Mildew on green wood

[Mike Radcliffe]

I am new to turning and Sawmill Creek and am really enjoying both. Most of the questions I have had have been answered by other threads. I have been having a problem with green turning. The brown paper bag method has been very successfull, 3 bags seems to work for Vancouver Island. No cracking! But on a 12" alder salad bowl I got a nasty black stain which looked like mildew. The bowl was nicely warped so I couldn't put it back on the lathe. Soaking in household bleach muted the stain but left a rather washed out looking piece. The second time The problem appeared was with a 5 inch bowl turned from an old growth douglas fir root. This time there had been very little warping so I was able to turn out the mildew. Has anyone else had such a problem and what would be a preventative solution? Thanks

[Dick Strauss]

Mike,
I use Dave Smith's DNA method. You may want to consider researching this topic for more info.

With that said, you'll probably want to go to one or two bags instead of three given that Vancouver Island is very humid. I use a single bag here in OH due to the humidity most of the year.

The rule is...if it cracked, it dried too quickly...if it developed mold/mildew, it dried too slowly.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - Welcome to the Creek!

I agree with Dick in that your bowl was drying to slowly. I live right off the shore of Lake Superior and have a fairly constant and high humidity - for me, a single brown paper bag works. Course I cover the blank in wet shavings, wrap with 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper and then place in the brown paper bag. Using the paper bag method I can turn the blank in about 7 or 8 months. Using the DNA method I can finish turn a blank in less than 2 months.

Have fun with it and make sure you start posting with lots of pictures!

[Mike Radcliffe]

Thanks for the quick replies! I was interested in Dave Smith's DNA process. He refers to bowl blanks. I have been turning these bowls in one session. How does the DNA affect the finish? I think it would fix the mold! The bowls are a little under 1/4" thick and dry in the bags in 2 or three weeks.

[Barry Elder]

Hi Mike,

I've never been able to do anything with the stains. Except turn them away. But at least it gave me a chance to experiment with dyes and other coloring as an offset.

[Dennis Peacock]

Welcome to SMC Mike. There's an article in the "Articles" section of SMC on processing bowl blanks. It should give you an idea of the overall process of getting your bowls to a dry state quicker.

Welcome to the vortex and the endless need for more turning wood. ;)