Woodturning: Ash Crotch Bowl Crack Repair

[@krperry2007]

Hi Frank, Very clever and captivating way to make the best of what your had. I found your video by Google searching “how to handle a live oak bowl that cracks”.

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks for the feedback and checking out my video.

[@MRTOMBO]

Well done. It put a smile on my face seeing the tree burnings put in there to naturally make the cracks disappear in the drawing. I've got two roughed hollowforms about12" tall x 12" wide in birds eye maple. Many years ago I was taking a class at Craft Supplies USA in Provo Utah, and they just got in a couple of pallets of birds eye maple logs. As they were about to run those ithrough the mill I asked if I could buy two log cuts off the end of one of the logs, and they said "Sure". They were roughed, but still cracked a bit near the bottom, and I've always thought that the best way for them to look super when I get around to finish turning them was to do exactly as you did. Just burn/carve in a tree or root or reed like drawing using the cracks as starting points. Super nice job you did. Thanks for the video.

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks, I must admit that I now do this for quite a few of my pieces now to hide the cracks and everyone loves the look of the tree image. I sketch it in pencil first and then use a pyrography pen…good luck and hope it works for your hollow forms.

[@stephanielovatt2787]

This is the first time I have watched this channel. The biwl is nice..very nice! I wouldn't have thought to use pyrogralhy, to hide the crack. Very ckever! It looks realky goid, too@

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks for watching

[@OregonOldTimerWOODTURNING]

Wow, Frank! Not only are you a woodturning artist but a woodburning artist! And putting the tree on both outside and inside? Icing on the cake. (I don't often use exclamation points, but this calls for them.)

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks, I cheated a bit because the wood burning covers up that crack nicely on both the inside and outside of the bowl 😁

[@turnedbysean2023]

Nice piece ❤

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks

[@joeseb7510]

Nice work Frank!

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks

[@sweetlandsheatingcooling9039]

Thanks for the drawings and explanation. Nice tree addition! I seem to have trouble with a pyrography pen following the grain rather than where i am attempting to burn, any advice?

[@frankdidomizio]

Thanks. Yes, I sometimes have a bit of that problem on grainy wood like ash or oak, but my images of trees are always kind of free form so a bit of movement of my pyrography pen is not really that noticeable. Only advice is lots of practice, a steady hand and always pull the pen towards you to have the best control. I do also from time to time sharpen the pen knife edge so it cuts in clean and then tends not to slide around as much and I also often clean the slag off the pen with a small wire/brass brush if it builds up. Good luck