burl blank drying?

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NI Joe

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Aug 29, 2008
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Post Falls, ID
Hi All,

A month or two ago I bought a couple walnut burl slabs. Yesterday I decided to cut a few blanks from one of the pieces. When I checked them with the moisture meter it reads up to 24%.

What's the best way to dry these relatively quickly? Just toss them in a toaster oven for a few days?

Thank you, Joe
 
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Joe,
If I remember right the moisture content should 8 to 10%.
I'll let someone else correct me if I'm wrong in which I very
well could be. Someone else chime in here and let him know.

Al
 
There is a method where you use a microwave. I have read about it and had it recommended to me but need to go back and study it further to retain it (synapses don't want to connect)
It involves a series of short "cook" times of a minute or so followed by a cool down time before repeating. By weighing the blank over a few days time you can determine an estimate of moisture loss as the blank's weight stabilizes.
Hopefully others who have actually done it will give us both some more info.

Tip: when you think it's dry enough drill your blank and let it sit over night. If the next day you have trouble inserting the tube, it may need to dry a little longer.
 
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There was an article somewhere that basically used an old Fridge and a high watt light bulb to make a pseudo kiln...I will check in my library or magazines and see where I found it. Actually someone may have posted it here too.
 
"Turning Pens and Pencils" by Kip Christensen and Rex Burmingham has a section on drying blanks in the microwave. :smile:
A good book!
 
I've done well using the warming cycle on a cheapie microwave for a couple of hours. I rick stack the blanks so theres plenty of room for air to move through it. Keep a close eye on it first time you try this to be sure you are not overheating the wood. I tried to hurry the process once with a bowl blank and wound up with scorch marks inside the wood.
 
I've also had good luck drying some really wet stuff(green kudzu-800% moisture)in my food dehydrator.I set it on about 95 and letter' rip for a few days.The lower temp and air moving seems to keep the more normal wood blanks from splitting to badly.All good info.from the folks , John
 
I second on the food dehydrator. I have been drying no stop in one for about 3 weeks. I rotate the shelves twice aday and it usually takes about 3 to 4 days. I has just cutting and straight into the dehydrator until I started getting splitting. So I anchorsealed the ends of a batch. it seems to be taking longer now, but I dont see any splitting. Tried the microwave but it stunk up the house.
 
A third vote on the dehydrator. I've seen these time to time at Goodwill for next to nothing. Just toss the wood in and leave it. Check the moisture daily until dry.
 
papNal said:
I've also had good luck drying some really wet stuff(green kudzu-800% moisture)in my food dehydrator.I set it on about 95 and letter' rip for a few days.The lower temp and air moving seems to keep the more normal wood blanks from splitting to badly.All good info.from the folks , John
Click to expand...


Kudzu? Now that is a rare species in the South!!
 
Cav,
Gesundheit and (2) finally, a use for Kudzu? What did he do with it....just to test the dehydrator or did he make a Kudzu pen? Folks would buy thousands in the south just to get rid of the stuff


Gary,
I think you might have inspired a new idea.... a new look. Will need to try turning an internally scorched blank.
 
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