Some of you might have seen me at the wood lathe on Monday and Tuesday over the past month.
Here’s a quick update on the project I’ve been working on: Laggan Oak Vessels.
In October, I visited Scotland’s Galloway Coast, where a friend owns an unused farm called Laggan.
I chainsawed logs from a large oak tree that had been sitting in a yard for three years with its bark on, exposed to rain and sun, and growing fungi at both ends. The wood logs were punky, spongy, soft, and fibrous in some places, while in others they were hard and cracked. I decided to slice some turning blanks, both end-grain-oriented and side-grain-oriented.
I used kitchen cling film to preserve the 30% moisture of the wood—a technique I learned from a Colwin Way demonstration, thanks to @Giles
Then I loaded the car and drove back to London.
This was my first time turning green wood.
The vessels I created have a diameter of 22 cm, height of 14-18 cm and are approximately 3 mm thick.
After oxidising the wood, I used epoxy and butterfly keys to stabilise the objects. I finished them with tung oil and beeswax to bring out the details of the wood. Nothing else was used.
Laggan n1 ( side grain)
Laggan n2 (end grain)
Laggan n3 (end grain)
A Few Takeaways:
- The pith is the most interesting feature in a log and the side-grain orientation exposes it beautifully.
- Side-grain bowls are stronger than end-grain bowls and offer greater diversity in the appearance of the wood grain. However, the surfaces constantly shift from side-grain to end-grain fibres, which must be cut cleanly with each rotation of the lathe.
- Turning green wood doesn’t produce much dust but it does make a lot of mess. I needed plenty of time to clean the tools, oil the bed rails and collect the huge amount of ribbon shavings. @platinumnqueen22 hates me!
- Green wood blanks with 30 cm diameter are heavy and our lathe is primarily designed for spindle turning. It vibrates significantly, has a limited turning diameter and doesn’t allow side access for hollowing. If anyone else is interested in turning bowls and vessels, I’d love to organise a pledge drive for a second lathe in the woodturning area. @woodlathetechs