Drying Green Wood (yes, again)

[Mike Minto]

Regarding drying blocks of green wood, freshly cut - should I be leaving the logs outside, or in a shed? Given relative humidity here in Virginia a almost always above 50%, and often 70%+, will my wood ever achieve a low level (~15%) of moisture content? Do the two directly relate? Should I put some in a closet in the house, where the humidity is very low? Will that cause the wood to dry too fast? And how about rough turned bowls that are in paper bags - outside, in a shed, in the garage, or in the house? Thanks for any help. Mike

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - I would not suggest storing wood in your shed simply because the temps will get very high and the wood will check. I leave everything in log form, seal it with anchorseal and store it outside behind my shed. It gets some sunlight there during the day but the logs are mostly in the shade. Once I rough out a bowl or hollow form, I soak it in DNA and wrap it in brown papper bag. I usually let it sit out in the garage until the strong alcohol smells goes away - usually about a day - then move them to my shop, located in the basement. I have a dehumidifier in the shop that runs constantly and tries to keep the humidty around 50%. I live less than 1/2 mile from Lake Superior, so the humidity level here is probably close to what you experience.

I usually wait for a couple of months before grabbing anything to finish turn but I would guess the blanks are dry enough to finish turn in a month or so. Hope this helps.

[Mike Minto]

Steve, sure does help. I'll have to do a rethink about how I keep my turning stock and my fireplace stock - wouldn't want to get those two confused. I'll be trying the DNA method soon, as I just purchased a couple of gallons and a bucket. With my shop being out in the backyard, I may have to dedicate a closet in the house for long-term storage of rough turned items. Mike :rolleyes:

[Ron Bontz]

Mike and Steve, Thanks for the post. I've been debating on how to store blanks from some oak and cherry cherry trees. The ones that I recently cut and stacked in the open (here in southern Illinois) have definitly become fire wood from checking. :)