Box Drying Question

[Pete Jordan]

I am roughing out some cherry lidded boxes and was wondering what would be the best way to dry them. In the Raffan video, he roughs them out and then tapes them together and lets them dry. Is it possible to DNA them and if it is, would I soak them separately and then tape them after removing from DNA?

Thanx,

Pete

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pete I have had excellent luck with mine using DNA. I soak them for 24 hrs. Then take them out and let them flash dry for about 30 minutes. I then put the tenon ends together end to end, no tape and wrap in 2 layers of newspaper. Once wrapped and taped I cut the newspaper out of the opening of the box just up to the edge on both ends. Make sure the paper stay folded over the edge of the box. If it doesn't just put some tape across the top to hold it. Then just lay them on a rack you can buy from Wal-Mart for a couple of bucks or less and let them dry. I have been able to turn them in about 3 to 4 weeks. If this is as clear as mud pm me and I will send you a picture or two of how I wrap them.

[John Hart]

Bernie is probably steering you right Pete, but I did one recently a little different just as an experiment. I roughed out a maple box for my Barry Stratton Co-op project. Soaked in DNA for 24 hours and buried in shavings side by side with the concaved surfaces toward the air. That was several weeks ago and I checked them last week and they are still round and ready to go. Maybe I just got lucky...but I'll take it.;)

[Joe Fisher]

I have had excellent success turning wet end grain boxes to completion in one go. The worst that has happened is the lid tightened slightly.

I've tried mesquite, bartlett pear, and hickory so far.

Just my experience, YMMV, of course.

-Joe

[Pete Jordan]

Thanks for the tips.

I will try all three ways.

[Bob Hovde]

I have had excellent success turning wet end grain boxes to completion in one go. The worst that has happened is the lid tightened slightly.

I've tried mesquite, bartlett pear, and hickory so far.

Just my experience, YMMV, of course.

-Joe

You never know. With green pecan, I had the lid get real loose when it dried. Kind of hard to fix that.

Bob

[Joe Fisher]

You never know.
Nope, you never do. For me, that's half the fun :)

-Joe

[Pat Salter]

I've done several in Avocado green to finish with little problem if I put "finish" of some sort on it. Left one "naked" and it went a little crazy in shape :eek:
I do a lot of tung oil with the avocado and that seems to work well. I've also done the triple E/shellawax with good success.

[Brad Hart]

I am not opposed to turning a green box and letting nature take its course, but if I need my boxes dry round and immediately I rough them and microwave them. I make enough boxes that I can wait until the roughed ones are dried out, because there are almost always some ready for me to finish. Using the Raffan tape method I store my roughed boxes in boxes made from 1x1 pine with latice work stapled to the outside.