Crystals after DNA soak?

[Keith Albertson]

I'm new to the whole vortex thing, and have been having a great time experimenting with many of its aspects. I turned a small bowl from a piece of recently cut wet red cedar (the smelly stuff that reminds you of gerbil cages!). I put it in DNA for about 24 hours, then into a paper bag with shavings. I looked at it about 4 days later, and seemed OK. Then tonight, again about 4 days later, I noticed that the bowl had thin, clear, little hairs all over it. These semed crystaline, not like mold hyphae. They were even ly distributed over the whole bowl, but only over the heartwood. They wiped off eeasily, and became powdery.

Anybody else have a similar experience? I used fresh DNA, right out of the can. Did I soak it too long? Is this just something that happens with aromatic wood?

The bowl still cracked, by the way......

Keith Albertson

[Dick Strauss]

Keith,
I've had the same thing happen with red cedar. I assume it was some internal oil/resin coming to the freshly exposed surface (though I'm just guessing). It didn't cause any turning or finishing issues AFAIK.

[Jarrod McGehee]

Everytime I check out the red cedar we get from the lumber yard. may I add it's kiln dried, but I see little crystals in the wood. I think it has to do with the oil in it that gives it that nice smell.

[Barbara Gill]

Keith, it sounds as if you didn't have access to the correct drying protocol developed by Dave Smith. The cracking possibly was because the bowl was left too thick or the wrapping was not done. From what Dave has said, correct thickness is very important with drying after using denatured alcohol soak.

[Aaron Wingert]

Keith I can't explain the crystals but it sounds like others have seen the same thing.

I will say that the cracking you experienced may be due to the method you used in drying and turning the piece. The DNA soak should be done after roughing out the bowl in its green state, leaving the wall thickness significantly thicker than it will be when the piece is finished. The soaked bowl should then be wrapped and bagged and left alone for quite a while (weeks) before finishing the turning. If you finish-turned the bowl only a few days after the soak that explains the cracking.

[David Christopher]

Keith, this was possible no ones fault, red cedar is one of the hardest woods to keep from cracking..I turned quiet a bit of cedar and all of it has the white crystals and some will crack and some dont......I will check mine after a couple of days and if I see cracks I will put thin CA on the crack and put it back in the bag

[Barbara Gill]

Actually according to Dave, bowls <8" should have 1/2" wall thickness those >8" should be 5/8"-3/4". His lathe only had a 12" swing so his data was did not include bowls larger than he could turn. If the bowl is too thick, it will be more likely to crack.

[Keith Albertson]

Everyone,

Thanks for all the great info. I'm pleased to hear the crystals seem to be a property of the red cedar. Since I tried my first DNA soak, I did get a copy of the DNA soaking method, and will try to follow it better. I was just curious to see how it worked......However, I think the cracking was already occuring when I put it in the alcohol and probably also is a property of the cedar.

Keith