Blank Drying Question

[wcoyote]

If I buy a precut blank from a vendor like Pens Of Color do I need to dry them or have they been sufficiently dried. The reason I ask is that on my first 2 pens I have noticed cracking at the end of the barrel where it meets the silver band. The only thing I did was clamp it in a vise to try and disassemble it so I could turn it down a bit more. What would have caused the cracking, the drying or the squeezing of the vise on the barrel end?

Wiley

 

[Rifleman1776]

There is no blanket answer. Depending on your source and the type of wood, most should be ready to turn. But, as you saw, experiences can vary. Some woods are more prone to cracking than others. Ebony, pink ivory and snakewood seem to be the worst violators. From what you describe, claming in a vice could have been what cracked the wood. Without being there, hard to say.

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />There is no blanket answer. Depending on your source and the type of wood, most should be ready to turn. But, as you saw, experiences can vary. Some woods are more prone to cracking than others. Ebony, pink ivory and snakewood seem to be the worst violators. From what you describe, claming in a vice could have been what cracked the wood. Without being there, hard to say.

Oh, Frank, Oh, Frank! You are starting to be a full-fledged Arkansas native!! [][]

 

[Rifleman1776]

'clam' clamp' Wassadifference? [:I][]

 

[gketell]

Clamp.... pen.... in vice..... OUCH! What did it ever do to you?

A less-prone-to-damage method is to wrap a big rubber band around and around the blank for a good grip and then just use your hand to hold it. Using that, the transfer punch set from Harbor Freight and quick/sharp taps of the hammer I've never failed to get a pen apart and never clamped one in the vice. Anything other than two flat surfaces crunching down on your lovingly created round pen would be an improvement.

Now, to your original question. The wetness of the blank changes from vendor to vendor/blank to blank. I have some that came very very dry (feel like balsa wood) and some that have come so wet that they caused the steel deck I set them on to rust up.
Your best bet is to build a big enough selection of blanks so that when you receive a new one you can clean off any sealer and then just let it sit for months so you KNOW it is dry. Or investigate one of the "quick dry" methods you can find on here and other sites.

Good luck!!
GK

 

[cdcarter]

I use a heavy rubber dishwashing glove. Don't wear it, but wrap it around the pen for a good grip.

Question: How dry (in moisture meter terms) is dry enough for a pen? How does it compare to what you need for, say, a bowl?

 

[ahoiberg]

I think around 6% is the standard for any blank. but when it comes to bowls, a lot of people prefer to rough turn them wet and use the natural drying, boiling, microwave or alcohol soak method to dry them out and remount them and finish the turn when it's dry. makes it easier on your mind and tools this way...

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />'clam' clamp' Wassadifference? [:I][]

Vice, Vise, Wassadifference? [][]

 

[Petricore]

I predrill and set all blanks out to dry for a min. of 1 week to see if the wood moves. If it doesnt I will continue, but if it does I redrill and wait another week. It doesnt matter if someone tells you its dry. If you sell or give someone a pen and it cracks, thats the worst thing that can happen for me, so I do whatever I can to prevent it. About half the time I havent dried they have moved or developed cracks.

 

[LandfillLumber]

No matter the moisture content wood needs to acclimate to a new environment. Even its just from down the road all, and if its from a online source then I would really be careful to give it some time. If its cut into pen blanks it will dry very fast even wet wood. My shop is very dry as I burn wood all winter, and in summer have poor venting in the roof so its hot. Good Luck, LandfillLumber