Soaking Wet Bowls in washing up liquid.

[SalineMan]

Has anyone any experience of soaking rough finished wet bowls in a 50/50 solution of water and washing up liquid? Just seen a YouTube clip from RobbieTheWoodTurner <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hZzTbXsVmUI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>) Thought it was interesting.

[Paul Hannaby]

I tried it some years back. I think I ended up with the same percentage of cracked bowls at the end of it but I also had a rusty lathe and chuck to go with it!

You also need more than you think to completely immerse one or more bowls in it so it works out quite expensive in the end.

[woodndesign]

... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZzTbXsVmUI ....  Part one ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_4115710365&feature=iv&src_vid=hZzTbXsVmUI&v=i4rppsnoo3E ..

[Eric Harvey]

A chap at a club I belong to boils his rough turned stuff in a big old laundry boiler,seems to work for him

[SalineMan]

A chap at a club I belong to boils his rough turned stuff in a big old laundry boiler,seems to work for him

Wow, how does that work? Makes the wood more flexible perhaps?

I've seem some articles on american turners boiling finished bowls to bend them to shape. One guy turns a fairly deep hollow vessel, say 300mm high and 100mm diameter, makes a cut down one side maybe 200mm then boils the vessel for 10mins, takes it out and bends one side over the other. Wraps it tight in sacking until it drys. Looks brilliant. Wish I could remember where I saw it though!!

[Andy Coates]

soaking in 50/50 detergent/water isn't a drying solution it's a solution for spalted (punky) wood.The theory being that the detergent breaks the cellular wall barrier allowing the flaccid, denatured cells to "plump up" and allow turning without the attendant problems of spalted wood.

Boiling rough-turned objects is a drying technique. The theory being that boiling also results in the boiling off of cellular moisture which results in a more stable blank when finished turned.

neither are guaranteed.

[YewTube]

This soaking technique is credited to Ron Kent.

His story is at http://www.ronkent.com/techniques.php.

Starts part way down the page.

Bill

[SalineMan]

This soaking technique is credited to Ron Kent.

His story is at http://www.ronkent.com/techniques.php.

Starts part way down the page.

Bill

Thanks for that Bill!

I have a load of beech, most of it now cut into turnable sizes. I am going to try this method and see how it goes. My last two wet/green turned beech bowls are still drying, still at 37% moisture after three weeks in a plastic bag. (I've turned the bag inside out every 3-4 days).

Watch this space for results!!

[SalineMan]

soaking in 50/50 detergent/water isn't a drying solution it's a solution for spalted (punky) wood.The theory being that the detergent breaks the cellular wall barrier allowing the flaccid, denatured cells to "plump up" and allow turning without the attendant problems of spalted wood.

Boiling rough-turned objects is a drying technique. The theory being that boiling also results in the boiling off of cellular moisture which results in a more stable blank when finished turned.

neither are guaranteed.

Thanks for that Andy. I going to try the detergent method as per the link Bill posted. I'll keep everyone updated with results!!