Drying A Spalted Cherry Branch

[WarrenMorrison]

I chopped down a dead branch from a cherry tree, and found that most of it was rotten. Some of it, though, hadn't quite gotten there. As a matter of fact, some of that was spalted!

My question here is two-fold.

First, how do I dry a branch (no thicker than an inch or two) without it cracking?

And second, how do I appropriately halt the spalting process? If I just paint the ends of the branch and set it aside, will it continue to rot?

Thanks everyone!

 

[FatPat]

Dry it in the "shop microwave" using the defrost cycle and measure the weight. When it stops loosing weight its dry. When the excess moisture is gone the spalting will stop.

 

[WarrenMorrison]

I tried that with a Maple branch a while back and it cracked from the pith straight through to the bark. Is there anything I can do to eliminate (or at least reduce) that?

It's nice to know that it halts the spalting process! Cherry doesn't usually spalt, and I didn't want to waste this one!

 

[SteveG]

My guess is that you may be able to retain the full round branch by letting it dry SLOWLY with sealant on the cut ends, and do leave the pieces as long as possible so any end checking will not run thru the entire piece. Another choice is to cut (rip) down the centerline, through the pith, and seal the ends. (I realize this leaves very small pieces to work with, so why not go get thicker branches...you will be happier!)
Steve

 

[WarrenMorrison]

There's definitely not enough of the branch to rip down the center, though I definitely wish that there were! Getting a bigger branch here isn't really an option either. The tree is still alive, but simply had a dead branch. That's the only reason that I ended up with this one.

That aside, if I were to let the branch dry slowly (ends sealed), will it simply rot out given that the spalting process has already begun?

 

[kovalcik]

I vote for sealing the ends and letting dry slowly. Unless it is waterlogged I don't think the mold/fungus will progress too much further since you are moving it to a different environment. Keep it relatively cool and dry and you should be fine. If necessary you can always stabilize the soft parts with some thin CA.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Maybe you should drill it through the pith with a 7mm bit so it can dry from the inside too and also have room to shrink as it dries so it doesn't crack. You will likely need to redrill after it's good and dry.
If you have a vacuum tank for stabilizing that helps pull water out of the stick after its been thoroughly warmed in an oven.

 

[low_48]

I tried that with a Maple branch a while back and it cracked from the pith straight through to the bark. Is there anything I can do to eliminate (or at least reduce) that?

It's nice to know that it halts the spalting process! Cherry doesn't usually spalt, and I didn't want to waste this one!

Yup, use bigger branches so you can saw it up to regular pen blanks. Small diameter branches will crack nearly every time. You could try drilling out the center, but use a smaller bit since the branch will go oval as it dries/

 

[sbwertz]

Put it in the freezer overnight. The moisture in the wood expands when it freezes, breaking down the cell structure somewhat allowing the wood to dry more evenly.

 

[WarrenMorrison]

Alright so that's a pretty even split on slow drying and microwave/oven drying. Either way, I think that the idea of drilling through the pith is a good one. Perhaps that, combined with tossing it in the freezer may just be the silver bullet...

low_48, as I mentioned before (see quote below), I normally do use bigger branches, but couldn't this time. I definitely wish that I had that option here, though! :biggrin:

There's definitely not enough of the branch to rip down the center, though I definitely wish that there were! Getting a bigger branch here isn't really an option either. The tree is still alive, but simply had a dead branch. That's the only reason that I ended up with this one.