# Cracked cherry bowl



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

First picture is of a cherry bowl that has several cracks in the wood before I turned it. The wood wasn't waxed on the endgrain sides so when I got to it there were many many endgrain cracks. I was going to throw it away after practicing with it but as I went along, began to like the bowl and the hairline cracks seemed to add some character to the piece and to help it out some I used the Sorby spiralling tool on the top and bottom half quite a bit. Also spiraled the bottom and it looks great but doesn't show up on the 2nd picture. The lip on top of bowl, I burned with my old shorts with lathe running at 3500 rpm's to burn then used a piece of scrap oak to burnish the lip. Going to keep this baby, kind of changed my mind and now I like it. Mitch


----------



## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Very nice Mitch cracks do make a bowl. Pete was telling me that he had a crack in on of his bowls and he high light it came out really nice. He might even tell us the mix again.


----------



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

Glenmore
Thanks buddy, these craks are really numerous hairline cracks and make the bowl look like antique,none of them are open cracks. mitch


----------



## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Very nice as usual Mitch. I expect no less.


----------



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

Dr Zook
Thank you Dave, your a good man. Mitch


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Mitch, I hardly need to add my words of admiration to that of the experts before me BUT, I and my fellow amateurs don't know what a spiralling tool is or how it's used, come now my friend and SHOW us how you make such beautiful turnings.


----------



## chippypah (Dec 24, 2007)

Great work Mitch, a really nice piece. A piece of wood is always worth the gamble, and you really did a fine job with it.
Cheers
Pete


----------



## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Great looking bowl Mitch. Did you use CA on the cracks? Well done.


----------



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

chippypah
Thanks Pete,and your correct,a nice piece of wood is always worth looking into, never know what beautiful things might be hidden in one with suseamly flaws. Something that Glenmore said to me about cracks sticks in my memory past few days. He mentioned that you have a formula for something to fill small cracks? Care to clue me in on just what it is that that means? Mitch


----------



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

Bernie
Thank you Bern. No as a matter of fact I didn't use any glue at all on the cracks. In the beginning of the turning I was depressed at the number of hairline cracks the wood had so my intentions were to turn the bowl then throw it away. I use the chips etc to mulch my shrubbery in my landscapeing so never miss a chance to totally turn down any piece of wood for this reason. I just sealed the bowl with poly about four or five coats. None of the cracks are open as of yet. Maybe I will be lucky. Thanks again Bern, you guys on this forum are all great to be associated with. Mitch


----------



## chippypah (Dec 24, 2007)

No secrets here mate, information is always there. What I do with small cracks is open them a bit with a dremel like tool, then get some brass or aluminum fileings or Even coal dust, crushed stone. Mix it up with fiberglass resin ( you can use epoxy but the resin gives a better finish) fill and then take your final cut and as they say hey presto made a feature out of it. Works the same on larger cracks as well.
Cheers
Pete


----------



## Mitch12 (Mar 29, 2008)

Pete
Thanks mate, pretty much like I thought and like you say, nothing mysterious. I heard this before. Thanks. Mitch


----------

