Thread: drying bowls

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.

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

Originally Posted by corbs

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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.

Originally Posted by mat_au

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

thanks for the handy link rsser

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.

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

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

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


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

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