(Boil) Drying Texas Ebony Half log

[Mike Currier]

Hey everyone,


My next endeavour is a 13x13x4 NE bowl of Texas Ebony. I've adopted the boiling technique. My question is, what should my process be? As of now I usually rough turn a bowl then boil it, then remount/ finish it up. I am uncertain as far as the half log though. My #1 goal is to keep the bark on through the whole process and I have worries that by boiling the piece I'll weaken the wood-to-bark bond.


Any advice?

[Nathan Hawkes]

Don't boil it. you're never going to keep the bark on through boiling. I've never turned texas ebony, but why are you trying to speed dry it anyway? Why not just turn thin?

[Mike Currier]

Don't boil it. you're never going to keep the bark on through boiling. I've never turned texas ebony, but why are you trying to speed dry it anyway? Why not just turn thin?


My main goal is to prevent cracking. Air drying poses more of a chance tocracking then boiling, but boiling has me worried.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Well, as I have zero experience boiling, I can't really comment. I've read numerous articles on the subject, but no experience. My own experience with turning natural edge bowls is that I've had very few failures due to cracking while drying. I turn to 3/8" or less; usually less. The thickest part is always the tenon, which I remove when the bowl is dry, to make sure that the bowl will sit flat. On very few bowls have I ever had checks around the tenon; apple to be specific. Thank goodness for CA glue. If texas ebony is very prone to checking, I would inspect it very carefully both when you remove it from the lathe and a few hours or the next day later. You can easily spot small checks under a bright light. I'd repeat this every couple days. Honestly whether you used boiling or DNA, I'd be checking it regularly if the wood was special in any way. Just my $0.02.