Fantastically Elastic!

This past weekend, I pulled a batch of rough-turned bowls out of their drying chamber (a trash can filled with wood shavings), and I was reminded of one of the many reasons why wood is such a remarkable material. If you’re unfamiliar with drying “green” bowls, the process involves turning the wood while it’s still soaking wet and then letting the bowl dry in its wet shavings for several months. This process prevents rapid moisture loss which can lead to cracking.

As the bowl slowly releases moisture into the shavings, it distorts. But here’s what’s remarkable: even though the bowl typically warps from round to oblong, it usually has enough elasticity to take on a new shape without self-destructing. There’s so much wood movement going on that any pith area at the rim of the bowl often puckers up into a hump. The wood stretches to release tension while sweating away its bound water until it finally dries and reaches stasis. At that point, I can turn it round again. We work with a wonder of nature, we truly do!

Chris Marshall, Woodworker’s Journal

Best Jigs for Flattening Slabs and Cutting Boards

Working with live edge slabs can yield truly unique projects that showcase swirling continuous grain. But without a very large planer and jointer, flattening and smoothing a rough slab can be very difficult indeed. The Rockler Slab and Board Flattening Jig‘s precision guide rails, along with the low-friction carriage and trolley let you guide your router over the entirety of the surface, machining it flat and smooth—no need for a big planer or drum sander! Not only that, since you’re using a router bit with a shearing action, tear-out during slab flattening is almost completely eliminated, meaning much less sanding.

Safety First on Spinning Scroll Chucks

This reader has a perfect tip for keeping your hands and fingers safe when working on turning projects with a scroll chuck.

Skee Bag Game

Here’s a kid-friendly weekend project that can bring the thrill of bag toss games indoors for the winter.

Shou Sugi Ban Side Table

Our outdoor occasional table incorporates a Japanese charred wood technique that can protect against bugs and rot.

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