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Fun with wood movement

Joined
Jan 8, 2021
Messages
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Location
Wrentham, MA
Turned a couple of goblets recently. This one I was reasonably happy with when I turned it on Sunday, but I had neglected to trim the first inch or so off the wood - had been cut for a week or so. Predictably, it started to crack a few times. About 4 hours after it was turned, and brought into my kitchen it looked like this:
Goblet_Crack.jpg

Today, I happened by it, and the crack had mostly disappeared visually. Always funny how wooden things will change and move as they settle. Not sure I'd seen this trick yet, but now I have.

Goblet_No_Crack.jpg

Tried to get a similar angle on the pictures. Crack is still there, but has gone from 3/32 wide to practically nothing.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
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Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
Wood does strange things. BTW, is that a captive ring on the base? Nice goblet.
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
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209
Location
Bashaw, Alberta
I have an ash spindle blank that I turned round. In the winter it has a 1 inch deep crack from end to end. In the summer I can't even find the crack.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
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Location
La Grange, IL
I have seen that phenomenon with turning blanks, too. Thing is it may be invisible, but wood isn't "healed". It's still dangerous to turn.
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
267
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140
Location
Gainesville, VA
I have an ash spindle blank that I turned round. In the winter it has a 1 inch deep crack from end to end. In the summer I can't even find the crack.
I've seen this same thing in some of my ash turnings...straight grain. We probably should adopt a policy to just give these items away in the summer.
 
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