Had a limb come down off of a Walnut tree this week from storms and thought about learning how to quickly dry these out to make blanks for both pens and small bowls. What would be the process to make these into something we could turn in a months time frame?
Green wood to Blanks
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Alan Morrison
Member
For a pen cut a blank a bit oversize and zap it for about 15 seconds every minute or so, until dry. That's the quickest method, but others may have other suggestions.
Bowls can be rough turned green ane stored until dry.
Bowls can be rough turned green ane stored until dry.
Mortalis
Member
If you were to use the larger diameter piece for bowl blanks you would get blanks that measure about 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". Small for bowls, IMO though I have turned quite a few what I call finger bowls that are that size.
Cut the limb into pieces that are as long as half the diameter. Then cut each of those pieces in half along the length. You will two blanks per chunk. You could turn the entire chunk without cutting it in half. Gives you a rather unique artsy kind of bowl.
Drying:
Weigh each blank before beginning, using a scale that measures in grams. Record the weight on a piece of paper. Microwave for 10-15 seconds and reweigh the blank and record that. Continue to microwave and reweigh until the weight does not change. Once that happens the blank is dry.
The V shaped bowl was a whole limb section that I turned. It measures about 3 1/2" tip to tip and 3 1/2" tall.
The two smaller bowls were turned from typical bowl blank as I describe cutting above. The measure just about 3" diameter and 2" tall.
Cut the limb into pieces that are as long as half the diameter. Then cut each of those pieces in half along the length. You will two blanks per chunk. You could turn the entire chunk without cutting it in half. Gives you a rather unique artsy kind of bowl.
Drying:
Weigh each blank before beginning, using a scale that measures in grams. Record the weight on a piece of paper. Microwave for 10-15 seconds and reweigh the blank and record that. Continue to microwave and reweigh until the weight does not change. Once that happens the blank is dry.
The V shaped bowl was a whole limb section that I turned. It measures about 3 1/2" tip to tip and 3 1/2" tall.
The two smaller bowls were turned from typical bowl blank as I describe cutting above. The measure just about 3" diameter and 2" tall.
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The V shape bowl is great looking! Thanks for the explanation. I will have to get a microwave now and try this.
Mortalis
Member
If you have a goodwill or similar nearby would be a place to start. You dont need a brand new one to dry bowl blanks and definitely dont use your household one.
Mortalis
Member
I told you incorrect. Cut the limb into leghts the same as the diameter, not 1/2.
Sorry!
@Mortalis Gonna try your microwave method on a couple of small bowl blanks.
Correct me if I'm wrong - this is just fast tracking the evaporation of the water, right? Isn't the problem with just cutting blanks and letting them sit that they dry too fast and crack? How does this method not crack the blank?
Correct me if I'm wrong - this is just fast tracking the evaporation of the water, right? Isn't the problem with just cutting blanks and letting them sit that they dry too fast and crack? How does this method not crack the blank?
keithbyrd
Member
I have made pens out of green wood - cut the blank, drill and glue in tube, turn to about 1/16 above bushings, let it set for a couple days and finish turning and complete the pen
duncsuss
Member
It seems to work some of the time. It might be related to steaming wood planks to make them pliable so they can be bent around a form - the steam somehow relaxes the structure.
Don't ask me how I know that you can set the piece on fire if you zap it for too long without taking it out of the microwave to let it cool down.
Mortalis
Member
Yes, this a "fast track" to evaporating the water in the blank. Keep in mind that I was informing the OP how to treat the bowl blanks. You can also use this method on the first (roughed) turn of a twice turned bowl. The roughed bowl will warp and there are processes for how to handle that phenomenon. If you microwave the blank before turning, all the moisture is out and the bowl will not move very much since it has already moved. Another point to mention is if you remove more moisture than the ambient humidity is in the area then the blank will again move a little once it achieves that equilibrium
That is why the time limits are in place when doing this process. Yes, a microwave can and will burn wood if left in for extended period of time.
Bob Roehrig
Member
After fresh cutting any wood I usually seal the ends to prevent cracking and then let it air dry for a year. Many, many other ways to dry through. Microwave is fine and you continually weigh the wood to observe the loss of moisture. If you have a vacuum pump and chamber, it will quickly suck moisture out of wood. Your kitchen oven with low heat and time will remove moisture. Believe it or not, Boiling wood will reduce the moisture in the wood by dropping the internal tension in the wood itself to release moisture. Build a Solar Kiln......build a old refrigerator kiln with a light bulb inside that reduces moisture by heat. Lots of good stuff on YouTube also. I could go on, but you get the point......lots of choices out there. Really depends how in a hurry you are and how much money do you want to spend to do this.