Thread: drying bowls

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

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.

Originally Posted by 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

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

Originally Posted by rsser

Enjoy: New Page 0

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

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.

Originally Posted by rsser

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

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

Originally Posted by rsser

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

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

Originally Posted by rsser

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.