Things that crack in the night.

The phrase "A cracking bit of work" is usually well received. However, when my carvings decide to take that phrase literally, I am less pleased. Usually I am very strict in my drying-policy to prevent cracks but this time things went a bit different. I left the bowl out on the table to show it to someone. Just after I showed it, the world-cup game NL-MEX started. I thought: "I should tug the bowl back into the bag", but for some reason figured it could wait a while. The game had already started, and the bowl slipped from my mind for 90 exciting minutes. Then I thought of it again. I inspected it, and saw some thin black lines. It didn`t look very deep so I didn`t worry much and put the bowl in the bag where it belonged. The next morning the cracks had opened up to full grown work-demolishers.

When I posted my cracked bowl in a carving group on facebook, I got replies from Jarrod Stonedahl and Ingo Dyrkton. While I have to admit that it is somewhat intimidating to end up in a direct conversation with crasftsmen whom I regard as some of the popstars of the carving world, it is also very inspiring and helpful. Jarrod said that his bowls rarely crack, because they are so thin. Both agreed that my bowl probably cracked because it was too thick. At that point I knew what I had to do, but really did not want to: Split the bowl, and see how thick it is. I grabbed my hatchet, and before I could think too much about all the work that went into it I split it.

I am quite pleased that I split the bowl, even though it was a horrible thing to have to do. I have now learnt two things: 1. It split because it was too thick. The wall is about two cm thick, while I should aim for about 1 cm. This should give the wood the flexibility to warp with the drying, and not split. 2. I have carved an even wall thickness, and I am quite pleased with that. It means I did at least something right.

To get over this cracking bowl, carving something else would surely be the remedy, so I started a cherry kuksa.  I have added a picture of the thing in a rough stage. With this kuksa I am focussing in thin walls, and also on bulk removal on the outside of the bowl, under the handle. That is where earlier kuksas have quite a bit of weight left, that give them a lumpy feeling. While the kuksa is now thin enough to dry without me worrying about it, I have still tugged it deeply into a bag with fresh woodshavings. I am not taking any risks with this one!