Stress drying Black and White Ebony to see if it is going to crack.

[egnald]

Greetings from Nebraska.

I recently received a batch of Black and White Ebony pen blanks that are 100% waxed. For what it's worth, my moisture meter reads around 8% and I don't know how long ago they were cut and waxed nor what their previous storage condition was, so my question:

If I drill and turn one or two of them, is there anything I can do to force them to dry more or faster to determine how prone to cracking they might be if I made pens from them without waiting several months to take another moisture reading to see if it has changed at all? I thought perhaps drilling and turning and then baking them in a toaster oven or a microwave???

Thanks in advance for all of your opinions and suggestions.

Regards,
Dave

 

[PatrickR]

my preference is to remove wax, weigh and wait. You may put cracks in it that would never happen otherwise. B/W ebony is much less likely to crack than any other type I have worked with. I have stabilized it successfully in the past. If your meter is correct it was dried and then waxed.

 

[leehljp]

I do use a microwave for drying on occasion but I have had a lot of experience with it, and my experience is totally subjective. Brittle wood will crack quickly if not done properly. I don't have a specific formula but go on feel/estimate only. I usually go 20 to 30 seconds and wait 10 minutes or so most of the time, but for known brittle woods, I reduce the microwaving time by 50%. I need to clarify that I have a 1200W microwave and 800W to 1000W are considerable lower power and less quick in their heating, which is better.

I don't have any green ebony like woods or other green imported woods, but have lots of pear which is quite brittle. I only use the microwave for real green wood that has been cut in the previous 3 or 4 months.

An oven at 120°, or 140° max would be a better environment, and it will be more like a natural environment that the wood is more likely to encounter.

 

[egnald]

Thank you to all who have commented. My supplier came back to me on an inquiry and said he has had the wood in his possession for 2-1/2 years and he confirmed my moisture measurement of 8%. Considering the time it has been stored and the comments from all about Black and White Ebony in particular has put my mind ad ease as far as how soon I can start to use it. - Thanks everyone, Dave

 

[Joebobber]

Microwave works great but you gotta keep a close eye on it and weigh it everytime.