Microwave drying - long-term results?

[thewishman]

Was looking at some nice pens in a display last week and noticed that some of the figured woods had not fared well. They seemed to have cracked along the lines of the figure or burl. I had some ramone burl that did the same thing, though it seemed quite dry when I turned it.

Does anyone have pens made with microwave-dried wood that can share long-term results? Any problems?

Thinking of using only stabilized woods to ensure lasting good results, but I don't want to overreact to a few isolated problems.

 

[Dario]

I've turned a few microwaved wood w/o any problems.

Did you let it acclimate a bit before turning? Wood go through some stresses as it dries.

 

[bitshird]

Chris I have several pens that are done in some Nuked Padauk they were done about 6 months ago and no deleterious effects yet, but there isn't a lot of grain, but it was very wet when I started nuking the blanks.

 

[Dario]

Another question...are you sure they are already dry when you turned them?

 

[thewishman]

Thanks, fellas. I turned a gorgeous quilted maple pen (dyed two colors, engraved and color-filled) for a neighbor, it cracked. I nuked the next one and it twisted while drying and also had to re-drill.

Not sure that I hadn't over dried it and caused more problems, or if I needed to check with him to monitor the pen as it acclimates.

 

[marcruby]

Any time you rush the drying of wood you are introducing stresses that can cause warping and cracking. Of course, this isn't always the case so you get a variety of responses. Mileage varies.

The best results I've seen come from the old refrigerator/closet with a lightbulb method. It takes longer but bad things don't happen all that often. I'm old fashioned - ain't no way I'm going to let something that can make popcorn near my wood.

>

Marc

 

[jackrichington]

I have stopped using any "regular" wood..all I use now is STABILIZED or acrylics...too much cracking & drying up going on..customers not thrilled..

 

[Daniel]

keep in mind that wood moves in both directions, shrinks with less moisture and expands with more. Due to the exact problem you have described I pretty much stay with only stabilized woods. I also tend to let my blanks set in my shop for at least a month before turning. But this does not answer the problem of say for example mailing one to Missouri where the humidity is 1000 times greater than it is here. Plain wood pens jsut are nto going to do well under those conditions. CA finishes can help but not always.

 

[workinforwood]

I would never torture my wood with a microwave. If you want to bring the wood down in a hurry...use a de-humidifier. Weigh the wood, wrap the wood and the dehimidifier in plastic...but not the front of the dehumidifer..just the coils at the back that absorb the water. Every two weeks, weigh your wood and write down the results. Depending on how wet it is and how thick it is, will determine how long it takes of course, but a 1" thick slab of wood should take about 3 months in a dehumidifier. A pen blank might come dry in 4-6 weeks becuase it is smaller. It speeds things up, but not so quick as to destroy the cell structure of your wood. It also will allow the wood to become dryer than 12%. In your house or shop, if you stack wet lumber, it is unlikely ever to reach below 12%. The higher up, the better your chances, but it never gets under %12 in most cases, because the humidity in the air is rarely ever that low. The de-humidifier takes it the rest of the way down to meet actual hardwood standards of 6-10%.

 

[bubbatd]

If you are in a real hurry to dry your wood you might try soaking it in Denatured alcohol then let it sit. The alcohol will help draw the moisture out of the wood.
The best as stated is the long term way just let it dry