In a hurry!

[Jason Christenson]

I need to turn a bowl from start to finish in kind of a hurry. If anyone has any experience with, or can point me to a good article about, using a microwave to dry rough turned bowls, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.
Jason

[Raymond Overman]

Just turn it very thin with even thickness throughout and you'll probably be ok for cracks. You'll get some warping either way.

If you absolutely want to try the microwave method, multiple 1-2 minute cycles of heating up a bowl then letting it cool then re-heating will point you in the right direction. You'll still get some drying after the fact that may warp the bowl some.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jason
Just go to your local hardwood supplier and buy a blank. My favorite shop ussually has 3 to 4 inch thick blanks up to 10 or 12" square. It may cost you $20 or $30 (maybe more) but it minimizes the wet wood issue.
Good Luck! Rush jobs never seems to work out for me.
Frank

[Bernie Weishapl]

If you have a supplier that is near by and you can get kiln dried blanks is the way to go. I have did that on a couple of rush (for family only) projects. Nice thing is you can turn it right down and finish it without having to worry about warping.

[John Hart]

I messed with the microwave quite a bit and here's what I experienced....you really can't expect too much in the way of cooperation from the wood when you're nuking thick pieces. The process requires that you cook it a little then let the moisture vent off and cool....then cook it a little more...cool it again....over and over....Just like Raymond says. Works pretty good for little pieces, like pen blanks....not so good for bowl blanks. I'd have to vote for a kiln-dried blank from the store iffen you're in a hurry and have little margin for error.