The ELEPHANT in the room - Woodturning project
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- Опубліковано 24 кві 2023
- Hello everyone, today we're going to talk about the elephant in the room - well, not exactly, but close enough. I have this beautiful cherry log that resembles an elephant, and I'm going to turn it into a set of stunning wooden bowls. I'll be cutting the log into bowl blanks and using a fast-drying technique to dry one of them quickly. And by the end of this video, you'll see how I transform one of these blanks into a finished bowl. So stay tuned and let's get started!
Thanks for watching and feel free to leave comments in the chat below.
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DISCLAIMER :
All of my videos are designed to be entertainment only. Please follow all required safety measures when using tools or machinery and always read and understand the manufacturer's guidelines and safety instructions.
The methods I demonstrate are not to be used as a guide for best practice. Thanks - Навчання та стиль
I've used a microwave to force-dry wood for many years. And you are absolutely correct when you say that the cooling-down period is essential.
Yep, my wife can pay testament to that lol 😀
I love the natural imperfections. And nothing quite like free wood! :)
Couldn't agree more! Free wood is just the best 😀
Really love your content, it's like having a buddy in the shop... thank you for all the extra effort you put in! Cheers!
Hi Anthony, thanks! That is one of the nicest things someone has said and means a lot, thanks 😀
Couldn’t have put it better!
Mike your a genius, master craftsman, would have loved to be tought how to master your skills, turning someones rubbish into pure treasure, amazing
Thanks John, I'm all self taught, in other words I can't blame anyone 😃
Very nice and cold turning
Thanks David 😀
That’s my favorite bowl.
Thanks! Glad you like it 😀
I love your passion
That is so nice of you to say, thanks 😃
Good job 👏 👍
Thanks Patrick 😀
Perfect bark inclusion on the outside.
It was 😃
My wife and I recently found your videos and have really enjoyed watching your projects, and you do really beautiful pieces. The thing that we have noticed is that you do these pieces of light colored wood that turn out awesome, but your method of finishing them makes them appear all yellow. We did see the one where you used the clear shellac, and the bowl remained a more natural wood tone. We know it's your creation to do with as you please, as it should be. To us, it just seems to take away the natural tones and beauty of the wood. We will continue to watch and enjoy your work. Thanks for taking all of us along on your journey.
Hi Mark, thanks so much for letting me know your thoughts. I really appreciate feedback and always happy to explain why I do things or change due to feedback like yours. In relative terms I'm still fairly new to woodturning and have a lot to learn. The yellow on most pieces was from the shellac which is a beautiful finish but does change the tone of the wood. But now I know more and happily make my own finishes I can make ones more suitable for the wood and using blonde shellac have been a good step forward. Hope this explains a bit better. All the best, Mike 🙂
That’s a very beautiful bowl Mike. I don’t think you could have split that cherry log up any better. I bet that longer “trunk” would make an absolutely stunning rolling pin. Brilliant as usual Sir.
Thanks my friend 😁, let me know when your prize arrives please, should not be too much longer but then again it does have a long way to go lol.
@@MikeHolton Every day I get home from work, I walk toward the mailbox in complete anticipation ! I am really looking forward to seeing it. Again Mike, I can’t thank you enough for all the time and effort you put into your channel. The filming and editing, the talent and the patience. And to do give-aways on top of all of it. I truly feel like I’m watching one of my closest friends every time I watch a video. I’m with you all the way my friend.
@@k9insomniac783 Are you trying to make me cry! 🤣But honestly thanks so much for the kind words and for what it's worth I class you as a friend as well.
A very nice, rustic little bowl just waiting to be placed in a quaint log cabin. When I saw that chunk o' tree at the beginning, I was reminded of all the 'logging' me, dad, and an older brother had done as we had large wood burning stoves. Dad and brother are gone now, and so is my wood burner. A gas fireplace sits where the wood burner once was. A lot of poplar trees and pine trees went up the chimney over the decades. Glad I don't do 'logging' anymore. It's a big enough chore to replace batteries in the remote sensor on the stove. LOL!
Hahaha I can imagine lol 😀
Very nice……..I personally like bowls with a bit of weight about them and a good wall thickness like this one….👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks William, I am exactly the same, wood needs to feel warm, heavy and strong. There is something very reassuring about a heavy bowl.
I'm glad you decided to leave that bit of natural divot from the last bit of bark, gives the bowl another level of color and interest. I'm happy that your microwave experiment worked on this complicated piece.
Thanks Susan, I can't wait to turn the other pieces I cut off from this but will have to wait a few years 😃
I love the colors on the bowl beautiful ❤
Thanks Mel, it has a lot going on 😃
Beautiful wood
Great underlying philosophy!
Thank you kindly Nickolas ☺️
What a lovely bowl, and seeing the microwave drying method is really interesting!
Thanks! It is a useful method if you want to dry something quickly 🙂
Génial !! Très beau résultat !
Merci beaucoup mon ami
Wonderful piece 😍
Thanks Max 😀
Heck yeah sir looks great have a great week ✌️
Thanks my friend, you too 😀
love the way you explain things as you go. Great video
Thanks Dave, I really appreciate the feedback. All the best, Mike
I really enjoy watching you work.
Thanks Kersti 😀
Brilliant video Mike. Loads of really good info involved & included. 5 /5 rating my friend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 👍
Hahaha, thanks for my first ever star rating 😃
some interesting techniques there. Love the end result
Thanks Julie 😁
Beautiful work as always!
Thanks William 😀
well done! another beautiful piece,
Thanks Fiona 😀
this is a beautiful bowl. i absolutely love cherry, and i am looking forward to what you do with the rest of the beast :)
Thanks Dee, I love cherry as well, the other bits will hopefully be nice but we will have to wait a good while for the drying to happen.
Wunderschön gemacht und es sieht klasse aus👏👌👍
Danke mein Freund
Great bowl Mike! Well done!
Thanks my friend 😃
9:55 am
Wow!
Your woodworking is true art. I am retiring at the end of December and I would like to get into woodworking. You have given me courage to try. Thank you so much!!
Thanks Michael and good for you, you never know if you try. I have not been turning that long but just so glad I started 😁
Great job Mike, I really enjoy your videos.
Thanks so much my friend.
I love finding road side treasures like that. Great video!
When you put the CA glue in the cracks, try taking a shop vac with a flexible hose and put the end on the other side and suck the glue into the cracks. Sometimes it doesn't work but when it does you get the glue all the way in the wood.
Thanks! That sounds like a great idea, next time I get a chance I'll give it a try 😀
I microwave bowls often and I use a 2 minute in cycle so it won't burn. I do use a wooden trivet under the bowl when it is in the microwave and when it is out to cool.
That's a god idea, thanks 😀
This cherry bowl turned out absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks Mary, can't wait to turn the larger pieces I cut off.
Really enjoy your videos, your turning is exceptional. You let the wood speak to you as you are turning.
Thanks Bruce, I have to listen to the wood as it has far better ideas than I do 😂
Very nice work Mike. Can't wait to see what you do next week.
Thanks Bryce, neither can I, I've not started yet 😃
Beautiful I like the markings on it
Thank you! 😊
well done Mike it looks great
Many thanks my friend 😀
That is just beautiful! ❤ Your Salvage cherry is priceless!
Thanks Audie, I love finding wood 😀
Great content,well done Mike!
Thanks Scott 😃
great job
Thanks Mark 😃
Nice one. My first time on your channel and have subscribes. Here in Montana wood dries very quickly. Your bowl in a paper bag would dry in 2 to months in my workshop. I have not tried the microwave method, but have found that three one hour sessions in the convection oven on minimum setting of 110 degrees works magic. I have also never used the black CA and will try it. I normally use coffee or brass powder. I'm trying to identify your accent, I left the UK circa 1984 and I'm told I have not lost my South Riding accent.
Haha thanks, I've lived all over in the UK but mainly in the North East, near Durham. I think I'm looking at 6 months for these to dry. Thanks for subscribing, really appreciate your support 😁
That turned out really nice stunning grain and colour not turned cherry I think I will have a look out for some
Hi Colin, it really is great wood to turn, you should deff get some 😀
Lovely piece! And that beagle needs a name 😆
Thanks and you are right, next time I get a chance I'll ask everyone for suggestions. 😃
So many times people have left stuff I need on the side of the road "fly tipped" as you say. That's a spot near my gf's house ppl use. I've nearly paved my entire rockery because of that!
Haha, indeed, sometimes good things can happen from bad. 😃
@@MikeHolton ps if you are in the Sydney region, I can get you interesting timber to turn... as a matter of fact I have a lilly pilly in currently taking down. I've made a few perches for my cockatoos out of it and was amazed at the quality of the timber... considering it was green when I made the thing, it's held up brilliantly
@@drfill9210 Thanks, I would love to visit Australia one day and if I do I'll drop you a note :)
Gorgeous bowl and fascinating that the microwave helps dry the wood.
I wonder who was the first to say lets try it! Lol
Thanks for sharing Mike.
PS I'm running out of previous videos fast and have no idea what I'm going to do for my daily fix then.😢
Bet you will be glad of no daily comments from me 😂
Haha, you could start over again I guess 😂😀😅
I've enjoyed nearly every comment 😜😝😛😂
@@MikeHolton I could start again, couldn't I? 🤔😂
@@fionacrouch1732 try going through the playlists 😀
Going to be beautiful.
I think so too, thanks Gerald 😃
What a lovely figured piece.
As always your artistry leaves me in awe!
Thanks Mick, glad you liked it 😀
7 minutes in, its a SLOTH!
😂😅😅
The bowl looks terrific, lots of interesting character. Well done.
You did get lucky with the microwave process and the piths. I would weigh the completed bowl so you can check the weight in the next few weeks in case more moisture will be lost.
Another example of getting your chips for free. 😄
In the US the term fly tipping is not used, it would just be called dumping. Sad that there are many cases of dumping, especially in the bigger cities.
Dave.
It's a horrible thing that us unfortunately quite common. We have guys with a van offering to dispose of peoples waste from gardens etc and dispose of it properly, then they just drive to a remote location and dump it out the back of the van. That way they avoid having to pay for it's proper disposal.
Anyway I managed to get three good bits of wood, 1 cherry and two which I think are beech. 1 is so large I had to ask a passing dog walker to help me lift it into the back on my car.
Mike
You've done the microwave drying process for a few years now. Have you ever experimented with the same principles that food dehydrators use to dehydrate food, to dry out a piece of wood? Those larger pieces are obviously not going to fit in a small microwave or dehydrator, so looks like a bit of a wait for them. The bowl itself was an excellent piece! 😊👍👍
Morning, never thought of a food dehydrator, I may do a bit of research. The larger pieces will be ready in about 3-4 years 😀
Hi Mike, I absolutely love Elephants, to me they are the most beautiful of all animals. The character in that bowl is stunning, so glad to see a turner not using resin to fill the cracks in the wood. Great use of old candles Mike, thanks for sharing. Subs up to 6.23k
Thanks Jim, subs are going crazy!!! 6350 as I write this. It's very scary and humbling all at the same time. I feel like an imposter that will be found out at any point lol. I know you are not a fan of resin but there is one coming up in a couple of weeks but in this case it was either that or let it become fire wood. All the best, Mike
@@MikeHolton Hi Mike, I just subscribed to your friends channel, I looked back at some of his video's and I have watched them previously. Thanks for the recommendation. Jim
@@jimpike3489 Thanks Jim, he's a nice honest guy with way more skill thank I have and I really want him to do well, his level of skill deserves it.
You would have a field day at my house good sir, we had a tornado touch down behind my house on May 16, 2023 and thankfully no damage to the house but loads of downed trees of all sizes all over my backyard. I've got one huge tree of sycamore that I am keeping because it is just beautiful wood, I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but it's so beautiful and flawless looking that I must find a way to have it turned into something to remember the tornado by. I live in a valley in rural southwest Virginia, Lee County Virginia to be exact and I'm just minutes away from the state lines of Tennessee and Kentucky and getting a tornado in this valley is thankfully rare but it happened. It took some large trees, mostly poplars up by the roots, others it broke off 10 to 15 ft up in the air, some smaller trees were twisted onto themselves it was just wild. So you would have plenty of material around here. I'd love to get into wood turning or at least trying it, my neighbors boyfriend who lives behind me does wood working but it's mostly making furniture, bird houses, house repairs etc and he's bought a lot of different power tools and I've learned how to use all of them so I'd love to talk him into getting into turning and then giving it a try. We have people around here that do it, they set up at festivals/parades/craft shows and sell the bowls, walking sticks/canes, and all kinds of beautiful things. So far I can build things and make some bird feeders and houses but that's about it. Perhaps when I finally get my old garage that's falling down upon itself torn down and I can finally put up my new metal building/workshop I will have the room to get into a wonderful hobby like turning. I just know I've got to turn that gorgeous sycamore log and branches into something because it would be a shame to waste such a flawless smooth piece of wood and I'm open to suggestions on what to make.
Hi, turning is a fantastic hobby but very addictive, that sycamore would be amazing to turn! We don't really get many very bad storms in the UK but they do happen from time to time. You are right I would have a field day with all those trees down! I hope you get your workshop sorted so you can give it a go. All the best, Mike
I was really nervous watching you put that wood in a microwave. But it looks good now😁
Haha it works well 😀
I don't know about Linseed oil being food safe. But Beeswax and Coconut oil is. I use it and it works really well and I know it's safe for food or drinking.
Awsom bowl.
Thanks Joe 😀
@@MikeHolton
Hi Mike! My name is Chuck Holton so I thought I'd say hi. Not a very common name. Love your turnings and your videos. I am also a woodworker😊
Hi Chuck, no you are right, Holton is not a common name, very few of us about. Holton, I believe, means a town in a clearing in a wood or forest. Nice to meet you, where are you from?
@MikeHolton Hi Mike, I live in western Washington, US
@@chuckholton4666 Cool well it is very nice to meet you :)
Mike.. love your work AND your furhound..😊 what is his.. or is it her.. name? Somehow I feel that you and your wife rescued that cute baby from a fate worse then death.. 🎉🎉 keep on turning my friend..
Haha, thanks 😃
I too, have a Microwave in the shed. I usually 'Nuke' for about two minutes followed by a few hours to cool down. Do you have a moister metre? Rather than just weight. I find it more accurate as to the state of the wood. I will have to try the recess on the inside rather than the jam chuck method. Thanks Mike, very entertaining.
Thanks Pete, I do have a moisture meter but it is the type with prongs so only measures the surface moisture not what is inside. All the best, Mike
Interesting on using the microwave, Mike. I have used the oven in the kitchen before...on some oak slabs i was working on. That worked out well. The cherry looks beautiful!
Thanks! What settings did you use for the oven?
@@MikeHolton I believe it was 150 F for an hour and a half? Not sure exactly. I googled it!
Hahaha thanks 😁
Mike when I cut the inside recess (12:20 ish) , I use a forstener bit that fits my chuck. I makes for a quick and flat connection for the chuck. Well done BTW!
Thanks for the tip Ken, have you ground down the nub in the center of your bit?
@@MikeHolton I did, otherwise it makes nice funnels
@@kenspears7159 🤣
Mike, make a large rubber nipple to fit your shop vac hose. This way you can suck the CA glue into those pith cracks from the reverse side of the glue application.
Wakodahatchee Chris
Thanks Chris, that is a very interesting idea 😃
You know, I don't know anything about anything.... but I can tell already this bowl is going to be absolutely beautiful! I ment to ask you before Mr. MIKE, do you ever get splinters in your hands doing this work?
Hi Nana, whilst turning I never get splinters, I sometimes get them before hand handling the wood but even that is quite rare 😀
I wonder if you could cool it with a handheld hair dryer on a no-heat setting? The air flow would dehydrate a little bit too.
Possible but it's a very expensive way of drying wood 😊
Anyone who tries to throw away anything:
Mike: absolutely not
Beautiful bowl, I've loved watching your back episodes, it's really magical watching these pieces emerge and then of course when the finish goes on! Great stuff!
Thanks so much Kristine 😀
One mans trash hey Mike!!! more chips for free??. I found some beautiful Hawthorn on the side of the road once with a fantastic root ball on it.
The finish you have put on that cherry has given it such a gorgeous golden honey colour with a lovely contrast with the bark and central pith.
I like you tried to dry some Yew in a micro wave and just ended up burning it and being banished from the kitchen. Very much looking forward to that crotch piece turning up in the post
Take care, Steve
Haha, yeah apparently the female of the species seem to take offence to the smell of burning wood in the kitchen, I quite liked the oak smell 😀. I'll get it in the post sometime this year, it's well sealed and won't be turntable for a good while yet. But long term it will make for a great joint project, we both turn our respective halves the same week and then get them together 😀. Talk soon my friend.
@@MikeHolton Really great idea Mike, Im all up for that
@@thehampshirewoodturner Excellent!
@thehampshirewoodturner so are we! 🙂
Hi Mike.
You should use white shellac then it would not add colour to your wood. Just a thought.
I know I keep meaning to get hold of some 😀
Great job. Would love to know if it has cracked or split any more after completion. …knowing what apple is like! Could you update us please.🙏
Hi Mandy, yes the splits have opened a little more but I di choose the worst possible piece for this experiment lol 😀
Interesting drying technique. Do you think the cracks in the bowl were related to using a Microwave?
They would have formed anyway because of the pith in the wood, All the best, Mike
I see SO much wood dumped, now I am looking out for it. Sadly when I spot a find, my husband always says ‘It’s too big/there’s no room in the boot/I can’t stop here’…I am going to go out on my own and scavenge. Great idea using microwave…like you I will have to get a separate one. TY.😃
You are welcome Fiona, luckily with that lot there was one piece I did not show what was so big I had to roll it to the car and ask a friendly dog walker to help me lift it into the car 😂. I go everywhere now with a chainsaw in the boot lol.
I am a Vicar…I can see an interesting conversation with the Police, if ever I am stopped, in my clericals, with a chainsaw in the boot….😂😂😂😂
@@fionanaylor6104 😄 Hahaha, would certainly make for an interesting conversation, I'm sure you would get divine inspiration and be able to explain how it's just a tool of the trade 🤣
@@MikeHoltonaha! The mystery of why the chainsaw is solved 😋
@@fionacrouch1732 🤣
That microwave trick is too tempting.....I just know I'm going to try it and get in trouble....
Haha, you will be fine just don't let it get too hot! My wife did not appreciate the smell of burning oak as much as I thought she would lol
Do you expect it to dry more do that it needs to be returned? Depending on the angle, the shellac made the bowl quite yellow. Looking forward to seeing the other pieces.
Hi Linda, it won't need returning, if it moves a bit more it will look even more rustic 😀. The bowl is not in an unheated room where it will stay for a few weeks to dry the last little bit but slowly. The yellowing was sue to the shellac and reminds me I must look for some lighter shellac. All the best, Mike
Is the color really that yellow? The view from the other camera and the final display view look much more natural. I thought it was just a difference in cameras.
Love your video what a find but disgusting that people fly-tip I did see someone do that down the lane and I stopped and made him put it back in his car that bowl turned out so nice where did you get your button that goes on the bottom of the bowl
Regards
Steve UK London
Hi Steve, yep fly tipping is just horrible!!! The button is just a sticker and it's a nice low cost alternative to the expensive coins you see people use. Just search google for 'foil stickers', hope this helps. Mike
Ha, I got the same scale I use
Haha, cheapest I could find on Amazon 😃
very nice work. Is that glue food-grade?
Hi yes it is, CA glue was originally invented for medical use to seal wounds instead of stitches 😀
When I want to protect something in microwave I cover or wrap with kitchen roll wonder if that helps?
I don't think it would do much good to be honest
What is the slowest rpm most lathes go ? I was just curious cause couldn't you use that to turn the piece around while applying the finish ?
Usually about 300 - 400 rpm so best used for buffing in, there are some finishes you can apply while it is spinning but anything liquid is better done while stationary. 😀
Is there a finish that does not colour the wood yellow? I’d like to have kept the whiteish finish to the wood.
There are but the ones I have are not food safe 😀
6 minutes in, its an OWL!
Haha you are right! 😀
Is that European cherry I take it? The cherry we have over here in the states looks quite different. Beautiful nonetheless though.
Hi it's proper name is Manchurian Cherry 😁 very common in the UK
Do you ever save the wood chips for some other projects…?
I did for a while but never used them so now they all just go to be composted 😀
23:41.... What is that thing called holding the bowl from the out rim??
Hi Paul, the care called cole jaws. All the best, Mike
Mike do you have a damp meter to see what percentage the water is?
His, yes I do, at the start it was around 27% at the end around 14% so still a little bit still to go.
Very nice. Where do you source your makers mark?
They are just made of foil, I get them printed and are delivered on sheets, far cheaper than the metal coins people use and still look ok. Just search for foil stickers there are loads of companies doing them.
Another nice peice Mike , ive been banned from the oven and the microwave , but she cant see whats on the top 2 shelves of the airing cupboard😂😂😂😂
That is genius! we all do what we have to 😂😀
Is it possible to buy your work?
Great Channel!
Anything is possible, I usually don't try and sell my work but if someone contacts me asking to buy something then I am happy to.
What part of the elephant are we looking at in the original photo??
Bottom left is the bit we cut off, dried and turned 😀
What do you use to seal the 2 pieces that you put up for another time?
Hi, that was just old candle wax 😀
Thank you. My husband is learning to turn, and I'm trying to get him to do other stuff besides bowls. He has a small lathe but is hoping to get a bigger one next fall.
Enjoying the videos.
So Mike what do you call the lazy Beagle on your lathe? At least he is not a Hairy Beaver like over on Hodge-podge.
That guy does not have a name, he was being thrown out by one of my kids and I not have the heart to let him go so I put magnets on his feet and left him there. He's not fallen off yet so he can stay a while 😀
Great project Mike. I tried the microwave once and the wife caught me using the one in the kitchen needless to say it never got completed I leaned some new words and we burnt a posh log. Lol.
@@AndyFisher1965 🤣 it's not fun when you get caught lol
@@MikeHolton 😊
That was really interesting not least because I’ve recently upgraded to a Regent, just turned some green timber and use 03a ca glue. And I’ve subscribed. Thank you for sharing, I’ll try your drying technique as I don’t want to wait several years 🌞
Yeah don't think the wife would let me use the microwave 👍
I used ours once and was then banned 😂
Миску лучше заворачивать в газету. Не будет трещин.
Спасибо, я попробую в этот раз
Why black ca glue rather then clear.?
I thought it would be more interesting 😀
Please comment occasionally on the RPM you are turning at.
Thanks I do try and do this more but will try even harder 😃
I would love to see this piece after a few years of light exposure. Fresh natural cherry is rather boring to me. It does not get its full beauty until it naturally darkens a bit over the years.
Thanks, if I remember I'll post a pick in a few years 😀
What did you have for lunch?
Was a while ago but probably a sandwich 😂
عمل مميز ، انا مواطن كويتي ، ولاننسى مساعدت بلادك في تحرير بلدي عام ١٩٩١ 🇰🇼 مارغريت ثاتشر 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻
أنا سعيد لأننا تمكنا من المساعدة ، وأنا سعيد لأننا نستطيع أن نكون أصدقاء.
Думала, что из " Буратино" можно сделать что-то поинтереснее....(((
Извини, мой друг, возможно, в следующий раз
I thought it was actually about to be carved into an elephant. Semi disappointed ☹️
Sorry Miek, my carving is terrible. 😀
@@MikeHolton damn don’t be so hard on yourself homie. Just cause it isn’t an ELEPHANT 🐘 Doesn’t mean it’s Trash. Lol
@@miekolock4060 🤣