Large Cherry Cauldron

And to get an idea of the scale - that's a 2×8 that it's sitting on in these photos.

What a beautiful piece of wood, and it will only get prettier as it ages. You displayed it well!

That's a monster, what an awesome piece. Great job on it!

Excellent work and a beautiful (huge) bowl. What kind of wood is it?

Looks great like it is!

your hard work paid off very well. beautiful piece. thanks for sharing

Ok, it's cherry. Didn't look at the title. A little stupidity goes a long way.

Never mind the size see the absolutely beautiful quality.One very nicely finished work of artisticly impressive worked timber. Instantly eye-catching beauty you have made there imho Alistair

aside from the stunning grain and the beautiful finish, I would love to know how you kept it from slitting during the drying process! I have terrible luck with cherry when i spin it wet and try to dry the rough outs.

great job with this piece!

Really beautiful!

Lovely job James, this one is made to be used, well done
Pete

Thanks all.

Gridlock -

I turn a lot of green cherry and, usually, dry it in the microwave. Tiny surface checks may form (particularly on the end grain) but they usually close back up once the piece is full dry. They always warp, but rarely crack.

This tree had been down for about 2 weeks when I harvested it. The log section was cut in half, removing the pith, and the ends sealed with Anchorseal. It sat this way for about a month. I did not test the moisture content, but it still had a lot.

Since this piece is way too big for the microwave, I let it dry overnight, and then soaked it with mineral oil (which is a part of its final finish blend). I've found that this helps with cracking. I use a lot of Danish oil too, and applying a coat of that while drying seems to help as well. I would not try this with a film finish (shellac, poly, lacquer, etc.) as I think that would not stick well, and would turn all wrinkly as the piece shrinks/dries.

James

Very nice…

Wonderful piece! I'm impressed with the deepness of the bowl. Don't see too many deep turnings like this.