drying wood in wax

Frank Fusco

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12,782
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Mountain Home, Arkansas
Many exotic woods are shipped green completely coated in paraffin. I have often wondered just how long it would take a hunk of wood, like bowl blank size, to dry like that. A member of my woodturning club partially turns his bowls and vases then coats with wax for several months before finishing. How does the moisture escape the wax? I would think, almost never, but this seem to work for him but I.....:dunno:
 
I think the reason they ship that way is that so many turners of late like to turn green wood (easier, more exciting, & quicker) but they need to dry after the initial turning. Also they don't have to inventory the blanks and nurse them to proper dryness w/o checks and failure. That puts the checks and failures in the pocket of the turner not the supplier. Seems like a lousy but cheaper way to do business. Sort of creating the market by telling the customer it is "better"

Years past, chunks were dried to a specific MC then waxed to maintain the MC and then shipped. But this is an easier way to rip off the customer my saying they provide green wood for the turner.

I prefer dry wood turning but that was the way I was taught, takes a bit more skill and time to do dry wood blanks but it is worth it in my book. The results are more stable and reliable and start to finish can be in one session or series of sessions where with wet turning you have to do a basic turning then nurture the drying process and hope for successful venture followed by refitting and finishing sessions.
 
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