Slightly Spalted Mimosa Bowl

[arcos]

Well, here is my first attempt at turning the rotting, slightly spalted Mimosa (Silver Wattle) (Acacia Dealbata) that I have acquired.

As mentioned in a previous post it has been down for about 6 - 8 years and I have quite a significant amount of the stuff!

My concern was that it would be too far gone to actually do anything with. It turned very nicely and the end result isn't too bad.

Tearout was my first big problem. Because the wood is so old, I think, the end grain was just a nightmare to deal with. A few coats of BLO and varnish mix and a good sanding seems to have cleared most of it. You can still see some in the photos but nothing like s bad as it was.

My 2nd problem was the worm holes on the inside. One of them as you can see became quite big and I was a bit worried about removing the last little tool marks, so they stayed I'm afraid.

Walls are relatively think but uniform all the way down.

Size is about 6" x 4". Finish is a BLO varnish mix and has had a couple of coats.

Oh and this was my first turning using a recessed base to hold the piece on the chuck.

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos, I think I can see your problem.

If you look at the grain at both sides of the bowl, the side with all the slight cracking (I'd bet on) was the side nearest the cut end of the log. Therefore it's dryer and more brittle. The next piece you cut and turn should be far easier on the torn grain.

Don't be frightened to cut back a good length to get into good wood, especially if you have so much of it.

[arcos]

Arcos, I think I can see your problem.

If you look at the grain at both sides of the bowl, the side with all the slight cracking (I'd bet on) was the side nearest the cut end of the log. Therefore it's dryer and more brittle. The next piece you cut and turn should be far easier on the torn grain.

Don't be frightened to cut back a good length to get into good wood, especially if you have so much of it.

Well, interestingly, this piece was taken from the middle of the fallen tree!

Quite literally!

The tree has been down for some years but off the ground, laying across some other trees. When I went to take a section it was more accessible to take a cut more or less at the middle of the tree.

The cracking around the knots didn't even show until a finish was added. They are very tiny, radial cracks from the know and do not run through from inside to out or vice versa.

The end grains do not take finish at all! Anything that I apply simply gets absorbed. I did try a thin layer of beeswax and even that didn't give too much shine.

I have enough of this stuff to keep me turning for the next 20 years I think! So plenty of practice coming up!

With regards to the end grain, should I consider trying to not include the dark sections?

[Bryan Milham]

Well in that case I don't know, but the dark wood, the heart wood, that's what it's all about, keep it in.

[arcos]

Certainly the heartwood makes this piece, although the grain is quite nice but doesnt really show well in the photos.

I am going to try turning the other side of the log the other way around, heartwood on the bottom. There is a lot of spalting on the outside of the log, some can be seen on the bottom and side of the bowl, and I want to see if I can somehow keep most of it rather than losing it.

[woodndesign]

That's a nice form and against the odds you are mastering the skills, learning from ever piece through practice, keep going.

Cheers   David

[woody]

You are doing very well and I would say most of your problems with tear out are because you are still on a learning curve with your tool control I noticed in your photo of the inside of the bowl 4 very small steps were you are changing the direction of cut as you progress you will learn better tool control and do it in one continual sweep from top to bottom with no steps and  your tearout problem will disappear as well the wood were I can see some tearout looks quite stable so I dont think the wood is your problem good luck and keep em coming

[arcos]

Thanks guys.

This was interesting to turn as a) I have never turned this wood and b) I didn't even know if it would make it being so old and rotten.

Woody you are right, I need to keep the sweep of the gouge moving in one continuous movement but I'm getting there, slowly.

I must say that even with the smoothest, most gentle of cuts with the sharpest of gouges and/or scrapers I am still getting tearout. I just turned the other half of this wood, 'inside out' with screw chuck in bark side, and had tear out on inside of the bowl. Yes there was some on the outside but no where near as much as this bowl.

Just gotta keep learning eh!