Dried wood

[Dahl Troy Perry]

Ok dumb question the wood bowls that I've turned soaked in DNA for 24 hours wrapped in paper and set on shelf. HOW do you know that it is dry some creekers have said on the forms to leave 30 days to 60 days before you finish turn how can you tell if it is dry do you buy a moisture meter they say that they are not very accurate unless you pay a lot?

[Bill Mitchel]

Dahl

I have been using a digital scale. You can pick them up online for around $25. All you do is weigh it once a week and when you get a couple weeks in a row it should be ready ( most of the time I can't wait to turn it so I check it every couple of days) I had one that was in the room where I dry them and when I took it in the shop it started to gain weight, I now dry them in the shop. This has worked pretty well for me.

Bill

[Judy Kingery]

Hello Dahl,

That's a good question - I generally go by type of wood, first, and if cut green I wax ends. I've not used the DNA method. Leave it on the shelf about 3 months and then rough turn, then wax end grain. Leave it about a month and finish turn. But it truly for me, depends almost entirely on what type of wood if cut green. I had both Cherry and Walnut someone swapped me for Mesquite and it was encased it wax and sat a year and did not dry, warped, cracked, checked when I went to finish turn it all at once.

So I rough turned the second bunch, waxed end grain and let that sit for a year; then it was fine, turned beautifully, both the Walnut and Cherry. No cracks, checks, nor warp. Now on what we have here, Mesquite, it's born so dry, I almost never have to wax it - even if cut from a live tree, can finish turn from tree cutting to final form/finish. The cracks and checks on it come from when it's living, worms, dry-rot or what not. A good, solid piece of that will stay very stable once cut. Very nice to turn.

Hope for you the best. Tell us what kind of wood and I bet you get some better informed responses than mine!

Jude

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use the DNA method for about 3 yrs now and have had great success with it. Generally most of the wood I have soaked is for minimum of 24 hrs but most of the time it is at least 72 hrs. I wrap it in a brown grocery sack kinda like a gift then cut a opening in the bowl part. I turn them upside down on a cooling rack in a place with not much air movement and stays around 65 to 68 degrees. They are generally dry and ready to return to the lathe for finish turning in about 30 days. I have let some set for 45 days but no longer.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dahl - I use the same process as Bernie! I store the blanks in my shop (basement) and they are ready to turn in 4 to 6 weeks but I usually let them sit longer. I rough out bowls and hollow forms until I am out of green wood which can take a couple of months. When I am done roughing out the blanks - the first ones are ready to be finished.

[Burt Alcantara]

You'll find you will start making and drying more bowls then you can keep up with. At that point you won't have to worry about the bowls being dry. In fact, after a while you won't even bother with the DNA. In fact you'll have so many you won't be able to find them under the pile.

Just kiddin'
Burt