need help with drying wood!!

[Younka]

If was wanting to cut down a tree how long would i half to dry it out for, Or do i even half to dry it out first before I turn it? The reason why im asking this is because i have a nice small burl growing on my apple tree and want to make some pens out of it! Anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks!!

 

[1080Wayne]

My suggestion would be to buy some nice apple wood to make pens from , and let the burl grow for another 20 years , at which time you may decide you would rather have the apples .

 

[Robert111]

My suggestion would be to buy some nice apple wood to make pens from , and let the burl grow for another 20 years , at which time you may decide you would rather have the apples .

+1

Here's some apple burl blanks:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Burl-...ultDomain_0&hash=item519c52a332#ht_3109wt_901

 

[broitblat]

My suggestion would be to buy some nice apple wood to make pens from , and let the burl grow for another 20 years , at which time you may decide you would rather have the apples .

I may be wrong, but depending on where it is growing, it may be possible to harvest the burl without significantly hurting the tree.

Then, if cut into (probably oversized) pen blanks, drying could be fairly quick (one the order of a few months) if air dried and can be dried even faster in a kiln or microwave.

-Barry

 

[ctubbs]

I dry my fresh cut banks in an old table top charcoal grill. I put a 100W bulb, not a CFL, in the bottom, set the cook surface in place and place the blanks on it. I leave an air space between the blanks and stack additional layers to the fill point so long as the cover will close. I mark 2 or more blanks and weigh them wet. Record the weight and reweigh them at least once per week. When the weight remains stable for two weeks, I consider them dry and use them. So far it has worked well for me. Depending when the wood is cut and its type, it may take less than a month. Rarely does it take more than two months.
Charles

 

[Drstrangefart]

I just cut mine to beefy blanks, pyramid them to let air flow and then let my A.D.H.D. take me away for a good while. They always seem to be dry by the time I remember I have them.

 

[Younka]

Thanks every one! Now I got some good ideas