dogwood for tool handles

[charlie knighton]

neighbor, Milton, finished cutting his dogwood

should be a couple of tool handles in this, need to season though

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Charlie,
If you want to use that for tool handles you need to mill it into 2" x 2" x 16" pieces without the sap wood. That's not an easy task. Besides, the blank will need to air dry a couple years. You would be better off finding some kiln dries ash or maple. You can even laminate thinner pieces if you have a jointer. Make a couple small bowls from the dogwood.
faust

[Mike Peace]

I love dogwood. Nice haul.

[charlie knighton]

Faust, thanks for your comments

i will probably split the dogwood up, not much sapwood, will not use pith. i want to try some of Frank Penta's 7 inch tool handles, but i will probably make them about 9 or 10 inch, with insert and plastic pipe. i have a dishwasher kilm, that i have not used in a while, will put a couple pieces in that. i like a thicker handle, easier on my hands, not as many cramps.

sorry about the dust and shaving, it is what it is

[Tim Rinehart]

Hey Charlie...Nice chunk of dogwood! :) Ironically, the last load of wood that went thru my dishwasher kiln was some dogwood. Some split, some made it (1x and 2x stock). I cook mine at about 120F, (one 100W) starting at about 100F (one 60W) for a few days to ease into it. I think I heard somewhere need to get up to 120F to get the critters convinced it's not a place to live!
That stuff will make some fine handles, no doubt.
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[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Dishwasher Kiln!!! There is no limit to the imagination of woodworkers. Who would have thunk it?? Charlie, there are two sweet shallow bowls waiting to be turned from the crotch in that piece of Dogwood. Keep the top portion on the left for handles.
faust

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree Charlie with a couple of bowls from the crotch and maybe several handle blanks. If you don't kiln dry them it will take about 3 yrs or so to dry completely. I did this with some maple and let it air dry. 2 yrs later still had 21% moisture finally getting down to 7%.

[Cody Colston]

I think I heard somewhere need to get up to 120F to get the critters convinced it's not a place to live!

It needs to be heated to 132 degrees throughout to kill the critters.

I've had a lot of Dogwoods die the past three or four years (drought) and I keep all the larger stuff. Some I saw into boards at the bandsaw and some I just anchorseal and leave for turnings. I've used it to face carving mallets and also for wooden tree-falling wedges. I use Hickory for my tool handles because I have a lot of it, too.

[Tim Rinehart]

Thanks for the info Cody...I'll crank up the heat next time. Actually, will retreat the ones I did too.

[charlie knighton]

in my dishwasher/kilm, all i do is drill 1/4 in hole in door, put meat temperature gauge thru hole, sort have to guesstomate the temperature because it starts at 130 degrees

they will have a rotation on resawing and setup of bandsaw at virginia woodturning symposium this weekend, i need to attend

[Baxter Smith]

Nice chunk of dogwood. Nice kiln too! Never thought of a dishwasher.

[charlie knighton]

Baxter, another thing that was not an original thought of mine, but i did some reading and found one, its made to dry dishes, it works pretty good

i find it useful for blanks for bowls so i do not have to return them, works good on maple and box elder, i never got a blank of cherry that did not crack, then i found out about hf, turned green start to finish, the kilm has not seen much use lately, but comes in handy when i need some wood fairly quickly like these dogwood handles, i put the rest of the cutoffs in my barrels, oak is ok to turn after three months and is still somewhat wet in center so i think this dogwood should be ok in barrels about middle of december, what i put in the kilm i will take it slow looking to move temp up say monday, then up again friday, checking moisture content as i go along