How to 8"x8" cube

[Don C Davis]

How would you folks go about getting a cube of wood at say 8 inches square? I know laminating some pieces of 5/4 or whatever is one approach, but how would you go about maybe getting one in a solid piece?

Thanks for any input/advice

 

[robo hippy]

Getting a chunk that size that is evenly dried is pretty much impossible due to the thickness of the wood and problems with drying a piece that thick. Glue up would be the best option, and I would make an over sized log/blank, mill it down to size, and then cut to length. Probably about the only way to cross cut one that size is to do that on a bandsaw with a good blade.

What do you plan on doing with a chunk that size?

 

[Bob Sheppard]

How would you folks go about getting a cube of wood at say 8 inches square? I know laminating some pieces of 5/4 or whatever is one approach, but how would you go about maybe getting one in a solid piece?

Thanks for any input/advice

Are you looking for dry wood, or can it be green? At least around here, its pretty easy to get a (relatively) large piece of wood like that. All you need is a chainsaw, and makes friends with a tree service guy. And time to allow it to dry.

 

[hockenbery]

Most woods will air dry nicely as 3x3 few will dry nicely in a 6x6. Camphor dries without cracking as a 6x6 maybe 70% of the time.

I cut 8x8x16” blanks to do pieces like this one the center ball is 7” diameter and hollowed. These are turned green and the wood can move as it dries so they don’t crack. This elm piece uses the sapwood.



I usually rip a log in half then cut the blank out of the half log with a bandsaw.
I first have to consider what grain i want. Consider where sapwood will show if I include the sapwood
I generally avoid using the pith in these pieces but that is another consideration. Ar there any knots? Do I want them?

Below is a simple diagram of the end of the log I usually go for the balanced grain blue square. This is specially important if you are using a flat face. Also th best shape for drying as it will be closer tos square than the bias.
The grain on the bias Green works ok for a round object that uses no face of the blank. These can be cut from 1/4 logs.

 

[Don C Davis]

Hockenbery, very informative, thanks! And I love that piece a ton! Beautiful brother!! I want to make a couple bowls along the line of these by Mike Waldt:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vKYHWZHPCE
I had thought laminating up a properly sized cube would be the best approach, but I recently had a white oak tree that died in my back yard and came down from recent snow, cut up into a lot of pieces of manageable logs--mostly half pieces 16" long since that is the swing of my NOVA DVR XP lathe. I'm totally open to any other advice/input on turning a piece like this!

 

[hockenbery]

Hockenbery, very informative, thanks! And I love that piece a ton! Beautiful brother!! I want to make a couple bowls along the line of these by Mike Waldt
I had thought laminating up a properly sized cube would be the best approach, but I recently had a white oak tree that died in my back yard and came down from recent snow, cut up into a lot of pieces of manageable logs--mostly half pieces 16" long since that is the swing of my NOVA DVR XP lathe. I'm totally open to any other advice/input on turning a piece like this!

These are nice pieces to turn from green wood.
Any warp just makes the lines more attractive.
Consider starting with a smaller one 5x5x5 and work up to the 8x8x8
With the white oak you may have some dark heartwood to consider.

These bowls demand proficiency with the interupted cut which is perhaps the hardest cut to make well in woodturning.
If you have turned a lot of NE bowls and are good with the interupted cut you will succeed with the 3 cornered bowls.

Also check out Tom Crabbs article in the June 2001 AAW journal.
These are similar to the bowl from a cube but have a natural edge.

I start these with one corner in the spindle and the other in a cup center with no pin.
Turn the tenon, shape the bottom outside.
Put it in the chuck an use the tailstock for support. Stay clear of the corners and flatten the top where the opening will be. Eventually cutting and spindle from the tail center off.
Then hollow as you would a NE bowl. I like to use the tailstock for support while I establish the wall thickness.

Al

 

[Glenn Lefley]

Most woods will air dry nicely as 3x3 few will dry nicely in a 6x6. Camphor dries without cracking as a 6x6 maybe 70% of the time.

I cut 8x8x16” blanks to do pieces like this one the center ball is 7” diameter and hollowed. These are turned green and the wood can move as it dries so they don’t crack. This elm piece uses the sapwood.

View attachment 24615

I usually rip a log in half then cut the blank out of the half log with a bandsaw.
I first have to consider what grain i want. Consider where sapwood will show if I include the sapwood
I generally avoid using the pith in these pieces but that is another consideration. Ar there any knots? Do I want them?

Below is a simple diagram of the end of the log I usually go for the balanced grain blue square. This is specially important if you are using a flat face. Also th best shape for drying as it will be closer tos square than the bias.
The grain on the bias Green works ok for a round object that uses no face of the blank. These can be cut from 1/4 logs.

View attachment 24614

Is 8 inch sq to big for homemade kiln if hollowed to 2 inches

 

[hockenbery]

Is 8 inch sq to big for homemade kiln if hollowed to 2 inches

Not sure what you are asking. An 8” cube will be hard to dry successfully in a kiln.

A bowl turned from an 8” cube with a wall thickness of 1” should dry well using any green bowl drying technique that works for you. A kiln that works for other roughed bowls should be successful too.

Returning a three corners bowl will be a little more difficult than returning a cut rim bowl.

You can also just finish turn the bowl from a cube to a 3/16” wall thickness and dry it in a couple of days sand it and finish it. It will warp some but that goes well with the bowls shape,

If you have turned a lot of natural edge bowls you might be successful turning a bowl from an 8” cube to start.
If yoy lack experience turning NE bowls, my suggestion would be
1. turn a dozen natural bowls from 1/8 logs 10” long.
2. Start turning 2 bowls from 5” cubes
3, then turn a bowls going up in 1” increments.