Woodturning Opportunity – Apple Bowl From Spring Pruning

Apple Limb Bowl

This post is best viewed on this page. In case of difficulty, it is also available on YouTube and FaceBook.

My annual pruning of trees in my yard is an opportunity for wood for woodturning. Often this is for smaller projects, but ocassionally a medium sized project. In this case I cut off a 2-3 inch diameter limb from an apple tree. Fresh green wood is a great opportunity to turn. Fresh wood cuts easily. For this size, leaving some bark on the natural edge is perfect.
The turning process is much the same as a large bowl:

  1. Turn a tenon and shape the outside;
  2. Reverse and hollow the inside.
    However, in this case, I turned to very close to final wall thickness. But, sanding wet wood is difficult. Instead, I let it try a few days to let the surface moisture evaporate. A controlled climate inside a paper bag is perfect.
  3. With the surface moisture gone, I can sand and finish the bowl and its foot.
    Any additional warpage after this will be acceptable. Cracking is not likely since the wood is thin and pliable.

Enjoy!


One Response to “Woodturning Opportunity – Apple Bowl From Spring Pruning”

  1. Do you need do anything “special” to keep the apple from cracking or splitting. I remember Dale Nish commenting that apple was very difficult to deal with in this regard.