Drying help

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coach

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Since I am down in south Texas, I am surrounded by mesquite. My boss wants to buy 5 or 6 mesquite pens from me. He said I can have all the mesquite from his place that I want. What is the best and quickest way to dry it? Do I cut blanks then dry? How can I use a kiln do dry it quicker? I would greatly appreciate your insite on these questions!!!
 
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vick

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I would recommend cutting the blanks before drying. To air dry the general rule is that it takes 1 inch 1 year to dry so by air drying a 3/4 inch pen blank would dry in 9 months. Way to long for most people. You can decrease the dry time by putting the blanks somewhere warn with alot of air flow like a heating vent. The absolute quickest way is to use you microwave throw a blank in and hit it for about 30 or 45 seconds let it cool down and repeat 6 or 7 times. Be carefull of the wife if you cook it to long it will stink up the house.
 

Fred in NC

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There are several ways to dry pen blanks. I would cut the blanks first, since they will dry faster. I would recommend cutting the blanks a bit oversize in case they warp a little.

The microwave is worth a try if you are doing just a few. To speed up the drying I would drill a 1/4" hole, and drill it out to proper size after they are dry. Also, after the microwaving process is finish, I still like to wait a couple days before final drilling and turning, so the blanks can stabilize.
 

vick

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I did not mention it but I agrea 100% with letting the blanks sit a couple days after mocrowaveing. I have used some immediately but when they sit I seem to get better results.
 

J. Fred Muggs

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Ditto what Fred and Vick have already said. But, pay special attention to Vick's comment about cooking too long. A microwave actually heats from the inside. Therefore, you can be burning before you know it. And, Believe me, <b>Wood just stinks a whole lot more when you burn it in the microwave</b>. I speak from experience.[:I][B)][xx(]
 

wayneis

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The first thing that I would do is look for wood that has already dried. Dead wood laying around can be some of the most interesting if it has not become punky and who knows you may even find some with spalting.

Wayne
 

dougle40

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and then puuting a bolt in it to help keep it straight while heating it.
What type of bolt would you use since the microwave doesn't like any type of metals ??? Or are you referring to heating them in a convential oven ??? If so at what temp and how long ???
 

dmadis

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Here's a quick way to dry wet wood. I've used it with sycamore, juniper and mulberry without any problems. You can get the wood dried in an hour or so.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/3jdw8/microwavedrying.htm
 

woodscavenger

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I don't have any experience with the bolt myself. I remember an article I ran across. I may have it on my laptop at home. I will try to find it tonight. However I only use this site and occasionally the yahoo group so it was likely one of those two places that had the tip. I guess if you are worried about the metal you could put a hardwood dowel in it.
 

coach

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So if I have some old wood that has been cut and lying on the ground for a year or so, I could possibly cut the blanks and turn them correct? Mesquite is plentiful here and most ranchers have big piles that have been cut for some time lying around. Can the wood be too old to cut into blanks?
 

DCBluesman

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Coach--wood that's been lying around for a year or more, it the pieces are not too thick, should be fine for turning. Too old? Not unless it's crumbling. The wood will almost always retain some moisture. ( I say almost, because in desert conditions, a dead branch can get down to an almost immeasurable amount of moisture.) My suggestion is to microwave a blank for 45 seconds andsee if there is a noticeable difference in weight (10% or more). If not, it should be fine.

Doug--be VERY careful in following those instructions. Pen blanks can burn in no time when being microwaved. In some tests I ran in the fall I had 1" oak blanks start burning after 1 minute on high followed by a 5 minute rest, then 45 seconds on high. You do NOT want to start an oak fire in your microwave. [:D]
 

dougle40

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Lou,
I think the main idea there is to use the plastic bag method and watch it until it "puffs" up , then turn off the microwave . This would give you a better idea as to how long a particular piece of wood will take to reach the "steam" stage , as each piece could be very different , then you could base further times on that number . I think that the 2 minute number is just a starting point so that the oven isn't shutting down before the wood is at the proper stage .
What do you think as it's something that I've never attempted before ?
 

Rifleman1776

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DCBluesman said of dead, cut wood lying on the ground "The wood will almost always retain some moisture." Very true. My very first wood turning project ended up a failure because I didn't know this. I picked up some Osage Orange branches left on the ground years earlier by tree trimming crews. Took it home cut to length and turned myself a real nice looking gavel. Proud I was of my first turning project. Next day the head and handle had big cracks from rapid drying inside after the wood was exposed to air. It's still stout but ugly and used in my shop as a mallet.
 

DCBluesman

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Agreed, Doug. Watch for steam. I just wanted to keep someone from thinking that 2 minutes is a magic number.

Thanks Frank. I've had that misfortune as well.
 

C. Scott

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Hey Coach!

Mesquite is my speciality, although I turn pens out of other woods, since I'm a Texan too, mesquite is my favorite.

Not to discount anything that has been previously said, you have been given great advice, however, mesquite can be turned with moisture in it with no ill effects AFAIK. My very first pens were turned out of "seasoned" mesquite logs from a local firewood dealer. The firewood guy said that the wood was cut the previous year and stored outside in Pearland (close to Houston) in other words as humid as a rainforest! LOL!

Trust me, I didn't know what I was doing then (still don't [;)] ) but I didn't have any problems with cracking due to drying. The pens that I made 7 years ago haven't cracked yet and they were turned green, in fact those pens turned my hands purple before I applied the finish. I still get my mesquite from the same guy.

One thing I have noticed with mesquite is the drier it gets the more prone to blowing out it becomes. Turn it fast, use SHARP tools and take shallow cuts. When you turn it with a little moisture in it it seems to hold together a little better.

Lastly, mesquite is just plain beautiful!

Please, anybody correct me if I'm wrong I am just going on my personal experience. I will say this though that the resident turner at the Rockler store I go to confirmed that mesquite doesn't need to be "dry" before working it.
 

woodscavenger

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When I got my first freebie mesquite blank from BB it went to the back row...along with the desert ironwood...becuase they looked plain and non-descript...looks can sure be deceiving!! The mesquite pen is becoming my favorite. I stare at it during long boring meetings and am still amazed at the the fine intricate patterns that it has. But it definitely needs kid gloves and sharp tools.....
 

coach

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I turned a mesquite pen for myself this weekend that I carry around to get people's interest. I'll post a pic tonite when I get home. It is beautiful! Thanks for the info C.Scott. I actually have some mesquite fire wood I could cut up and use. I have made one mesquite burl that was way too pretty! I went ahead and sold it since it was for a friends husband for his birthday. Can you turn burl green also? I think I can come up with some burl pieces.
 

C. Scott

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Coach,

I don't know about green burl mesquite but I would think that it would be OK. I haven't turned any true burl mesquite but lots of it with really twisted and curled grain and it was green and didn't give me any problems. The dry twisted stuff is what gave me the most problems.

Jwoodwright,

I must confess that my scrap pieces of mesquite go into the bbq pit. They are too small or thin for me to make a pen out of. I just love the way it flavors meat.
 

coach

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I turned a beautiful mesquite burl pen this evening from a blank a friend gave me. When I can get pictures to upload I will share. This one is replacing the current one I carry around. I've got 5 ranchers on the prowl for some burl for me. That is why I needed drying advice. I can't wait until next year to turn them!!!! LOL
 

jdavis

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I tried the microwave last night on a piece of East Texas redbud. I had good success drying it. I am going to turn it later today as a demo in one of my classes. Will post it later.[:)]
 

coach

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Originally posted by jdavis
<br />I tried the microwave last night on a piece of East Texas redbud. I had good success drying it. I am going to turn it later today as a demo in one of my classes. Will post it later.[:)]

Keep us posted!!
 
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