Thread: Holly- drying.

If your holly is anything like our holly and you want a nice bone white wood you need to mill it green, 1/2" - 3/4" max, close stick the boards and dry quickly well weighted. Anything much bigger and you get a sort of beige colour.
The white bobbins below are holly. 6 & 7 from the right show the difference.

Mark

Originally Posted by Old-Biker-UK

If your holly is anything like our holly and you want a nice bone white wood you need to mill it green, 1/2" - 3/4" max, close stick the boards and dry quickly well weighted. Anything much bigger and you get a sort of beige colour.

You mean branches 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter? So I could just cut it to the thickish veneer sizish I wanted and dry?

Yup - cut to a bit bigger than you want the finished size, (it will warp) dry quickly (indoors, airing cupboard). The pic will give you some idea of the warpage, the boards are approx 5/8" & 3/8". This lot has been in my w/shop loft for 10 years.

Pity you are so far away or you would be welcome to some.

Mark

Its alright Mark. I've got my own Holly tree to attack. Its a declared weed around here, cos the birds spread the seeds. I thought it would be kinda poetic to use a weed for some xmas things. And I'll be able to cut it s lot smaller cos I only want very thin bits, so should dry pretty quickly. Thanks for the pointers.

What about freeze-drying? That might be handy for small pieces.

Originally Posted by burraboy

What about freeze-drying? That might be handy for small pieces.

Hey yeah! I'll give it ago.

Makes really good finials TL. Make sure you put some 35x35 pieces aside. I'd be spraying with Boron (the white powder type that dries clear from farming supplies, not the one that goes yellow from the supermarket) to protect it from the bugs and the blue, then sticker it in a well ventilated area.

I asked one of my furniture trades friends about what he would do. He said he had at times used the microwave with good results. He said put it on low and for a few minutes, then take out to cool, then repeat several times until dry. Use a test piece with the rest so you can cut and check the progress.

SB

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Makes really good finials TL. Make sure you put some 35x35 pieces aside. I'd be spraying with Boron (the white powder type that dries clear from farming supplies, not the one that goes yellow from the supermarket) to protect it from the bugs and the blue, then sticker it in a well ventilated area.

Borax you maybe mean? :think :farming supplies. What do they use if for?

Originally Posted by Superbunny

I asked one of my furniture trades friends about what he would do. He said he had at times used the microwave with good results. He said put it on low and for a few minutes, then take out to cool, then repeat several times until dry. Use a test piece with the rest so you can cut and check the progress.

SB

Thanks. Will try various things.

Originally Posted by tea lady

Borax you maybe mean? :think :farming supplies. What do they use if for?

Borax is a brand name of a product that contains Boron. Borax is the yellow one I got from the supermarket you shouldn't use. Not sure what the farmers supplies use it for, I assume spraying for some sort of bugs.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Borax is a brand name of a product that contains Boron. Borax is the yellow one I got from the supermarket you shouldn't use. Not sure what the farmers supplies use it for, I assume spraying for some sort of bugs.

Borax is used amongst other things in the Agricultural area as a fertilizer. It is particularly an important micro nutrient and is generally applied as a foliar fertilizer.
The stone fruit industry is a big user as it is a stimulant to Calcium and improves the uptake of that particular nutrient in the fruit.

Boron is generally less available in alkaline soil where its use is more popular especially in the horticultural, floral and small crops area. It does not figure highly as an insecticide in this environment as generally more species specific and stronger products are used.

Peter.

Originally Posted by STAR

Borax is used amongst other things in the Agricultural area as a fertilizer. It is particularly an important micro nutrient and is generally applied as a foliar fertilizer.
The stone fruit industry is a big user as it is a stimulant to Calcium and improves the uptake of that particular nutrient in the fruit.

Boron is generally less available in alkaline soil where its use is more popular especially in the horticultural, floral and small crops area. It does not figure highly as an insecticide in this environment as generally more species specific and stronger products are used.

Peter.

Thanks. Someone always knows here don't they.

So what does it actually do to the wood? Stop mold?

Thanks for the info Peter.

Originally Posted by tea lady

So what does it actually do to the wood? Stop mold?

It stops the borers, and I have found it stops the mould as far as it penetrates. On my Mango ~5-10mm, but it was left open for a few weeks before I sprayed it, I'm told it works better if sprayed on immediately the timber is cut (ie the branches, and then again when milled - all cuts whilst green sprayed ASAP).

Cool! Thanks guys.