How do I do this?

[BlackPearl]

A good customer asked me to do three special pens for her. It seems that her sisters are moving out of state and she wanted to give them pens made from a tree that they planted over their fathers grave-site.

She asked me if I could do them for her and I said yes. She would bring me the wood. Well two days later she shows up with a 3/4" branch 6 feet long with the leaves still on it. Needless to say it is still green.

I cut a couple of 6" pieces one I chucked up and drilled through the center the other I put between centers and turned round before drilling. I got a lot of blowout on both of these when I drilled them.

I am going to do European Round tops for her as the show the most wood, how much trouble will I have with the Green wood? I don't really have time to let them dry too much as she wants to give them in two weeks. The tree is Ash maybe I should just buy blanks and keep the switch to myself, but I pride myself in not misleading customers in my regular sales job.

 

[Haynie]

You are going to have to explain the drying process to her. Unless you can dry them in the oven.

 

[its_virgil]

Wood drying in the microwave....google it and read. You should be able to pull it off.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[lorbay]

I just did 2 for a customer from a lilac tree that was just cut. 2 min on med in the microwave let cool and repeat for 15 min or till the moisture content is less that 5%.

Lin

 

[jhprice]

Pen blanks should be fairly easy. Cut to length, bore out, turn to a little oversize, nuke on low for a min or two, let cool, repeat til dry.

That should give you a dry blank suitable for turning.