[wade clark]

Hi! This might be a tough one, but I bet some of you will have answers.
I carved a bowl out of green Sycamore. A book I read said when carving a bowl out of green wood, soak it in peanut oil in a bag 12 hours, then take it out and rub it down several times a day with peanut oil for 12 hours, repeating for 6 weeks, and it shouldn't split ( the oil replaces the moisture in the wood, peanut oil because it's food quality and doesn't turn rancid).
I did it for close to 12 weeks and it still cracked after I quit. The cracks run 2 to 3" into the bowl...the bowl is a dough bowl, 20" long. I think the cracking has stopped at this point, but I'll leave it a few more weeks or a month to be sure before I try to fill the cracks.....which brings me to my question!
WHAT CAN I FILL THESE CRACKS WITH THAT WILL BOND TO "OIL-CURED" WOOD, as well as be food quality? I'd greatly appreciate everyone's input!
Wade
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...arvings001.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...arvings003.jpg

[Irish]

Wade, the bowl is wonderful. The use of the grain and heartwood areas of your block as accents on each side of the bowl really create a wonderful aspects to the finished work. I "see" a beautifully carved and hand formed piece but then those heartwood area tell me so clearly that the artist has created this work from one log! The carving along the sides just flow up and out of the bowl area ... just great.

I think you may want to wait a little longer then a few weeks or month to do any permenent repairs to the bowl's crack. As thick as the original log was ... you may be looking at several months before it has dried enough to settle. I believe that any repairs you make now would either pop out during the remaining curing time or perhaps put unexpected tension on the surrounding areas ... you my thoughts. Others, that work on larger green wood pieces will know!

I have a hugh antique dough bowl that was my great-great grandmothers. It's about 16" to 18" wide and about 24" long made out of chestnut. It has cracks along the edges and it has cuts along the bottom and sides where she used to run the knife to cut the dough into loaf sized pieces. But the biggest thing it has is chestnut worm holes and diggings ... not from the original piece of wood but from where she use to keep the harvested chestnuts in the bowl so that they could roast them in the wood stove. The entire bottom has these wonderful little trenches and in-and-out holes from the worms.

I treasure every crack, every knife cut, every dent, and every worm hole. They are a natural part of the dough bowl, part of the art, part of the story. So if that crack doesn't open too wide ... it just might be part of the art. If I were to become the owner of your "cracked" dough bowl it would become a Family Treasure!

Susan

[Kenny_S]

Beautiful bowl and the gain does pop out at a person. Really like the edge carvings also. It gives that added eye appeal.
To bad it is checking with all of that work and I agree with Susan, give it some more time before repairing it.

[Colin_Partridge]

My carvings crack most of the time as I do big carvings and do not laminate the wood together but use just the raw logs. I also carve green a lot of the time. Carving green is a real treat except you never know where the cracks are going to show up. I agree with the others I would wait until the bowl has completly dried before repairing it. I have had tremendous luck with a product called Raycrete
http://www.raycrete.com/

You can carve it while it is setting up hope this helps by the way love the bowl really nice carving
Colin

[Callynne]

Wow Wade, you out did yourself with this one, what a wonderfully beautiful bowl that is!! I don't know anything about repairing something like that but what the others have said about waiting sounds right to me.

I don't know if an Internet search might find something about repairing wooden bowls. A couple weeks ago on Antiques Road Show they had a bowl that was made of some type of Hawaiian wood, very beautiful, very old and very repaired. The repairs were perfect and the expert said they actually increased the value of the bowl.

If that beauty (yours) belonged to me, I'd wait to do anything to it until I was absolutely certain I knew the exact repair method to use! Good luck, thank you for sharing, it's beautiful, absolutely beautiful!! Callynne

[wade clark]

Thanks for all the encouragement! These are older pictures...I've cleaned the bowl up and carved a lot off since then. I'll try to post a new picture of it now.
Colin, I wrote the raycrete info in my book and will check it out.Thanks!
Wade
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ra/BOWL003.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ra/BOWL007.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ra/BOWL009.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ra/BOWL011.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ra/BOWL010.jpg

[AlArchie]

Wade, what a beautiful piece! The cracks may just be impossible to stop, so let it cure for a few more months (SLOWLY). Keep the piece out of any direct sunlight or extremely warm areas, but make sure it has plenty of air circulation. When it seems to have stabilized, try cutting thin wedges of the same wood, long enough to fit into the cracks. Make wedges for both the inside and outside and then apply a light layer of waterproof carpenters' glue to both the cracks and fillers, and tap, them ever so lightly into the cracks. When the glue has thoroughly dried you can carve the filler strips down to the bowl surface, apply the same oil finsh to the strips and the bowl, and you should have a near invisible repair. It might be a bit problematic to get the glue to adhere to the oiled finish of the bowl, so you might want to wipe that portion of the bowl down with an acetone or denatued alcohol solvent before glueing. As the bowl may be used for food, I think I'd go with the alcohol wash, as the acetone may have some residue...just don't know.

Al

[Old_Gord]

Great looking bowl Wade, hate to rain on this project but have you considered the danger that is now lurking from the peanut oil you have soaked the bowl in?
Anything that touches that bowl, little fingers or fruit or what have you that has resided in that bowl could be a potential danger to anyone with a peanut allergy.
It's the hidden danger that most people with this allergy fear, not knowing something has been in contact with peanuts or any of its by-products.
Hopefully this bowl won't ever be the cause of someones distress because it is a lovely object.
Something to think about.

OG

[squbrigg]

Wade....sorry but I know little to help you with cracks, but I couldn't go by without telling you how beautiful that bowl is. Magnificant work ! The carvings on the rim fit the piece perfectly, and the colour is breathtaking!

Bob

[wade clark]

Bob, Thanks! I should have posted a picture of the bottom of the bowl. The wood is very flecked with yellow, maybe 1/2 of the rim area from below is just awesome, makes me sit with my jaw dropped! No carving, just the incredible handiwork of nature! I don't think I've ever seen anything like it except in sycamore!

Gord, I didn't know what to think about your note on PEANUT ALLERGY. I couldn't think of anyone I knew with it. So I looked on line. 1% of the US population has it, 3 million people! They link it and tree nut allergies together. It appears there's no vaccination, no cure at present. Sometimes just a kiss from someone who has eaten nuts, or playing cards with other players handling nuts, will cause wheezing, or welts. Anaphylactic shock is common; it can be fatal. It's the most common allergy to cause shock, followed by shellfish. WOW! Thanks for the heads up!
The good news is no one in my family is allergic to it, and the bowl will stay in the family. I'll warn Folks if I make bread in it, that some may go into shock with my cooking!
Thanks again to everyone for all the feedback!
Wade