Alcohol drying

[Jason Slutsky]

I have a piece of 4" x 8" tazmanian burl that I would like to turn into a chalice. It was waxed when I bought it and I was told to consider it green. I've read a lot about drying bowls in alcohol but nothing about other objects. I'm going to guess that it will work but was wondering what steps should I take after it comes out of the alcohol? Is there a need to wrap the outside of it as you do when drying a bowl after it comes out of the alcohol? Also, how long do you think it may need to soak?

[William Bachtel]

I know nothing about it, but I would practice on a green turning square of something a little cheaper or free,

[Dennis Peacock]

Jason,

The key here is to rough turn your wood with the walls being about 10% of the overall width. A 10" rough bowl would have a 1" wall thickness. Drop it in alcohol for 24 hours....and the rest is history. I wrote an article on bowl processing that is in the articles section here on SMC that steps you through the process of roughing out and takes you through the alcohol drying process.

The exotics I've done, I used a fresh batch of alcohol and they came out nice. Just my experiences with it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jason, check out Dave Smith's website - everything you would want to know about alcohol drying.

http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto Steve and Dennis.

[George Tokarev]

Burls are a problem. Shouldn't be, because the grain's random enough that it can't get its act together and pull too much in any direction. Is, because it has a lot of structural weaknesses that come in as bark pockets or cracks. Never know if one side of a crack will move east, the other west. Best luck overall is to turn thin, glue all cracks and reinforce all bark pockets you want to keep and let it happen.

If you get non-burl areas in the mix, you can count on them moving as they do for their characteristic grain orientation. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. If you need them to go other than the way they will, cut oversize an eighth or so and let dry, leaving yourself TWO opportunities to re-grab your piece and turn for true. Why two? Remember about that east vs west business.

Alcohol? Save your money. Won't dry faster, and won't do anything to stabilize, either. Look at all those old whiskey barrels you have to soak back into shape. They've had years of alcohol, and you have to get them back watertight the old fashion way, with resaturation.

[Jim Ketron]

Here we go again!:rolleyes:
All I can say about the DNA Method Is this, if you don't like it don't use it! Simple as that!
I know it works and works well and so does plenty of other great turners on this forum and other forums that use it too.
There IS more than one way to skin a cat!
Choose the method you want to use and be happy with it! They all work, some a different rates but the wood will dry at some point in time.

[Keith Burns]

Jim, thank you for saying this. You are correct. As an example I rough turned a piece of maple HF (a Dyed piece I posted a couple weeks ago or so). Measured the moisture with a meter at 32%. Wrapped and set for a little over a week at it measured 6%. Different woods take different times and some may have to set longer.

[Jason Slutsky]

Thank you all for your input. Since I already have some alcohol onhand, I'm going to give it a try. From what most of you ahve said and what I've read online lately, it seems like this is a good method.

Thanks Steve for the link...it showed me how to wrap the chalice after it comes out of the alcohol.

[Mark Cothren]

Jason, there are plenty of us using DNA on green wood with excellent results... you will not be wasting time or money using this method. Not saying there aren't other ways to dry wood, but I know from experience that the DNA method of drying wood works.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jason......Welcome to the Abyss.....The DNA method......a lot of folks here use it successfully. I've had mixed results. My opinion.....you can't argue with success but there are some pieces of wood that just weren't meant to be finished projects. I've turned some NEs to finish without drying...no cracks......Some I've turned to finish....cracked big time.......I've got one drying following a DNA bath......another day or two it should be ready to finish turn.......

[Jason Slutsky]

Ken, I think you nailed it. In my short turning career, I've learned and that , like you said, some pieces just don't want to be anything but firewood. I turned two bud vases from the same piece of wood...one is fine and the other almost split in two (the wood was a piece of dry oak from the firewood pile).

I've been told to turn to finish and give them a DNA bath, others have told me to rough it and then DNA, others to rough it and anchorseal it for months...I'm guessing that each way can work but if the wood wants to crack, then it's going to crack.

[Ron Sardo]

I have a piece of 4" x 8" tazmanian burl that I would like to turn into a chalice.
I'm assuming you mean a goblet when I'm writing this.

Burl is not the best wood to use for goblets because of the thin stem. A burl stem will break easily.

Use clear straight grain for goblets

[Jason Slutsky]

Ron,

I was thinking something more like what is shown below. (from the WoodTurned Chalices website http://www.3wave.com/chhome/cha/chalice.html)

I can understand your point of view that burl wouldn't be the wizest thing to make into a thin stem goblet. Do you think what I had in mind from looking at the picture below is suitable?

http://www.3wave.com/chhome/cha/chalices.jpg

[Ron Sardo]

With such a thick base, you should be fine.

Sorry about the confusion.