I can't find the thread where Robo Hippi and Hockenberry gave some great advice on live edge bowls. I'm turning some osage orange. I think the bark is going to stay on, and the sap wood is nice and white. I turned to 1/2" with 11" bowl. I plan to let it dry and warp a bit then sand and finish. Is there anything I can do to keep the bright orange and white colors while drying and choice of finish? I have not turned the tenon off as yet.
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live edge
- Thread starter Mike Zip Hamilton
- Start date
Roger Wiegand
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Osage will turn a nice brown over time. Sealing it from oxygen and keeping it in the dark will prolong the process, but I'm not aware of any way to stop it. You could try a spar varnish with UV inhibitors; it will not be permanent.
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If it were me, I would finish turn it yesterday and let it warp. Turn it to a 3/16 wall thickness and it will dry in 3 days for finishing.
Returning the Osage will not be much fun. And it is very easy to break or crack the bowl returning it.
Much of the magic of NE bowls it their ovalness which is enhanced by the warping.
With the sap ring the bowl should look great with or without the bark.
The white will stay white unless you change the color with the finish
The orange will turn brown.
what I do with large Ne bowls do all the turning, only sanding I do on the lathe is around any foot detail that can’t be sanded when dry,
Either remove the bark or run thin CA along the bark edge holding bowl so that gravity keeps the CA off the wood,
rinse the bowl in the shop sink, towel dry, Put it in a cardboard box close the flaps for a day, open half the flaps for a day, put it in a shelf for a day, then sand it using 3” discs in a angle drill, and finish it.
imwill look for a photo to add.
Returning the Osage will not be much fun. And it is very easy to break or crack the bowl returning it.
Much of the magic of NE bowls it their ovalness which is enhanced by the warping.
With the sap ring the bowl should look great with or without the bark.
The white will stay white unless you change the color with the finish
The orange will turn brown.
what I do with large Ne bowls do all the turning, only sanding I do on the lathe is around any foot detail that can’t be sanded when dry,
Either remove the bark or run thin CA along the bark edge holding bowl so that gravity keeps the CA off the wood,
rinse the bowl in the shop sink, towel dry, Put it in a cardboard box close the flaps for a day, open half the flaps for a day, put it in a shelf for a day, then sand it using 3” discs in a angle drill, and finish it.
imwill look for a photo to add.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 8,629
- Likes
- 4,970
- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
- Website
- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Here is a small 8.5x5.5 NE bowl from Osage.
it is about 20 years old. It was most likely finished with Watco. You can see the amber color in the sapwood which is what watco does. Had I used Waterlox it would be closer to the original whitish.
Had I used one of the water based finishes it would be even whiter.
Still makes a nice contrast with the heartwood.
the heartwood gets A rich brown color that looks good, unless you fell in love with the orange yellow of the fresh cut wood.
it is about 20 years old. It was most likely finished with Watco. You can see the amber color in the sapwood which is what watco does. Had I used Waterlox it would be closer to the original whitish.
Had I used one of the water based finishes it would be even whiter.
Still makes a nice contrast with the heartwood.
the heartwood gets A rich brown color that looks good, unless you fell in love with the orange yellow of the fresh cut wood.
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I've had good luck with turning osage orange natural edge bowls and found it didn't warp as much as others and the colors look just like what Hockenberry shows. I've also had good luck with the bark staying on. I've not found a way to preserve the bright yellow color. My experience is the sooner you turn the better on osage orange and second turning can be tough - it gets harder and tougher as it dries and lives up to it's reputation for durability and toughness. I have two blanks on my shelf now that have been there a while and I know they're going to be a tough turn when I decide to tackle them.