DNA and ambient humidity

[Chris Hayes]

All --
It's been so blasted cold in the shop over the last few weeks I've not been able to make anything round and hollow. However, Mother Nature gave me a bit of a reprieve last weekend and I was able to go out and try my hand at a couple of pieces.
One of the pieces is still waiting for the Tung Oil to dry and for me to make my mind up on whether or not to carve the Colts Logo on it (I dyed it VERY blue...for some reason it just fit). It's a small semi-hollow form, or a really tall bowlish thing.

But it was that piece's bigger brother that has me pondering things. Both pieces are from branches on a silver maple that a neighbor brought down last fall. The first piece had dried enough that it didn't need a trip through the DNA bath. The second piece is crotch wood, that was still green enough to spray water on me as I roughed in the bowl. I got it to about 85% of where I think I want it (there I go thinking again). Because I know that the grain on both sides of the split would start pulling in each direction, I tossed the whole piece into the DNA bucket. That was last Sunday. (Due to deadlines at work, I've not had time to pull it...which may be a good thing.)

So knowing that the piece has been in the DNA for about a week, would it make much difference if I pulled it to complete its drying while there's low humidity and very low temps (its above freezing in my garage..but still cold). Or should I wait until things warm up and wait for the humidity to get back to a more reasonable level?

Thanks for the advice.
Chris

[Steve Schlumpf]

Chris - that's a judgment call on your behalf. I have soaked turnings in DNA when very cold out and when pulled found the DNA was actually slushy! Had to have been the water in the DNA - but the fact was - it was cold! I just set the turning on a shelf in the garage for a few days - unwrapped - then brought it into the shop (my basement) wrapped it in brown paper bag and placed on a low shelf to dry. Worked for me but that cold DNA was nasty to the fingers!

[Bernie Weishapl]

I wouldn't leave it in the DNA till it warms up. I would get it out, let it flash dry then wrap it in 2 or 3 layers of newspaper or a brown grocery paper sacks works great. Cut a opening in the bowl part. I generally put mine in a place where it is between 60 to 70 degrees and don't worry what he humidity is on a cooling rack I get from wally world for a couple of bucks. It gets really dry here also. If you bring it into the house put it near the floor as that is the coolest place and not to hot.

[BILL DONAHUE]

Here's the simple solution and ah gar-un-tee it'll work. Dye that baby black, put the Saints logo on it, and you'll have a piece you'll treasure for the rest of your natch'l born life.

[Chris Hayes]

Steve and Bernie -- Thanks. I've pulled the piece and wrapped it in newspapers and moved it into the laundry room to finish drying. I'm going to hope this thing doesn't decide to butterfly itself...welcome to turning eh?

Bill -- at heart, I'm a Packers fan living in Colts country. As soon as I've got it done, I'll post a pic. However, I've still not convinced myself that I want to carve it yet. (I'm not sure I want the mess in the house..or if I want to sit on it and figure out what it wants next.) Right now I'm waiting for Tung Oil to cure before I do anything else.

Thanks for the advice guys...