Drying Spindles/How Too?

[Jim Dunn]

If you need to dry bowls and other hollow forms with DNA or a microwave do you need to dry spindles the same way?

John Hart was kind enough to send me some wood for handles and I don't want to mess it up:eek: Bruce was posting about soaking in oil but I'm not sure this would work as handles are thicker to begin with:confused:

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Jim

[Jim Dunn]

Just wanted to bump this to the top. Maybe I can get a responce?

[Dick Parr]

Not sure I can help ya Jim.:o 90% of what I turn for spindle work is kiln dried to start with. The few times I have turned anything not bought from a store already dried out was some candle sticks a some practice goblets that I made the wife. I turned them and finished them green and let them move however they wanted to when I was done. For the most part they did not move much at all, or crack.

Since you are turning the spindle work faster then you would a bowl, I don't know how much that has to do with removing the moisture in the wood while shaping and sanding?:confused:

But for what I have turned, I haven't had much problem turning green and then finishing it.

I don't really see where it would hurt to leave it oversize and soak in the DNA and then dry and finish turning.

Good luck

[Jim Dunn]

Thanks Dick. I'm soaking in DNA over nite. It's a handle for a lathe tool that I'm turning, same as a candle stick holder I would think.

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Jim, if you go back and look at Bruce's thread, the one you noted, I posted, with photo, on the subject of green (wet) wood finishing. It was the last post and you may have missed it.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[John Hart]

I think one of the big concerns Jim, is the grain in the blank. If there is any pith, you're chances of cracking increases tremendously. The problem with DNA soaking is that the wood wants to drink the DNA like a straw so so are asking it to travel 12" or so up through the wood.
Personally, I think you should just turn it and see what happens. If it fails, I'll send you another piece. That way, we'll have experimental results that we can all reflect on later and you aren't sacrificing anything....except your time....and as a guinea pig, just consider that sacrifice "For the good of the community".:D

[Raymond Overman]

Due to the nature of the grain direction in spindle turning the wood isn't going to move and change shape as much a in face grain turning. When it does move it will shrink. Handles that I've turned out of green hickory have gotten smaller and moved away from the 1" couplings I use for support at the hilt of the tool. Other than that I haven't had any problems with green wood cracking or warping after turning handles with it. The key is straight grain in the handle and no pith.

[Jim Dunn]

I'm not much of a mad scientist but I'll try to experiment a little and see what happens. This first piece I've soaked all night in DNA having roughed it to approximate size. The next piece I'll soak in Watco oil.

I'll probably need a video camera to record the results, so send me one of those. Oh, and a raincoat for turning oily wood. A nice set of calipers for making sure all pieces are the zacked same size:eek::eek:

We'll see where this goes in the next few days.:D

Thanks all,

Jim

[Mark Cothren]

The only green spindle I turned and soaked in DNA split very badly. It was a piece of Cherry, so probably not the best piece of wood to experiment with. Hopefully you'll get better results than I did.

[John Hart]

Now...fruitwoods, I hear, is another story. The folks at Berea Hardwoods told me that you should boil your fruitwoods to set the sugar, otherwise, cracking is almost assured. I wonder how it is barbequed?

[tod evans]

i`m no help i turn kiln dried stuff, sorry....02 tod

[Jim Dunn]

Don't know about barbequed but just burning apple makes me want to take a bite outa a piece. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMapple (in my best Homer S. voice)

[John Hart]

Oh...and one other note....I'll bet that Maple has the same sugar problem.

[Bill Stevener]

Oh...and one other note....I'll bet that Maple has the same sugar problem.

Only in early spring, when the sap is running. :D

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Dave Smith]

After soaking in DNA, coat the ends with sealer. Stand the wood on end. Barbara Gill dried some walnut blanks last year after soaking in DNA. I don't have the info in front of me but I think it took about 3 weeks for the wood to stop losing weight. The resulting rolling pins did not move after she turned them. I assume the wood you have is not 3" thick so it should dry faster.

Good luck.

Dave Smith

Seahawk fan in Longview, WA.

[Jim Becker]

Spindle turning is mostly done with dry wood, not wet or even semi-wet wood. Given the thicknesses of spindle work, any of the "fast drying methods" are largely going to be ineffective or even result in splitting. I'm not saying you can't do it...just that it's not going to be the same as what you get with rough bowls and vessels which have relatively "thin" profiles and a lot less moisture to lose.