Scored some green wood. now what.

Joe Penney

Member
Messages
84
Hi Folks;
I got some green wood, two pieces about 24" accross and 12" high. I cut out the pithe, and chunked it into about 8 usable pieces with my chain saw. But it is very wet, freshly harvested tree. I should be able to get 4 large bowls, 12"diaX9"high. and 6 smaller ones 6" dia X 4" high. My question is once I ruff them out in the next couple of days, seal the outside with End Check, wrap with paper, how long will they be drying Before I can finish the Turning and finish the bowls. Just a general rule of thumb is what I am looking for. Oh yes, I plan on ruffing the smaller pieces to 1\2" thickness and the larger ones to 3\4" thickness.

All advise is welcomed and needed. I have not tryied to dry anything like this before.

Thanks

Joe
 
Congrats on the wood haul. :thumb:

Joe, if you ask 10 turners this question you'll likely get 12 answers, but here's my two:

If you seal the rough-turned bowl with End Check (or Anchor Seal or other similar product), the rough rule of thumb is about 1 year of drying time per inch of thickness.

If you soak the rough-turned bowl in denatured alcohol (DNA) for 24 hours or so, then wrap it in a few layers of paper, it'll be dry in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Personally, I use the DNA soak method.
 
If I am drying in a paper bag, I use a wall thickness of about 10% of the bowl diameter. I seal the rim and the end grain and then put into a paper bag for about 1 year.

If I use denatured alcohol, I follow Dave Smith's instructions since he developed the procedure.
 
You're about right on the smaller blanks. The larger ones though need to be 1-1.25" thick. If not you may very well find that they've warped beyond the ability to round them back out. You can seal and bag and weight about a year or so. You can also DNA and wrap and be ready to go in about a month (maybe a little less). Or you can boil for about an hour and a half and then bag for a couple of weeks or until they no longer feel cool on your face or lips. I would DNA or boil if it were me.
 
It's interesting to say the least to read about all the ways of prepping wood for turning. Turn it green, turn it dry, turn it and wait.:huh::dunno: Boil it!:eek: Get it drunk with alcohol :rolleyes: There is so much to learn and when you try, there is so many different way of doing it. It is actually mind boggling to me, but of course I'm an old .... well it's not coming to me easy:rofl::rofl:

I keep trying to get some time in the shop for me rather than have to do projects but it looks like it will still be a while before I even get to do anything with the lathe. I did get the book by Keith Rowley, "Woodturning a foundation course" the other day and have been reading it. Makes me want to drop the "have to do" jobs and play with the lathe!:D
 
Dna soak.

Congrats on the wood haul. :thumb:

Joe, if you ask 10 turners this question you'll likely get 12 answers, but here's my two:

If you seal the rough-turned bowl with End Check (or Anchor Seal or other similar product), the rough rule of thumb is about 1 year of drying time per inch of thickness.

If you soak the rough-turned bowl in denatured alcohol (DNA) for 24 hours or so, then wrap it in a few layers of paper, it'll be dry in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Personally, I use the DNA soak method.

Ok Vaughn, I will try the DNA soak method. I will pick us some today and start the turning when I get the DNA soak setup later this afternoon.
Then in a month I will start to finish today ruffed out bowls.

Thanks, Joe
 
Thanks Doug.

You're about right on the smaller blanks. The larger ones though need to be 1-1.25" thick. If not you may very well find that they've warped beyond the ability to round them back out. You can seal and bag and weight about a year or so. You can also DNA and wrap and be ready to go in about a month (maybe a little less). Or you can boil for about an hour and a half and then bag for a couple of weeks or until they no longer feel cool on your face or lips. I would DNA or boil if it were me.

Thanks Doug for the advise. I will leave a good 1.25" on the larger bowls. I would not like to loose the wood seeing it was free to start with. It is all a learning expearance for me this time around.

Thanks again. Joe
 
Ok Vaughn, I will try the DNA soak method. I will pick us some today and start the turning when I get the DNA soak setup later this afternoon.
Then in a month I will start to finish today ruffed out bowls.

Thanks, Joe
Joe, there's a lot of information in this article about DNA soaking. It was written by Dave Smith, who Barbara mentioned above...he's the guy that blazed the DNA trail.

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/turning/articles_473.shtml
 
i HAVE A QUESTION? DO YOU LITTERLY SOAK THE WOOD IN DNA,I MEAN DO YOU GET ABOUT TWO GAL OF THE STUFF AND POUR IT IN A TUB AND PUT THE CHUNK OF WOOD IN IT TO WHERE ALL OF THE WOOD IS COVERED? WHAT IS THE EVAPORATILON RATE,WHAT AMOUNT DO YOU GET TO SAVE AND REUSE IF YOU YOU HAVE ANY AT ALL. BETTER YET TELL ME THE WHOLE PROCESS.:huh::type:
 
Ralph, check out the link in the post above yours. It explains the process pretty thoroughly.

To answer some of your questions...yes, you completely cover the piece when it's soaking, the evaporation rate is not bad if you keep it in a sealed container, and it can be reused over and over and over. I add another gallon to the bucket every once in a while to replenish the stuff that does evaporates.
 
i HAVE A QUESTION? DO YOU LITTERLY SOAK THE WOOD IN DNA,I MEAN DO YOU GET ABOUT TWO GAL OF THE STUFF AND POUR IT IN A TUB AND PUT THE CHUNK OF WOOD IN IT TO WHERE ALL OF THE WOOD IS COVERED? WHAT IS THE EVAPORATILON RATE,WHAT AMOUNT DO YOU GET TO SAVE AND REUSE IF YOU YOU HAVE ANY AT ALL. BETTER YET TELL ME THE WHOLE PROCESS.:huh::type:

Yes. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.. you'll need the lid to slow evaporation.. then just put the piece in the DNA submerged.. you may have to weight it with a rock or something... let it soak 24-48 hours.. I forgot a piece an left it almost a week.. no harm.. You will need to be sure the piece is completely submerged.

Don't worry about the DNA turning black..mine did, just add more as needed.

Edit: sorry to repeat Vaughn. looks like he's quicker on the draw than me.......
 
i HAVE A QUESTION? DO YOU LITTERLY SOAK THE WOOD IN DNA,I MEAN DO YOU GET ABOUT TWO GAL OF THE STUFF AND POUR IT IN A TUB AND PUT THE CHUNK OF WOOD IN IT TO WHERE ALL OF THE WOOD IS COVERED? WHAT IS THE EVAPORATILON RATE,WHAT AMOUNT DO YOU GET TO SAVE AND REUSE IF YOU YOU HAVE ANY AT ALL. BETTER YET TELL ME THE WHOLE PROCESS.:huh::type:

If you go to the link that was posted for Dave Smith, your questions will be answered by the source of the process.

For really large bowls 18"+ I put shavings in a big tub. Then I put the bowl in a construction grade plastic bag and nestle the bowl down in the shavings. I pour the denatured alcohol into the bag until the bowl is covered. This way it takes less alcohol.
 
I generally soak my bowls for about 72 hrs especially the bigger ones and fruit wood I soak even longer maybe 5 days. I take it out and let it flash dry. Then wrap in brown grocery sacks like a Christmas gift. Cut a opening in the bowl part. I bought some cooling racks from Wally World that work great. I lay them upside down in a room that stays around 65 to 70 degrees with not much air movement. Let them dry for 3 to 4 weeks and the return to the lathe. Just make sure they are completely covered with DNA.
 
Quick drying with DNA.

Joe, there's a lot of information in this article about DNA soaking. It was written by Dave Smith, who Barbara mentioned above...he's the guy that blazed the DNA trail.

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/turning/articles_473.shtml

Thanks again sir. I will be getting a 5 gallon bucket and 2 gallons of DNA and giving it a try. I did have a few questions but they were answered in the article listed above. I have 4 of the smaller bowls ruffed out at present and are drying the normal way. but the rest of the bowls will be dried using DNA.
I will let you know of the successes when they are completed.

Thanks again, Joe
 
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Joe, do you know what kind of wood it is, and what is your local climate - didn't see where you're from?

Ken Easley
Phoenix

I am not sure what the wood is. Maybe Ash. it is very white, leafy tree, not particalarly hard. most of the tree was gone, just some real large dia. Sections, around 24" across were left on the side of the road.
but it is very wet. just ruffing out a 6" dia bowl I had water thrown across my garage making my tool box wet. LOL
It cut like butter with nice long curly shavings. I put two small bowls in the DNA bath tonight and they sank to the bottom without any kind of weights on them at all. I will check with some local turners when I finish the bowls to check what kind of wood it is for sure
We are in the middle of our winter here. So lots of snow and frost over the last 2-3 months. But spring is only another 1 1\2 away.

Good turning.

Joe
 
They are taking a bath as we type.

Thanks again sir. I will be getting a 5 gallon bucket and 2 gallons of DNA and giving it a try. I did have a few questions but they were answered in the article listed above. I have 4 of the smaller bowls ruffed out at present and are drying the normal way. but the rest of the bowls will be dried using DNA.
I will let you know of the successes when they are completed.

Thanks again, Joe

picked up the DNA bath stuff today. dropped two bowls ruffed out bowls I turned today in the bucket and they sank to the bottom like rocks. there is so much water in the wood I think I should leave them in there for at least 3-4 days.

thanks again for the advise Vaughn

Joe
 
The long soak certainly won't hurt... I just started working on a piece of Bartlett Pear that I rough turned in Dec and soaked for a couple of days.. it's been drying since and looks like it going to turn out beautifully. The wood was as wet as you described... actually wet the front of my shirt when I turned it.

This was the first I've been in my shop since mid Jan... with the weather being chilly it's been too cool in my shop for me(I'm mostly a fair weather kind of guy... would rather be too hot than cold), and the wife is in recovery from hip surgery, so I stay close to her in case she needs help getting around. Looking forward to spring so I can work on the rest of the pieces I've soaked and have drying.
 
I don't like turning in the cold either.

The long soak certainly won't hurt... I just started working on a piece of Bartlett Pear that I rough turned in Dec and soaked for a couple of days.. it's been drying since and looks like it going to turn out beautifully. The wood was as wet as you described... actually wet the front of my shirt when I turned it.

This was the first I've been in my shop since mid Jan... with the weather being chilly it's been too cool in my shop for me(I'm mostly a fair weather kind of guy... would rather be too hot than cold), and the wife is in recovery from hip surgery, so I stay close to her in case she needs help getting around. Looking forward to spring so I can work on the rest of the pieces I've soaked and have drying.

Chuck, my garage is generally around the 0 degree mark. or 32 for you guys down south. So I know what you mean when you say warmer is better. I will be tring the pieces I put in soak around the first week in April. But once the weather starts gettin nice up here I take to the bush for turkey with my bow. And practice a lot on our 3D archery range at the club. That is my other passion. A nice sunny morning out in the bush on the archery range shooting at the 3D targets is Really relaxing to me.

He's hoping your wife recovers fully and real soon. So you can get back turning again. :thumb:

Joe
 
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