Green Cherry Burl

[Jack Camillo]

Posting this in the Turners' Forum, since you guys would be most likely to make bowls and work with green wood (I think).

I have about a half-dozen small (roughly 6x8x18) but very nice chunks of green cherry burl from a sawmill. It was mixed up in firewood - I think I got a good portion of one cherry tree. I've never worked with green wood, nor have I ever used a lathe, but am considering doing so. I asked a vendor selling turning tools at a Woodworking Show (in Baltimore this weekend) about working with the green wood. Will it crack when it dries, after I fashion a bowl, for example? He said to microwave it on the defrost setting a couple times, until no more moisture comes out of the wood. Anyone ever try this???

[Jack Mincey]

Jack,
The best thing to do if you have one and room in it, is put it in a freezer until you can turn it. If that is not an option seal it in a green wood sealer or paint a few coats of latex paint on it, where green wood is exposed. You can then put it in the shade and cover it up with a tarp until you can turn it. There are many ways of drying it after it is turned into a bowl. I turn mine down to rough thickness and place it in a brown paper bag and let it air dry for several months checking it often at first to see if any cracks start. If they do I put some CA in the crack and it helps prevent it from getting larger. If you can get with a turner in your area it would be a great aid in your learning curve. I still learn something new every month when I attend our local turning club meeting.
Good Luck,
Jack

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jack - you will want to seal the end-grain of the wood real soon to help prevent it from checking. The cracking is caused from the wood drying out to fast and sealing the end-grain will slow the drying process down. Most of us use anchorseal (wax solution) but latex paint works in a pinch. At the very least place the wood in plastic grocery bags and that will prevent moisture loss - course it will start to mold and spalt but that is a good thing!

Jack Mincey had some good advice of getting with a local turning club or some turners with experience - should save you a lot of frustration trying to figure things out for yourself! They should be able to guide you towards a lathe suitable for whatever turning you wish to do. Course, when it comes to lathes - lots of opinions right here for you! Let us know if you have any questions!

[Jeff Nicol]

I agree with Steve on all accounts! Cherry burl is normally very sound unless it is old and bugs have made their way into them. I normally rough turn them and seal them with a green wood sealer and then put them on the shelf with the other 100 or so waiting to finish turn!

Jeff

[Jack Camillo]

Great bunch of folks here - thanks for all the responses. Nope, no bugs or rot, this stuff is clean and pretty. I'll seal and bag it up. No one replied to the microwave idea. The freezer idea is interesting. So, the moisture becomes frozen. But then what? I don't understand "until you can turn it." I think I can turn it now. Would that be in the event it was crumbly or something?

[Nathan Hawkes]

Putting it in the freezer would just prevent the moisture loss, keeping it from cracking as it dries. All wood moves along the grain as it dries, so keeping it either frozen or very very slowly drying sealed in wax is a great way to prevent the cracks. I'd add that in the long term plastic bags are going to encourage mold growth over time, so wax sealer is a better option if you have a woodcraft or other specialty store nearby. I buy anchorseal in 5 gallon buckets, as I also mill some of my own wood. So, where are you in maryland? I'm in PA this weekend, and would love to get my hands on that burl!!! :D:D
As far as the microwaving, I've never tried microwaving with either burl or any wood for that matter, but the burl that I have turned does crack along bark inclusions if it is turned green, but I use a fair amount of CA glue, and it looks really cool afterwards (IMHO). The point is, keep that wood from losing moisture quickly in whatever manner you can--be it wax (best method IMO), latex paint (second best), or freezing or grocery bagging. I wouldn't use plastic bags for more than a few days or weeks, unless you can keep it cold--warm wet conditinos encourage very rapid mold growth and/or spalting.

[Bill Bolen]

I've read about using the microwave to dry your wood. Seems like it should work well. But...usually in a post like that the turner mentions he had to buy the wife a new microwave because of the bad smell of some woods. Seems to linger and embed itself in the interior plastic. ...Bill...

[Rick Mills]

The reason you were told "until you can turn it" is because you gave us the impression you have never turned green wood and likely did not have any experience with a lathe, if you turn it right away there is no reason to seal it with anything, you can stick it in a bucket of water a few days. And it's not likely you can turn all the wood you have right away. The only point is to keep it from cracking as it loses moister.

Most turn it green to the shape of a real thick bowl, then let it dry slowly in a paper bag for months, then complete the bowl. If you want to use the microwave, put the real thick bowl in the microwave for a minute or so and weigh it, and keep repeating the process until the weight stops dropping considerably. Then finish turning the bowl, at least that is what has worked for me a few times. Do a Google search for more precise information regarding turning green wood.