Woodturning Basics, Bowl Turning, and Wood Drying
Woodturning Basics, Bowl Turning,
and Wood Drying
The process of turning a block of wood into a bowl is both fascinating and gratifying. The procedures described here apply to virtually any style bowl but this story focuses on the basic, tapered side shape. After developing your woodturning basics skills with bowls, moving on to more complicated shapes or designs will be much easier, and safer.
Beginning Woodturning Woodturning is a hands on learning activity. If you don't have someone readily available to guide and direct you, you can pickup the tried and true basics from those actively turning and post on the internet.Tips for Woodturning Basics
Before you begin learn your basic techniques, and know exactly what tools you need to have on hand. Woodturning has a step learning curve, beginners need to learn as much as possible before they begin.
Bowls are a favorite of woodturners. Simple bowls can be produce by the beginner, art-worthy intricate bowls can be produce my experienced turners using advance techniques and woods. To get the most out of your turnings you need to not only understand your tools and technique, but the various woods and finishes you have available to you.
Platters are a beautiful, useful, and enjoyable project for turners. They make great gifts. They sell well. And they can be made from scrap wood. With all these desirable attributes platters should be found much more often in art galleries and instant galleries. If you get tired of having his platters warp but can not bring yourself to paying for kiln dried platter blanks the solution is to saw the wood scraps into strips, then glue the strips into turning blanks that are beautiful and do not warp.
Harvesting your own wood for blanks, and turn blanks into bowls is a process unique to wood turning. Knowledge of wood types, drying, and sawing lumber are just some of the skills need to complete this full process. This level of woodturning is not for everyone. The availability of raw wood to someone in the city is limited, and the physical work involved can be daunting to many.
Alabaster, Soapstone, Green and Lost Wood
Outside of turning standard wood, you can use your turning skills using different types of wood and non-wood materials. Turning green would is a different experience, even from the same type of dry wood. Green will does not act or carve like dried wood and this can be a curse or the cause of some unique turnings. For the more adventuresome there a number of other wood and non-wood materials to explore.
Woodturning often begins with raw lumber. One of the woodturnig basic to get the best finished product is to make sure the wood is fully dried and ready for use. There are different system to dry wood depending on its intended use.
A kiln, regardless of the type, is a controlled environment where the monitored extraction of moisture can take place. The conditions the wood is exposed to throughout the drying process remain somewhat constant and allow for minimal degrade. Wood used for fine furniture and cabinetry should initially be dried to 6%-8% moisture content, some woodworkers prefer 5%-6%, and only a kiln of some sort can remove that much moisture.
