DNA storage question

[Troy Donson]

Being a new woodturner I am anxious to try the Denatured Alcohol drying method.

The problem I have is that inside my garage, which is insulated but not cooled, it gets up to about 125 deg in the summer here in AZ. How do you folks store your DNA when it hot, Hot, HOT ?

My main concern is having it expand so much it the heat that it blows the lid off a can from expansion... Storing it in the house and/or getting A/C in the garage is not an option.

troy

[Brian Brown]

Get a vented plastic gas can, and heavily mark the outside somhow to indicate that is is DNA. Put you DNA in it, and slightly crack the vent open. You'll get some evaporation, but not a lot, and the expansion won't take off the lid. Pour it into a lidded bucket (put the lid on loose) when you are soaking wood, and back into the gas can when you are not.

[Troy Donson]

Thanks, Brian.

I have been a mechanic for 30 years and the gas can idea never even occured to me... Great idea!

While I'm here, does heat affect the time it takes to soak your wood? Or is 24-48 hrs pretty standard?

Troy

[Brian Brown]

Oh sure! Ask a hard question. :D From everything I have read, a minimum of 24 hours seems to do the job. Soaking longer, while not necessary, does not seem to cause a problem.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Troy I don't think it makes any difference. I have left them in from 24 to 72 hrs and haven't noticed any ill effects. I have left a couple in for a week when my brain went blank before I remembered. They turned out just fine and didn't seem to take as long to dry out.

[Troy Donson]

Ok, Thanks for the tips, Brian and Bernie. Really appreciate it.

Now, I asume everyone uses either a five gallon bucket with a lid, or some variation...

Any ideas on a sealed system to use while they soak that is "dog proof"? She ate the last several 5 gallon buckets that unintentionally got left in the back yard and I don't really like the idea of having alcohol venting inside the garage with a hot water heater. I'd use a clean metal paint can outside, but some of my bowls may not fit... Now, if the alcohol would not expand so much I would prefer to use a white plastic bucket and lid in the garage. Just wanna be more safe than sorry. :o

[David Wilhelm]

The rave is some sort of crab bait? container...... found on ebay. I can not find one. So I'm still looking for ideas other than making a seal on something or using a trash bag. I have 5 gallon buckets with Oring seal lids but the top is the only protion that fits the bowl blanks. I've looked into resturant food storage containers as well online and there are lids that fit large sq containers just not sure how tight they seal.