I have my weekly show in Rochester on Thursday, so it might be early next week, taking my wife to go see a show in Minneapolis Friday night.

Trying to decide what to do for a finish, it has a few issues in the material, lots of little voids and a few bigger ones, Thinking some CA fill in a few spots and leave the rest alone. Probably WOP or Danish oil and then a bunch of buffing.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung (Aug 26, 2014)

I'd say Danish Oil - but that's because it's my favorite finish. Super easy to apply and leaves the wood looking great. I probably wouldn't even fill in any of the voids - just let the cherry burl be cherry burl. (Then again, I've only ever worked with a few small pieces of cherry burl and filled in the voids, lol!)

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## MikeMD (Aug 28, 2014)

Cherry burl is beautiful, no doubt (and this piece is no exception). In a way, you are lucky to be turning this one dry...it warps and cracks like crazy in the drying process (or at least is does for me).

As for what to do with all the cracks and voids...well, it all depends whether this is possibly going to be a utilitarian piece or a piece of art. Utilitarian pieces and void and cracks don't mix. Art can be as cracked up and holey as you (or the wood) want it to be.

As for finishes, I really loved the results (initial, at least) I was getting from Danish Oil. Then I found out that it is somewhere around 10% varnish with the rest being oil and mineral spirits. While it gave a nice finish, I don't believe that 10% varnish is enough to really protect the wood in a utilitarian setting. I've come to making my own version of a Danish Oil by mixing oil (walnut, because that is what I had on hand...you can try others, I suppose) with a poly (you could use varnish or other "hardener"...poly is what I had on hand) and I played with the mixture until I got results that I was pleased with. I love the idea of a poly finish simply because poly is so durable. I love the idea of an oil finish because it is so darned easy. My mixture of poly, oil, and spirits (mineral...not the kind you drink) does both...it is as easy to apply as oil, yet offers protection with the poly. I do buff for a nice smooth finish, but if I didn't, it would just look like an nice oil matte finish.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Kevin (Aug 29, 2014)

Colin you lucky duck. Cherry has moved way up my list of favorite woods since I have been using it lately. I just love it. I wish like heck it grew here in abundance. 

That bowl will be magnificent.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Aug 29, 2014)

Kevin said:


> Colin you lucky duck. Cherry has moved way up my list of favorite woods since I have been using it lately. I just love it. I wish like heck it grew here in abundance.
> 
> That bowl will be magnificent.




I've got some corporate order turning I have to get done this week (About 300 pens) but I'm hoping to get the inside sanded out, a foot on it and start finishing by the end of the week. At this point I'm thinking WOP and buffing. I took one of the scraps and sliced it thin and tested a couple options and that one is the one I like best for this particular piece I think.


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