drying bowls

[mat_au]

So was talking to someone about drying bowl and they said they just paint timber sealer on the outside of the bowl.

Has anyone done this and it is good to do?

[dr4g0nfly]

I use PVA for small bowls, Wax (old candles) for larger bowls and othe cut ends.

Anything like this will stop the water transpiring throught the cut grain ends. Reducing the moisture loss to an even rate, hopefully preventing cracking caused by unequal watter levels in the timber.

And by water I'm talking about the Bound water in the cells, not the Free water in the wood.

[corbs]

Are we talking about drying bowl blanks or a completed bowl which has been turned from green wood?

[brendan stemp]

Are we talking about drying bowl blanks or a completed bowl which has been turned from green wood?

Agree. We are unclear what you are trying to achieve with this technique. It wont dry the bowl just increase the chances of the timber not cracking/splitting as it is drying out; as D-fly suggested.

[Paul39]

Mat Au,

Do a search in this forum and Google for, turning wet timber, rough turning bowls, soaking bowls in dish washing liquid, boiling bowls, microwave drying bowls, drying bowls.

Draw your own conclusions. I have used all of the above, some crack and some don't.

[rsser]

Yeah, wot Paul said. There are a range of methods with both blanks and rough-turned bowls.

I rough-turn and use either paraffin wax melted in an old 'lekky frypan or if larger use end-grain sealer (sealing the end-grain outside and inside; the rest you can leave). You can also drop a bunch in a box and rotate them (Raffan's method) or whack one into a heavy paper bag or plastic bag (in this case take off all sapwood and if it's softwood bluestain is likely).

The bottom line is to watch them for cracks over the first few weeks after sealing. Some timber species are ornery; some timbers cut in summer will misbehave where they won't if cut in winter; some blank or bowl orientations in relation to position in the log cause headaches.

Note: post edited

[mat_au]

thanks all. i currently do wrap in paper with shavings but it takes up alot of room and also microwaving and that work quite well :D

but i might try the sealing the outside with timber sealer.

also want to try paraffin wax but not sure where i can buy it in a decent amount?

[dr4g0nfly]

Matt,

here in the UK we have things called Car Boot Sales - not heard any of you guys mention them, so not sure how they translate. People selling stuff gather in a field set up a table at the rear of their cars and buyers walk about looking at what's on offer.

Anyway, I buy lots of part used church and ornamental candles, and melt them down in a meat roasting tray. You need to get the wax to around 140 degrees C so it sets translucent to make a proper seal.

Damn site cheaper than buying new wax and gives the workshop a nice smell after doing a batch.

[rsser]

also want to try paraffin wax but not sure where i can buy it in a decent amount?

Give these folk a call for paraffin in bulk: Australian Wax Co, Speciality Waxes, Beauty Wax, Depilatory wax, Manicure and Pedicure wax, Tapered Dinner Candles, Classic Pillar Candles, Hand Made Moulded candles, Waxes/Raw Materials, Paraffin wax, Microcrystalline waxes, Flaked and Beaded waxes (http://www.australianwaxco.com.au/productrange.html)

[fubar]

thanks for the handy link rsser

[ndp_2010]

ive had reasonable success soaking in ethanol for 1 hour then wrapping the bottom with paper (read about this online as well).
Bowls are warping but not cracking-not sure if the walls are too thick/thin? or if warping is normal?
Most of the time it can be turned back into shape.

[Evanism]

I made a little post not so long ago about sealing logs.

There are a number of bowls drying and I did the Raffin thing.... into a box and let the spiders do their thing. My results were.... unsatisfactory.

The local markets had lumps of beeswax. Is this the best (?) ofr doing the sealing?

I assume I just have an old pot on the hotterater and dip the green bowl in? One? Twice? Thrice?

e

[rsser]

Evanism, beeswax is pretty soft and so as you move lumps around it tends to get knocked off, and it's also exxy compared with paraffin wax if you've got a deal of sealing to do.

And just to add, paraffin wax when heated is highly flammable so don't use a naked flame.

[DaveTTC]

Mat Au,

Do a search in this forum and Google for, turning wet timber, rough turning bowls, soaking bowls in dish washing liquid, boiling bowls, microwave drying bowls, drying bowls.

Draw your own conclusions. I have used all of the above, some crack and some don't.

Now you're giving me homework. I've never heard of using dish washing liquid.


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

[rsser]

Now you're giving me homework. I've never heard of using dish washing liquid.


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

Enjoy: New Page 0 (http://www.turningwood.com/LDD.htm)

[DaveTTC]

Enjoy: New Page 0 (http://www.turningwood.com/LDD.htm)

Thanks ... Your the man. Part way through the article.


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

[rsser]

Leif was the big proponent of this method. But you'll see the limitation in his description of it.

So every method has limitations and hits and misses. All good fun. Having a wood heater or fireplace helps :wink:

[mach70]

Cant say I have tried this but a long departed gentleman who lived a few houses down from Mum & Dad used an old fridge and just put an old lamp in it with an incandescent bulb approx 40w in the bottom and then his bowls on the shelf(s) above and left it there for a few days and apparently it was a success.

[DaveTTC]

Leif was the big proponent of this method. But you'll see the limitation in his description of it.

So every method has limitations and hits and misses. All good fun. Having a wood heater or fireplace helps :wink:

Very interesting read. I will be tempted to try it on some of our Aussie timbers.

My understanding is Norfolk pine turns well green regardless but that it worked on other timbers interests me.


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

[Paul39]

Enjoy: New Page 0 (http://www.turningwood.com/LDD.htm)

This one is new to me. I have been rough turning green or partially dry bowls, then soaking in 1 : 1 detergent, drain, wrap in several layers of newspaper, wait a month or two, turn round, let set around the shed a month or two then finish. Less cracking than if I do nothing but wrap in newspaper.

[dr4g0nfly]

Cant say I have tried this but a long departed gentleman who lived a few houses down from Mum & Dad used an old fridge and just put an old lamp in it with an incandescent bulb approx 40w in the bottom and then his bowls on the shelf(s) above and left it there for a few days and apparently it was a success.

I have someone in my club who uses just this method to dry his part turned bowls.

[rsser]

My understanding is Norfolk pine turns well green ...

Dave

Dave, I scored a trailer load of NIP from a tree downed here in Melb. Having seen what could be done with it from US/Hawaii turners I counted myself lucky. My experience FWIW with one tree ...

1. It was dropped in winter and I green-turned a 25cm bowl in one session and it dried with less than 1mm run-out. Low moisture content clearly.
2. It had minor amounts of pink and green colour.
3. A turner in Hawaii told me that the colour could be improved by spraying a dilute sugar solution on the end-grain and bagging the green half-logs. I got no mileage out of that. Prob. not warm enough down here. Or we don't have foreign bugs.
4. NIP fully dried is hard to turn cleanly. Coarse and brittle was my experience. But that also makes the stuff good for technique practice.

[DaveTTC]

Dave, I scored a trailer load of NIP from a tree downed here in Melb.



So the start of your post and thought wot was gonna say there is more and you were offering some

I have heard of drying timber submerged???

That kinda doesn't make sense but ... NIP - if that was kept submerged from the time it is cut would that keep it 'green'



Dave

The Turning Cowboy

[rsser]

Sorry Cowboy. A prob with slang. By downed I meant dropped, felled etc. Not drowned.

[DaveTTC]

Sorry Cowboy. A prob with slang. By downed I meant dropped, felled etc. Not drowned.

It's ok I got the slang bit. Submerged is something a local guy told me of. When you said NIP gets harder to turn as it dries it reminded me of what the other guy said and I pondered whether that might keek NIP wet as in green and soft


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

[hughie]

Drying bowls etc there seems to be as many idea as turners. What I have found is that no one single idea will suit all timbers. So its a case of having a few up your sleeve for the most common timbers you encounter .

A lot if not most of Aussie hardwoods are a law unto themselves and the common ideas from elsewhere have varying degrees of success to down right failures.

One thing for sure is 'slow' is the way to go for these ornery timbers. For instance I have some Sheoak chunks drying under a loose wrap of old plastic tarps. The theory being that the tarps will control the atmosphere with a slow release of moisture as they sit in a cool place.

I have tried microwaving, water soaking long and short times,50/50 water soap long and short times , Meths [DNA] long and short soaking times, wax sealing with partial removal over time,wax seal and leave it for ages,time and air dry in a good spot ie cool dark free from draughts etc, air drying under various conditions ie wrapped in paper, in cardboard boxes, on the shelf, on the floor

As I said each one has its merits on particular species and timber never stops moving. I have seen air dried timber for 10 years open up under drier conditions than normal. The trick is to use timber that is as stable as you can find then work up your favourite method to successfully dry it out.

..... am I always successful? well look at my avatar :U

[hughie]

Dave, I scored a trailer load of NIP from a tree downed here in Melb. Having seen what could be done with it from US/Hawaii turners I counted myself lucky. My experience FWIW with one tree ...

1. It was dropped in winter and I green-turned a 25cm bowl in one session and it dried with less than 1mm run-out. Low moisture content clearly.
2. It had minor amounts of pink and green colour.
3. A turner in Hawaii told me that the colour could be improved by spraying a dilute sugar solution on the end-grain and bagging the green half-logs. I got no mileage out of that. Prob. not warm enough down here. Or we don't have foreign bugs.
4. NIP fully dried is hard to turn cleanly. Coarse and brittle was my experience. But that also makes the stuff good for technique practice.



Ern I f you can store it in a humid area it will pretty well do it for you as is. I have some thats dry and well spalted all by its self. As for turning, well its dusty but I have found using a spray bottle of the 50/50 soap is very handy, but yes green is the way to go I simply had too much of it.