Oven drying blanks?

[NotURMailman]

I just had a pen come back to me from a co-worker with a rether horrible crack in it. The pen is about two weeks old. I can only assume it is due to the wood being a bit "wet" when i made the pen and the wood shrunk when drying.

Anyone ever try oven drying their blanks before working them?

Any suggestions on an affordable moisture meter?

 

[StephenM]

Microwave and a digital scale from Harbor Freight. Weigh the blanks and write the number down then put them in a Ziplok bag and nuke at 75% power for about a minute. Let them sit for a couple of minutes and then take them out of the bag and cool down. Turn the bag inside out, put them in, lather, rinse and repeat. After 5 or 6 times, turn the power down to 50%.

DON'T WALK AWAY WHILE DOING IT AS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BLANKS CAN CATCH FIRE

After the inside of the bag is no longer moist, do it on a paper towel a few more times. After every other cycle, weigh the blanks. When they get to the point that they're at a consistent weight between cycles, they're good. I then let them sit for a day to reacclimate and use them.

Here are some walnut pens I did with a freshly cut branch. Only problem I had was using the kitchen microwave instead of the shop one and 2 kids and a wife who don't appreciate the smell of drying walnut...

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/first-set-auction-103205/ (The fountain pen pictures are on the second page)

 

[SteveG]

If you are not in a hurry, you can simply let the blanks air-dry. You will need a small scale to monitor the status. Let the blanks sit in open air and log the weight of the blanks every few days. Once the weight stays steady, the blanks are at equilibrium moisture content and can be turned. If you decide to dry them further, you can do so in a low tem over (200* F) or by microwave. On note, however. If you dry blanks to a low moisture content and then let them sit for a while, they will slowly gain moisture until they are back to equilibrium.

 

[keithbyrd]

I drop mine in a container of DNA for 24-48 hours then let DNA evaporate for 24-48 hours

 

[sbell111]

Just out of curiosity, what type of wood did you use on your coworker's pen? Some woods are much more prone to cracking than others.

 

[NotURMailman]

It was the same cross cut Bloodwood that gave me fits turning it.

 

[plantman]

Microwave and a digital scale from Harbor Freight. Weigh the blanks and write the number down then put them in a Ziplok bag and nuke at 75% power for about a minute. Let them sit for a couple of minutes and then take them out of the bag and cool down. Turn the bag inside out, put them in, lather, rinse and repeat. After 5 or 6 times, turn the power down to 50%.

DON'T WALK AWAY WHILE DOING IT AS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BLANKS CAN CATCH FIRE

After the inside of the bag is no longer moist, do it on a paper towel a few more times. After every other cycle, weigh the blanks. When they get to the point that they're at a consistent weight between cycles, they're good. I then let them sit for a day to reacclimate and use them.

Here are some walnut pens I did with a freshly cut branch. Only problem I had was using the kitchen microwave instead of the shop one and 2 kids and a wife who don't appreciate the smell of drying walnut...

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/first-set-auction-103205/ (The fountain pen pictures are on the second page)

:bananen_smilies008: Stephen; A thought about drying wood in the family microwave or oven. Walnut is considered a sensitizer who's common reactions are eye and skin irritation. You should also wear a dust mask when working with Walnut and any other fine grain woods. If you are working with domestic or exotic woods, check for toxic effects in the wood data base before using. The Native Americans would take Walnut hulls and put them in a basket or net and drop them into rivers and streams to stun the fish so they would float to the surface. If you want to dry wood in a microwave, go to the thrift store and buy one for that purpose alone !! Usualy $ 5 - $10 . I would never use a Microwave or oven that you are going to prepare food in to dry wood !!! Just a thought !! Peace Jim S

 

[mikespenturningz]

I will put my wood into a toaster oven on 180 or so and leave it for a day then I stabilize if that is what I am up to!

 

[Dan26]

I use an old food dehydrator. About 15 - 20 hours usually does the job. Sometimes I use a toaster oven set at the lowest setting (125 degrees) for an hour, let it rest at room temp for an hour then repeat. Still may take a day to dry though.

 

[OOPS]

+1 on food dehydrator or toaster oven. Last year at our pen club banquet, we heard a hilarious story about how her husband got her "a new microwave for Christmas" as a result of drying wood in it. She said the leftover "wood" was used next summer in the Bar BQ! Also +1 on not drying wood in any device used for food prep. Some of these woods have nasty, toxic resins in them. I have a toaster oven I bought on sale at Kohl's that was incredibly cheap. I use it for drying wood, but also curing polymer clay. Works great. A friend of mine built a tree-like device as a rack using dowels. He put a cardboard box over the rack and heats his unit with a 60 watt bulb. There are a number of ways to do this, and inexpensively. I like my toaster oven because it has a temperature control.

 

[ren-lathe]

As has been said do not dry in something used for food. walnut is not the only toxic wood. When Tamboti is heated it gives of serious poisons

 

[NotURMailman]

I haven't really been on today, been busy with the wife's B-Day. But, no... I wouldn't use a microwave or oven that would ever have food in it again. I actually have an oven I bought off of Craigslist for $50 that I have used to bake powder coated items, that is the one I was thinking.

Now I am thinking of building a large box with a wire shelf. Put two or three 40W or so light bulbs under the shelf, and put a small dehumidifier on a small ledge above the shelf.

Hmm...

Or maybe just keeping the wood in a box with a dehumidifier would solve the whole issue as they would not be absorbing moisture from the air.

Meh...

 

[low_48]

I don't consider the oven a viable option for drying wet wood, unless you have a really accurate controller on it. You absolutely can't trust that dial on the oven for temperature. If you have a couple weeks, put it on top of the furnace trunk line going to the registers. It's such a gentle drying cycle, almost any wood will come out well. It warms up, then cools off when the furnace shuts off. I start burls a little further away from the furnace, then move it closer after a couple days. Good news is that it doesn't use any more energy since you are already heating the house.

 

[Curly]

Warm the oven on the warm setting and put your blanks in when it warms again turn it off but leave the oven light on. You can turn the oven on warm once or twice a day for 20 minutes. After a couple three days the blanks are dry. The light is easy heat. If you want to reduce drying stress drill a small hole through the blank and a dab of paint on the ends will reduce checking.
Pete

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