green erc haul

[maverick31]

I just picked up a haul of eastern red cedar that was cut up last week. I was hoping to make a few bowls/vases out of this stuff before the march craft show. Is this ok to turn and finish to final dimensions or should I rough turn and wait 6 months-1 year?

[TDHofstetter]

I tried to post a reply last night, but the server got stupid.

By all means ROUGH-TURN it now, leaving about 1" of wall thickness. It's perfectly OK to use a drying acceleration process to cut down on your wait time - you can use denatured alcohol or PEG soaks, or you can boil the rough bowls. Don't finish-turn it now unless you're prepared to work fast & sand wet wood & watch as they distort. If ya like the "bent" effect, go ahead & finish-turn 'em now.

[sawduster]

If ya like the "bent" effect, go ahead & finish-turn 'em now.

I've had a couple of bowls do that lopsided thing when they dried. I just called them "Artistic Renditions". ;D

[Ruffnek]

In my experience with ERC, I've always just turned it to final dimension. Larger bowls may warp out of round but not severely. I've never used the DNA soaking method on ERC.

That said, rough turning it and waiting a month or two (ERC is fairly dry compared to other woods) then finish turning it would work, too, it you decide to go that route.

I'd turn a vessel to completion and watch how much it moves. If the results are unsatisfactory, then rough turn first and dry.

Note that ERC is very sensitive to heat when sanding. If you get it too hot, it will develop hairline cracks that require thin CA glue to fix. If you start hearing a different pitch while turning and you haven't removed much material, stop and check for a crack. Also, tenons have a nasty habit of breaking off when turning. Wear a face mask while working ERC and use the tail stock as long as possible to add extra support.

[maverick31]

thanks for the replies, I did not get a chance to turn any erc today. Busy making bottle stoppers/pens all day