Walnut salad bowl question
- Thread starter PChristy
- Start date
I have made at least a dozen BW bowls, probably more than 20 BW spoons and a variety of other BW kitchen/food contact items. I have never gotten any questions or complaints from buyers or gift recipients about bad reactions from items I made. I personally prefer solid wood objects but know several turners who are meticulous craftsmen and they have made beautiful items by gluing up BW and/or BW with other woods to create a large enough blank for their project.
While black walnut is listed as an irritant, I don't think you would have a reaction from the finished bowl, unless you drank soup out of it every day. I would not worry about a salad bowl.
Like Steve I prefer solid wood, none of my customers have ever asked for anything else. But, it's up to you. If you want to glue blocks together then by all means go for it.
Like Steve I prefer solid wood, none of my customers have ever asked for anything else. But, it's up to you. If you want to glue blocks together then by all means go for it.
Walnut oil from the grocery store, would make a good food safe finish for a bowl.
Green is easy, kiln dried is what's almost impossible to find.
Where would you start looking for a green walnut log having those rough dimensions? Loggers? Black walnut is not usually a side of the road piece of wood.
Last two I got were yard trees, one had wire in it so half the log was firewood I tried turning the other half and it split every time. The other was water logged from laying across a creek for many years. I got one bowl out of all that.
Green wood is not hard to find if you are looking and not terribly picky. I just can't ever get green wood to work for me.
Never had any problems with kiln dried but it is very hard to find in any size thicker than 12/4.
Green wood is not hard to find if you are looking and not terribly picky. I just can't ever get green wood to work for me.
Never had any problems with kiln dried but it is very hard to find in any size thicker than 12/4.
Phillip, Could you tell us a little more about the project.
Specifically, have you turned this size bowl before?
What size lathe are you using?
Do you have access to and experience with green stock or were you leaning towards laminate?
Without knowing your specifics, here is a reasonable stab at an answer. If you haven’t turned bowls in this size, I would absolutely use laminated flat material.
If you’re lathe is of a marginal size, then go with laminated flat stock. You will be able to assemble a relatively balanced built up turning blank.
Since the stock is dry, you can build a blank with the center already removed. This will save much time as well as money.
A laminated bowl can be customized by varying how you assemble the pieces. Turners like Charlie are the real experts on this.
As far as toxicity, here is a reference that was posted before. I would not feel uncomfortable with a walnut bowl.
Wood Allergies and Toxicity | The Wood Database
www.wood-database.com
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It should be mentioned that if you turn it green, you'll need to wait several months before doing the finish turning. A segmented bowl can be turned to a finished product all at once. It will also be much easier to source 4x4 or 8x4 stock to glue up as opposed to a blank 9+ inches thick to yield a 8'' deep bowl.
I would avoid walnut (and walnut oil) if you know someone who is allergic to tree nuts might eat from it. In theory it is OK for such people, but it is not worth the risk (or the questions from nervous moms etc) IMHO.
I would avoid walnut (and walnut oil) if you know someone who is allergic to tree nuts might eat from it. In theory it is OK for such people, but it is not worth the risk (or the questions from nervous moms etc) IMHO.
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Thank you for the info. I have turned bowls this size and I have attended one of Charlie's classes. I have turned green and dry wood. My lather is a HF 12*32 the 12 is pushing it in my opinion but I have done 10" bowls with no problem. If nothing else I can swing the headstock to get the 12". I was looking more towards laminated but from what I got from Charlie's class he puts a floating bottom in it so that when the wood moves the joints will not separate. I really don't want to turn a green piecePhillip, Could you tell us a little more about the project.
Specifically, have you turned this size bowl before?
What size lathe are you using?
Do you have access to and experience with green stock or were you leaning towards laminate?
Without knowing your specifics, here is a reasonable stab at an answer. If you haven’t turned bowls in this size, I would absolutely use laminated flat material.
If you’re lathe is of a marginal size, then go with laminated flat stock. You will be able to assemble a relatively balanced built up turning blank.
Since the stock is dry, you can build a blank with the center already removed. This will save much time as well as money.
A laminated bowl can be customized by varying how you assemble the pieces. Turners like Charlie are the real experts on this.
As far as toxicity, here is a reference that was posted before. I would not feel uncomfortable with a walnut bowl.
Wood Allergies and Toxicity | The Wood Database
I haven't thought about the allergies. I will get with her and see what she says. Thanks
Very little, but many people are not rational about allergies and especially their children's allergies.
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