Don't laugh now...

[Dick Durbin]

I was explaining the different processes for drying green bowl blanks at lunch today. One of the guys asked if anyone had ever tried burying a blank in kitty litter.

Anyone ever tried that?

[Mike Vickery]

Have not tried it but had put some thought into it. Will it work to dry out your bowl I believe it will. However I think it will dry it to fast and you will probably crack. You never know until you try it though.

[Dario Octaviano]

Like Mike, I believe (and I may be wrong) it will dry the exterior side of the wood too fast and cause checking/cracking.

The secret is even drying (inside and outside) that is why slowing it down is usually done.

Kiln, microwave, alcohol soak, boiling, etc. also work though they dry faster because (again) they dry the wood inside and out evenly (not totally even but close). Of course some of these methods work better than others and YMMV.

[Jim Young]

Won't that cause the wood to smell like kitty litter??

[Mark Pruitt]

Won't that cause the wood to smell like kitty litter??
I could think of worse things.....like used kitty litter.

[George Tokarev]

I was explaining the different processes for drying green bowl blanks at lunch today. One of the guys asked if anyone had ever tried burying a blank in kitty litter.

Anyone ever tried that?

Where're you going to shut away the cat?

Not sure if it would dry any faster than maintaining the humidity within any other "container." The clay merely ab/adsorbs moisture, like the wood in the chips or the bag/box you put the piece in. Though it works well with liquids, I'd say the fact it doesn't stick together unless Felix has used it probably means it's not going to actively dehydrate the air, just hold on to what it gets.

The glycols are active dessicants, as are things like silica gel and lye.

[Bill Boehme]

I don't know what Squeaky and Daisy would think about it, but I am sure that they will be happy to make a contribution to give the wood some character.

Bill

[Stephen Hibbs]

it may help for avoiding cracks if you only place the litter in the inside of the bowl. That would have roughly the same effect as wrapping the outside only when drying normally. That way you get it to dry in the direction you want, and a little faster too.