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agent86
2nd October 2012, 09:37 PM
Hi,

I was just after some advice on how long to leave green timber to dry before I can use it to turn up some chess pieces and how I might be able to speed up the drying process in a simple way if possible.

A bit of back ground information: I chain sawed up parts of a fresh blue gum tree about 5 months ago and turned them into 8 cylinders 45 mm in diameter and 300 mm long and waxed the end grain of the cylinders.

How long should I leave the blue gum cylinders to dry before safe to turn them up into chess pieces? any good advice would be much appreciated.

Regards

Mark

Perfect Pens
2nd October 2012, 09:46 PM
Food dehydrators can be used to dry out timber much quicker, Neil (Da Sensai) might be able to assist with how long it would take.

Cheers
Tony.

brendan stemp
2nd October 2012, 10:36 PM
Putting them in a microwave oven will do the job but it ain't an exact science. Weigh each piece first and then microwave in short bursts (1-2 min) then let cool down. Weigh again and keep going with microwaving until the weight stabilises. I would tend to go slowly with it all or you could end up with cracked timber.

I would also suggest not using the microwave in the kitchen; your food will end up tasting of wood. I have 2 microwaves in my workshop, both bought for around $10 each at garage sales. They are very useful for a variety of purposes.

Scott
2nd October 2012, 11:02 PM
+1 for the microwave. The smaller the piece, the less time. For chess pieces I'd actually do 20-30 second bursts, wait till they cool, then go again. Takes a while but I've got good results. Like Brendan stated, weigh the timber before and after each treatment until the weight loss become equal.

Paul39
3rd October 2012, 01:55 AM
Rule of thumb on green wood drying time in Western North Carolina, USA is one year of time for each inch of thickness.

+2 on microwaving. I would do 15 seconds and feel the wood, repeat until if feels warm to the touch but not hot. The total of your 15 second bursts will be your time. Let cool, repeat. I do bowls and have a small microwave, so 45 seconds to a minute on a roughed out bowl with a one inch wall thickness is my time.

I have a pile of rough turnings beside my MW and when I walk by I put one in and cook it for a minute. When I take one out I put it up to my face and when it stops feeling damp I take it to the lathe and finish.

I am using my kitchen microwave and do not find that cherry, oak, maple, or walnut cause any off taste in my food. I also live alone and keep house according to my own standards. The person who rules your kitchen may have other opinions.

You might also Google boiling bowls, and soaking turnings in hand dish washing liquid. Both methods work for me in lessening cracking and hastening drying time.

I think there are almost as many drying rituals as there are turners.

With all of the above, "some crack and some don't" - Richard Raffan. Home | Richard Raffan (http://www.richardraffan.com/)

dai sensei
3rd October 2012, 10:44 AM
Yep, these days I use my dehydrator for small pieces like this, I can get them dry in a week. Microwaves work, but they take your time as it must be done in small bursts, the dehydrator you can set and leave. Most people don't have them though, whereas most kitchens have a microwave. I can't say I have noticed the tast of wood in food cooked after microwaving timber, but others do worry about it, especially SWIMBO's :U

agent86
4th October 2012, 02:08 AM
Hi to all,

Thanks to those people how where kind enough to type suggestions drying timber _much appreciated,I will give the microwave method a try drying the 45mm (diameter) x 300 blue timber before returning into chess pieces.
As the blue gum timber cylinders have already have been air dried for about 5mths re microwaving every minute or two may be less time till the weight stabilizers.I will have to put the cylinders in a additional container in the micro wave as all the end grains are waxed and may make a bit of mess through the process.

There's one last last additional question related to making a knight chess piece.


:) I have not made the knight chess piece yet , I'm making a replica tradition chess set and the knight is going to be the most challenging for me to do.
I think I'll be fine scrolling and carving out the horse head shape the eye of the horse I have not yet figured out how to make a tool to reproduce the eye.

I looks to me like eye is produced from a small modified drill,does any one have any idea on how to make a tool to create the knights eye like the eye in the attached photo

HardingPens
4th October 2012, 04:03 AM
==trim==

I looks to me like eye is produced from a small modified drill,does any one have any idea on how to make a tool to create the knights eye like the eye in the attached photo




looks like a standard brad point drill bit:
235486

dr4g0nfly
4th October 2012, 07:00 AM
I hope I can explain this adequately. I've searched and cannot find a link to offer - anyone else know of one. I've see it somewhere but can't think where.

You can turn chess Knights. You've got to imaging a ring with the two colours of wood making up either half. Enough wood thickness to make the piece.

Now thing about the piece with the foot on the outer ring and the heads facing in. Now you've got to turn away the outline of the head and neck, probably easier said than done.

Once all is finished you can saw individual knights out of the ring and add the final shaping with a few tools. It should make enough Knights for several sets.

The best example I can offer is to look at the Michael O'Donnal articles in Woodturning. He did something similar in one of them about a year ago.

Dalboy
4th October 2012, 07:49 AM
I hope I can explain this adequately. I've searched and cannot find a link to offer - anyone else know of one. I've see it somewhere but can't think where.

You can turn chess Knights. You've got to imaging a ring with the two colours of wood making up either half. Enough wood thickness to make the piece.

Now thing about the piece with the foot on the outer ring and the heads facing in. Now you've got to turn away the outline of the head and neck, probably easier said than done.

Once all is finished you can saw individual knights out of the ring and add the final shaping with a few tools. It should make enough Knights for several sets.

The best example I can offer is to look at the Michael O'Donnal articles in Woodturning. He did something similar in one of them about a year ago.



I know what you mean I saw this in a woodturning book will have a look through my small library of books and see if I can find it

angryranga
4th October 2012, 08:25 AM
Brad point drill bit, drill the holes in the blank before you start carving.

HardingPens
5th October 2012, 03:35 AM
The knights are the most complicated part of a turned chess set. Most sets use carving to get the knight shape or come up with a new and unique shape to call the knight. There are a few decent turned knights I like out there, the first is an offset turning. The second is a shaped like a suit of armour.
These are google images I am collecting while I plan out a set to make. The knight issue has kept me from starting.