Tom Winship
10-20-2011, 3:36 PM
Most of you know that I am relatively new to turning and have turned a number of bowls from live oak over the last couple of months.
I have tried basically two methods of drying. The first I give credit to Kathy (turn and burn) Marshall for telling me about. (Don't know if she originated it or not).
First, I have tried turning the bowl to finished dimensions, left the tenon on the bottom for further finishing and stored the bowl in a zip loc bag. I open the bag slightly and increase the opening daily until the bag is fully open. I remove the bowl, apply a finish and turn off the tenon. Later modification is to finish the bowl including removing tenon and apply finish and buff wax after drying is finished. (Kathy applies the finish to hers immediately after turning.
Secondly, I rough, submerse in DNA for at least 24 hours, remove and drain for an hour or so, wrap in newspaper with a hole about 1" in dia. and store away for a couple of weeks. Both bowls I have done this way have cracked terribly.
Don't know if it is just for live oak, but the "Kathy method" works better for me. I get some distortion, but not the terrible cracking I got with DNA.
This will be my go to method until something changes my mind.
This is MO, FWIW. Comments solicited.
I have tried basically two methods of drying. The first I give credit to Kathy (turn and burn) Marshall for telling me about. (Don't know if she originated it or not).
First, I have tried turning the bowl to finished dimensions, left the tenon on the bottom for further finishing and stored the bowl in a zip loc bag. I open the bag slightly and increase the opening daily until the bag is fully open. I remove the bowl, apply a finish and turn off the tenon. Later modification is to finish the bowl including removing tenon and apply finish and buff wax after drying is finished. (Kathy applies the finish to hers immediately after turning.
Secondly, I rough, submerse in DNA for at least 24 hours, remove and drain for an hour or so, wrap in newspaper with a hole about 1" in dia. and store away for a couple of weeks. Both bowls I have done this way have cracked terribly.
Don't know if it is just for live oak, but the "Kathy method" works better for me. I get some distortion, but not the terrible cracking I got with DNA.
This will be my go to method until something changes my mind.
This is MO, FWIW. Comments solicited.