As promised in “Got Glue?” I finished the black cherry bowl that sported a compromising crack across the base of the piece. The wood moved a LOT while stabilizing for a week, requiring removing about 2-3mm at the rim to get it back in round. Even then, the wood continued to move as I hollowed out the piece. What didn’t move (thankfully), was the crack.
Monthly Archives: December 2015
Pile O’ Black Cherry
I’ve been watching one of our black cherry trees the past year. It was tall, dead, standing, and a large diameter. It would likely have a lot of good wood for bowls, vessels and vases. It was definitely dead, but still standing, which meant that it had minimal rot running through the tree. I planned on harvesting the material next summer, but rotted roots couldn’t keep it standing in the recent warm weather. 
A quick session with the chain saw yielded Continue reading Pile O’ Black Cherry
Got Glue?
I dropped a large dead cherry tree in the woods today and just had to test-turn a piece. I had stacked and treated most of the logs to give them time to stabilize. I ripped one of the logs into a pair or turning blanks and mounted one on the lathe. This wood turns like a dream. It cuts very easy, yet has enough strength to minimize tear-out. Even in this freshly cut state, the color is very pronounced. (Cherry takes a few years in sunlight to get that rich, deep cherry color).
I rough-turned the piece and quickly established Continue reading Got Glue?