Ken Platt
03-20-2016, 8:04 PM
Folks - I am about to cut some 1 to 1.25 inch thick pieces (about 15 inches long, 12 inches wide) out of a crotch section of red oak, and would like to speed up the drying process so I can use them in a timely fashion. I will only need 5/8" thickness out of these pieces, but wanted to allow for warping and remachining. I have air dried lots of wood, so I understand the issues and why you can't really speed dry, especially in a regular oven, to anything like a workable MC without ruining the wood.
But, I definitely need to kill the bugs that are in it, and if I could kind of get a jump on drying, that would be a bonus.
So, what times, temps, reg oven vs microwave, kills the bugs?
After that, is there some sort of regimen I could follow, such as an hour a day in the oven on lowest setting, maybe with a dish of water in there to slow things down, or a few hits in the microwave a day for a week, or something like that?
I'm figuring I'm not the first guy to need a particular bit of wood dry enough to work faster than the usual year-per-inch.
Also, if anyone has tried this with red oak, any comments on the odor? I find wet red oak to have a kind of sour odor, not pleasant but not awful. My wife, OTOH, walked into the shop and asked why it smelled like vomit. I'm a bit worried about the smell if I actually heat the stuff up. In the kitchen.
If anyone is curious, I am hoping to get a couple of pieces with serious figure to use as centerpieces in a bed headboard and footboard. It's mission style, with slats, and these pieces will be the center slats.....I hope. Here is a picture of the one I am working towards: http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/20503/arts-and-crafts-morris-bed
Thanks for all thoughts, experiences, advice, etc -
Ken
But, I definitely need to kill the bugs that are in it, and if I could kind of get a jump on drying, that would be a bonus.
So, what times, temps, reg oven vs microwave, kills the bugs?
After that, is there some sort of regimen I could follow, such as an hour a day in the oven on lowest setting, maybe with a dish of water in there to slow things down, or a few hits in the microwave a day for a week, or something like that?
I'm figuring I'm not the first guy to need a particular bit of wood dry enough to work faster than the usual year-per-inch.
Also, if anyone has tried this with red oak, any comments on the odor? I find wet red oak to have a kind of sour odor, not pleasant but not awful. My wife, OTOH, walked into the shop and asked why it smelled like vomit. I'm a bit worried about the smell if I actually heat the stuff up. In the kitchen.
If anyone is curious, I am hoping to get a couple of pieces with serious figure to use as centerpieces in a bed headboard and footboard. It's mission style, with slats, and these pieces will be the center slats.....I hope. Here is a picture of the one I am working towards: http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/20503/arts-and-crafts-morris-bed
Thanks for all thoughts, experiences, advice, etc -
Ken