Have I been diddled?

[Ivor]

I have just bought a plank of rosewood 200mm wide by 50mm thick from a guy who swore it had been sitting (air drying)in a shed for 10 years somewhere in northern NSW.

When I got it home I cut the plank in half and was surprised to find that it was visibly wet inside. My immediate thought that it was still green so I rang the guy who sold the plank to me. He says that it isn't green but it just has absorbed moisture because he only just brought it down from the humid north. I am a bit sceptical.

Can I use this wood now or will I have to leave it lying around for another 2 years to let it dry?

Thanks

Ivor

[RFNK]

I was given a really old (at least 15 years) rosewood plank about 5" thick recently and was also surprised to find it still wet inside when I cut it. This plank was really dry, grey and split on the outside too. I guess it's just the nature of rosewood to hold moisture.

[Jeff]

Some woods with this condition can be succesfully turned and immediately given a good bath of Acetone to speed up the drying. Another method is to turn it and microwave it to help it dry. In both methods be sure to allow for a little movement. The microwave method can be risky if taken too fast, so be patient. If the wood has been inside for ten years it probably isn't going to dry any more on its own, perhaps a kiln would do the trick. If you have enough, try a couple of test turns, always a good procedure when you acquire a new piece of wood you are not familiar with.

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"Turning wood into treasures"

[Ivor]

Thanks guys,

Your responses have made me feel better. It really is a new concept for me that wood might not dry on its own. I always used the one inch a year theory for drying.

The drying by microwave is interesting,it is a pity that I can't fit in an eight foot plank!

Ivor