Safety issue with wood?

[John Torchick]

I'm still a novice or beginner with wood turning. I have built a bunch of pens but looking to take my skills up a notch. Our AAW chapter has a "Bring Back Box" which is given to a member by drawing their name. I got it. The box is about 6x6x6. We are to turn something that fits in the box and can have something from the demo. I got a piece balanced by trimming it on the bandsaw. Mounted it and started turning. My first time turning something like a "log." The grain is beautiful, seems to be spalted. However, there is a crack that runs about 2/3 the way of the piece. Fill it with lots of CA glue? Keep turning and eliminate the part that is past the crack? Don't want to have it fly off the lathe. That might ruin my whole day. Posting photos for you- shows crack and grain. Not sure what species it is. Thanks for reading and your help.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

@Bill Boehme we have a duplicate...

 

[John Torchick]

Tried to delete it but couldn't figure how to do it. My bad.
Edit- Deleted the one link. Maybe that will do the job.
BTW, got some nice pen blanks out of the piece. Put another piece on the lathe and will be posting a photo and a question on it tomorrow.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Apparently I missed the duplicate.

The pictures are a little confusing about the grain orientation with respect to how you have it mounted, but it is very clear that it is a crappy piece of wood that shouldn't be turned. Life is short enough -- don't make it shorter by turning crappy wood.

 

[John Torchick]

Grain is perpendicular to the bed. Headstock and tailstock are in the bark. Will try turning a piece before committing to a pen tube so I don't waste a tube.

 

[Bill Boehme]

It looks like the pith would be running right through the side of the piece (bowl or box). If it were me and the wood didn't have all those cracks, as a first step, I would cut the pith out of it.

 

[John Torchick]

Bill, already made into pen blanks. Cute comment but don't quit your day job. Got a piece of what I think is dogwood. Can tell by its bark. Just need to figure out what to do next.