Turning cherry burl

[Lavonne Swiggum]

I just acquired three cherry burls and am wondering how to handle them. One person said to coat the cut side with wax and let cure a couple years. Another technique is to green turn and then soak in alcohol for five days and then dry another five days. Does that work? What kind of alcohol--rubbing? denatured? Would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Lavonne, Welcome to the Creek!

Not a lot of info to go on here.... If the burls were just cut off the tree and are green (very wet), you need to seal the exposed wood ASAP or it will start to dry out and crack on you. Ideal solution to use is Anchorseal - which is a water based wax emulsion - and if you do not have any of that then paint the exposed wood with latex paint. It may take a few coats of the paint to seal it but be advised that latex is a temporary fix and you will want to rough out what ever forms you plan on turning as soon as you can.

There are many different ways of drying your roughed out turnings - using denatured alcohol (DNA) is just one. May be easier for you to do a search here and read what some of these methods are and what fits best with your needs.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve gave you some good advice. I use the DNA method and it has worked for me. I have only had one bowl crack on me in the last couple of years that couldn't be saved and it was apple. I soak my bowls in the DNA for 3 to 5 days especially if it is fruit wood. I take the blanks out and let the surface flash dry. I wrap in brown grocery sack but a couple layers of newspaper will work. I then cut a opening in the bowl part. I lay upside down on a cooling rack you can get from Wal-Mart for a couple of bucks in a area of my shop that has little air flow and is fairly cool at 69* or so. I have a scale that I weigh them with and when they quit loosing weight they are ready to return to the lathe and finish turning. You don't need a scale but this generally takes about 3 to 4 weeks intead of 1 yr. per inch of thickness. I don't know the science behind it or if there is any but it has worked for me and has sped the drying time up. Maybe when I retire I will do like Mike Mahoney does and I have discussed it with him is to have the time to turn many, many bowls, coat the whole bowl with anchorseal and put them on a shelf to dry for 6 months to a year. Right now I don't have that kind of time.

Check this out. A couple of methods for drying.

http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/boiling-green-wood.html

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/wax-emulsion.html