Saving a bowl?

[arcos]

What started out as an experimental winged bowl (my first) has turned into a very large pile of shavings and a rather small bowl.

However, its currently sitting on my lathe and looking rather nice... Spalted olive wood and very attractive grain.

Just been taking out the inside and find that the spalt has split the bowl  so now I have one section of the bowl split but not detached!

Other than sanding and finishing the bowl is pretty much complete!

Is there any way of repairing the crack that has appeared? I guess it opens about 2mm and is easily closed!

Any suggestions appreciated!

[woodndesign]

Most would say the life saver "super glue" as it's quick setting and you can readily continue with the work, then any wood glue you have will work.

Hope that helps and we see the resulting bowl, sounds like a nice piece.

David

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

first question is - does the crack detract from the bowl? If no would it hurt to leave it.

Filling a crack, there are several methods, all involve filling it with something. Epoxy Glue (Araldite) is probably the one you have available in your workshop.

You can mix it with the sanding dust to make it blend in,

or, if as you say, the crack can be fairly well closed, mix it with something black, (acrylic paint, or powder poster paint, pretty much anything, I've even used laser printer toner before now). then when it sets, it will look like just another spalting line.

It will over fill and will need refinishing though.

[arcos]

It certainly detracts from the bowl as it is now. It is about a quarter of the bowl that is 'flapping'.

I will try some glue (if i can find some) and see what happens.

This has turned into a real marathon of a turning due to the failed winged bowl and I would have to use it for fire wood at this late stage!

Will let you know how it goes

Thanks for your advice!

[arcos]

hmm ok, off out now to try and buy some glue in my local 'village'...

A quick question about finishing...

I have been told that olive oil on olive wood, maybe 2 or 3 coats, gives a really nice, natural finish...

Good idea?

[Bryan Milham]

I've never tried Olive Oil on anything (anybody else out there done so?).

But I do use Danish Oil or Finishing oil a lot, they look good.

[woody]

Olive wood is a very oily wood so take care when gluing it and remounting it on the lathe also take great care when you have finished and clean all your tools and lathe of dust and shavings because it is a very corrosive wood on metal

[Andy Coates]

Can I add a note of caution here...

any object on the lathe with a split in it...super glued or not...is a potential risk when you turn the lathe back on.

After the terrible accident Lynne Yamaguchi suffered I'd be more inclined to simply accept the loss and bin it. Is it worth the risk of injury?

[arcos]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I have read a couple of times about using olive oil on olive wood as being a very satisfactory finish so, hey, I'm gonna give it a go and see what happens.

Finding any type of finishing oil in my part of the world is 'tricky' to say the least so if I can successfully use olive oil, my own oil from the wood I am turning, it would make a nice talking point.

I didnt know that olive is corrosive! Thank you! I will definitely take care with cleaning down all metal parts.

Personal safety.... I never exceed 500rpm and RARELY stand in front of anything spinning toward me!! Not that I am totally scared but I prefer to take care. Yes turning takes longer, not I may not get the 'perfect' finish but I certainly feel more comfortable at this speed, for now at least.

Discarding this bowl is an option but I really want to try and finish it, even if it does take me a little longer than it should!!

Great forum guys, great help to this newbie!

Thank you

[Bryan Milham]

Just peaked at your email address. Now I know why you say finishing oils are hard to come-by and 'my local village'.

Would be interesting to see more of your working conditions and other 'facilities'.

[arcos]

It is done!

The crack is fixed and yes it is noticeable... Worse on the outside where the spalting ends and the 'clean' wood is.

Have used just one coat of olive oil on it so far. See how it dries and likely another coat or two as the wood is pretty dry and likely soak up the oil very quickly.

Ah, I just found how to attach a file so will see if I can get a photo or two and post here for comments.

Give me a few minutes and I will try and get some pics here

[arcos]

Just peaked at your email address. Now I know why you say finishing oils are hard to come-by and 'my local village'.

Would be interesting to see more of your working conditions and other 'facilities'.

Mr dr4g0nfly

Email addresses can be deceptive!

However, I am in part of the world that is incredibly difficult to obtain even basic wood turning items. I have yet to find anywhere to buy chisels, decent finishing oils, yes even glue often requires some research and a drive to the nearest town rather than just nipping into the local village (although today I was lucky to find that they had a cuper glue type product that seems to have worked!).

The plus side is that I have an abundance of olive, oak, mimosa, cork oak, pine, chestnut and a great many fruit trees all growing on my land that I can 'harvest' as and when required. I have just taken a large section of plum that I have drying at the moment and hope will be turnable in a few months, a few dead, standing oak trees that I think will turn beautifully now, I have a large quantity of Arbutus Unedo that I would really love to see how that turns...

So, it's not all bad!

[Woodcrafts]

I've never tried Olive Oil on anything (anybody else out there done so?).

But I do use Danish Oil or Finishing oil a lot, they look good.

I read an article in an old "Fine Woodworking" magazine ( a while ago so can't recall exactly which issue) which dealt with a whole range of oils. The one oil they said should NEVER be used, is olive oil, as it will not dry, and will actually turn rancid, smelling like rotten fat. To date, and for this reason, I have never tried it. I have used sunflower and walnut oils on salad bowls, especially those sold to customers, as they can easily re-oil them with oil bought from the local supermarket. I often use traditional boiled linseed oil and beeswax but also regularly use commercial oil finishes. You can probably guess I do like oild finishes!
If I can find the original magazine article, I will try and post it, most likely as a scanned image.
Hope that helps,

[arcos]

I've never tried Olive Oil on anything (anybody else out there done so?).

But I do use Danish Oil or Finishing oil a lot, they look good.

I read an article in an old "Fine Woodworking" magazine ( a while ago so can't recall exactly which issue) which dealt with a whole range of oils. The one oil they said should NEVER be used, is olive oil, as it will not dry, and will actually turn rancid, smelling like rotten fat. To date, and for this reason, I have never tried it. I have used sunflower and walnut oils on salad bowls, especially those sold to customers, as they can easily re-oil them with oil bought from the local supermarket. I often use traditional boiled linseed oil and beeswax but also regularly use commercial oil finishes. You can probably guess I do like oild finishes!
If I can find the original magazine article, I will try and post it, most likely as a scanned image.
Hope that helps,

Hi Thanks for the information...

I have to say that I am amazed at how 'dry' the olive oil finish is! I really did expect a little 'residue' on the bowl but it has dried to a really fantastic satin-ish like finish that feels wonderful in the hand.

I will definitely have a bash with sunflower oil... Boiled linseed oil? Now, a couple of years ago a friend sealed their new wooden floor with boiled linseed oil and, even today, it 'feels' undried. Aside from the slight, almost tackiness I fear for the fire hazard that he has created!

It's always good to try new finishes though but I will definitely use olive oil again

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

I've just re-read a couple of the posts in this thread and realised that you'd said;

'I have just taken a large section of plum that I have drying at the moment and hope will be turnable in a few months'

I find fruitwoods (apple, Pear Plum) grow with a twist, for some reason cherry doesn't. This means that as they dry they can sometimes crack around the length in a slow spiral. Now I don't know about the Plum you have maybe growing in a warmer clime precludes this but it may be worthwhile keeping an eye on it or more likely part turning while green it and allowing it to dry like that before finishing.

Just a thought, I'd hate for you to loose all your plum due to not knowing this could happen.