Turning a 12-in x 7-in live-edge Cherry bowl
A note from Michael Hamilton-Clark:
Attached is a series of photos showing what I managed to do with a 14-in x 7-in half-trunk Cherry log Al Timms gave me from the cutting party at Crown Point II.
I cut off the corners and turned it on Monday 12 Oct to achieve a live-edge piece 12-in x 7-in and left it outside in a brown paper yard bag with shavings for the next week, weighing it morning and night. 
Then I took it into the house and left it out, continuing the weighing. When it went on the lathe it weighed just over 3kg. When it came off after turning it was 1.287kg.
I gave it several one-minute sessions in the microwave, losing 126gm, then after the week in the bag it weighed 0.893kg.
After a week in the house, it weighed 0.780kg. and the daily loss slowed to around 3-5gm. so it would seem to be nearly dried out. The bark has stayed on all round the rim and there is only one minor crack.
I’ll wait a few more days then do the power sanding to remove some tool marks here and there…
Amazing to think that 1.287 – 0.780 = 0.498km of moisture was in the piece after turning – that’s nearly 40% of the initial weight….
Michael Hamilton-Clark
