Hi,
We had to remove a small mulberry tree. I saved part of the trunk, root, and crown. It was dead or nearly dead but not rotten. I had to let the logs sit for two months before I could do anything. Some radial cracks had begun to show by the time that I could slice it up on my BS into 1" thick boards. Most of the boards are 6-7" wide. Some are only 7" long and some are 2'.
My question is how to continue to dry these. IMO wood used to make cylindrical turning blanks needs to be dryer than EMC. I am thinking of drying shorter boards in the oven or in the microwave. At what MC should I do that and at what temperature and duration? I am thinking of letting the longer boards sit outdoors through the winter before I use them.
Some boards measure about 10% MC and some are >25%. These feel cool to the touch (not really wet). There has been no liquid present when I sawed them up or when I turned three small vessels from this wood. The vessels have not moved much in the week since I turned them.
I intend to use most of the boards to make staved turning blanks, so the pieces I cut from them will be less than 2" wide. I trimmed up the root ball and crown and I am awaiting inspiration as to what to make with them. The 24" boards are stickered and stacked outdoors in Colorado. The 7" long pieces are sitting on my workbench until I can decide how to dry them.
I am an experienced woodworker but a complete novice when it comes to freshly harvested wood. Any advice will be welcome.
Doug