new wood

[jfellers]

I have just cut several oak limbs from a 100 hundred year tree in our yard. I now have several nice blanks that I cut and need to know how to dry them. Any suggestions on what to do with them now would be helpfull. Thanks.

 

[glycerine]

I've heard a food dehydrator works well. Not sure if that will cause cracking. But if you're not in a hurry, I'd say just let them dry naturally. Maybe coat the ends with wax to keep the process slow and avoid cracking.

 

[hewunch]

Welcome to another Sandlapper! A bit off topic, but hope you will come visit our Carolina Pen Turner's club in Columbia each month. Typically we meet on the 1st Saturday at 1pm at Mann Tool in West Columbia. However, in July we will be meeting on the second Saturday due to the 4th.

Now to your question, I have found using a product like anchor seal and putting the blanks directly on concrete floors really dries out a blank well. Now, if you need it faster, you can use a microwave. Set it on low and do many short cycles in a paper bag.

Be warned... oak stinks and it might put you in the dog house.

 

[Padre]

+1 on the Anchorseal

 

[ctubbs]

Johnny, my favorite method uses a small tabletop charcoal grill with a 100 watt in the bottom. I adjust the air flow thereby the moisture removal by the vents top and bottom. I weigh some of the blanks when they go in and as they dry. When the weight stops changing they are dry. Cross stack them with air space between. Depending on your grill size will be the number of blanks you can dry at one time. BE SURE TO CUT THE BLANKS OVERSIZE! Coming from compression wood, some will warp and twist. That is guaranteed so make a 3/4 blank at least 1". You will also have some shrinkage. Coating the ends will help reduce splitting and increase your yield.

There is also a process using DNA to soak the wood then dry it. I believe that is in the library even though I have never used it.

FOG wood is some of the best you can use. I found Oak to be very open pored wood when making pens. I usually sand with some thin CA to fill the pores. That still shows the beauty without leaving the pits in the wood. YMMV of course.

Best of luck drying that beautiful wood and making wonderful pens.

Charles

 

[sbwertz]

I live in Phoenix. Here I cut the blanks, seal the ends with anchor seal or dip them in paraffin, and put them in my gas grill with the lid chosed, in the sun. At 16 percent RH here, they dry very quickly.

I have speed dried palo verde in my dehydrator. Took about 4 days. There was some bending and twisting, but the blanks were ready to turn, and the wood was fresh cut.

 

[leehljp]

Cut them larger than normal to allow for warping and shrinkage. If I want a 3/4 in, I cut at least 1 inch square. Usually, I prefer to cut 2 to 2 1/2 in square which will give me 4 blanks if it dries normal, or less if it warps too much. I have lost some due to cutting green blanks to 3/4 x 3/4 and then warped too much or too much shrinking.

I generally use microwaves on low power for a quick dry.

 

[monark88]

I've heard a food dehydrator works well. Not sure if that will cause cracking. But if you're not in a hurry, I'd say just let them dry naturally. Maybe coat the ends with wax to keep the process slow and avoid cracking.

I have an old convection oven with dehydrator setting. I have used that setting and 110 degree setting also. I have never had a crack. I turn on during the day and off at night. I have done this for up to 7 days. No problems as of yet.

From green to finish. From raw stock to cut blanks.

Just MHO and my experiences.

Russ

 

[patmurris]

I weight the blanks, put them in the microwave on two bbq wooden sticks so that air can flow under, warm them using defrost and then keep them warm/hot with short bursts every 5/10 minutes until their weight stops decreasing. It works rather well but the pain is you have to restart the MW so often - i wish i had an oven with some sort of programming/repeat timer capability...

I plainly agree with the above comments regarding blanks oversizing. Some timbers will not move, but some will shrink and/or warp badly.