Cherry blank question

[InkyMike]

Howdy all

I've had a request to turn a pen out of some cherry my father in law picked up from my brother in laws property. It's been fallen for at least a year. He sent me a few branch chunks and if my moisture meter is to be believed, it was around 17# MC. My intent is to stabilize it so I put it in my dehydrator in fairly low heat - I've noticed some pretty significant cracks. I'm continuing to dry it out on low heat and checking the weights. Hoping I can get a blank or two out of them.

My question to the collective is - should I cut these in to what ever blank I think I can salvage, then stabilize, or leave the rounds as they are, stabilize the one with the least amount of cracking, then cut? I'm guessing the later but I'm imagining I'll still need to fill in the cracks with more resin.

Thanks much

 

[Kenny Durrant]

IMHO the cracking is caused by uneven drying. The outside is drying faster than the inside so when it contracts it can't stretch around so it cracks. I'd cut it into blanks and put them in a paper sack stored in a closet and let dry. The smaller the wood and slower the drying will help the cracking. Plus when you stabilize it the smaller pieces would allow for better penetration. If your in a hurry I'm not sure how to go about it.

 

[InkyMike]

IMHO the cracking is caused by uneven drying. The outside is drying faster than the inside so when it contracts it can't stretch around so it cracks. I'd cut it into blanks and put them in a paper sack stored in a closet and let dry. The smaller the wood and slower the drying will help the cracking. Plus when you stabilize it the smaller pieces would allow for better penetration. If your in a hurry I'm not sure how to go about it.

Thanks Kenny - for some reason I had it in my head it was better to dry in larger chunks.

I cut the pieces down to approximate blank size and was able to avoid the cracks and splits. I also cut off the ends where it looked like splits were starting.

I'm not in a huge hurry but I'd hoped to turn these in a couple of weeks. I think I'll dry them a little longer now they are cut down and then let them sit.

 

[MRDucks2]

I tend to cut oversized blanks then dry. I cut them oversized to account for deformation during drying but tend to have very few cracks. Drawback is you lose some wood.

I have cut 1" thick slabs and dried then cut, which saves some wood, bu occasionally get a crack through a piece.

 

[InkyMike]

I tend to cut oversized blanks then dry. I cut them oversized to account for deformation during drying but tend to have very few cracks. Drawback is you lose some wood.

I have cut 1" thick slabs and dried then cut, which saves some wood, bu occasionally get a crack through a piece.

Makes sense. I made the mistake of cutting to avoid some of the cracks, essentially quartering the branch pieces. What I should have done was saved the "middle" to have more blank material left. I only need one pen out of the pieces so I think I'll be able to make it work. We'll see how the stabilizing goes next week once my chamber parts arrive and I can test out my pump.

 

[donstephan]

Wood scientists label brancbes reaction wood because it moves more than wood from the stem. Branches have to resist the downward pull of gravity, which creates stress within branch wood. May be contributing to your cracking.

 

[InkyMike]

Wood scientists label brancbes reaction wood because it moves more than wood from the stem. Branches have to resist the downward pull of gravity, which creates stress within branch wood. May be contributing to your cracking.

My father in law that gave me the wood was a forestry engineer once upon a time. I'll have to razz him about that.