Thread: Fast Drying Wood Formula and Results

Simply some more piccies - this time finished...

Originally Posted by CameronPotter

The wood turned like a dream, but was obviously dry. I will let you know if it warps or cracks later, but I doubt it.

From memory, Ron Kent says his LDD treated wood turns as though 'twas green, (ie. very easily) often spraying everywhere, but simply doesn't crack like normal greens when drying. Would you say this applies to your method? From "obviously dry" I gather it didn't spray, but did it turn as easily as green wood?

'Tis just my curiosity asking... I'm undecided about trying your method as spraying the blanks several times a day is too much work for this li'l black duck. Methinks I'd rather stick to my microwaving technique; 'tis much quicker (a couple of hours all up!) and I don't have to remember to keep doing things.

Turns like wet wood, but feels dry.

As for paiting the wood several times.

It was simply what I did - not necessarily what must be done.

As for putting it on, well, I simply painted it on with a brush and did it a few times as it took about 30 seconds to do and I reasoned why not?

I would suggest giving it a go to see what you think.

It is easy, fast and clean.

Cheers

Cam

Hmmm...

I've still got half a gar-bin full of H2O/LDD that's a bit on the nose after removing the last lot of blanks. I've been meaning to top it up for the next lot but I might just use it as is and let it run out. I haven't tried turning any of the blanks yet, no time, so I don't know what the results will be like. Yet. I have hopes though...

But I may try your method, giving a coat as part of the shed lockup procedure. It's not like I've anything to lose. I'm not holding my breath over it though.

I have heard of some people soaking blanks by immersing them in a LD / water 50-50 solution for a few days with good results. As soon as I get some green wood I
want to try it.
I hope you will let us know how it works.
tm

i read an article recently from the US where they were boiling their blanks and their intial tests were promising. I can't find the link but google might find it.

Tell me more of this method. Presently I am using Denatured Alcohol. I soak the piece over night immersed in Alcohol. Then wipe dry in the AM and wrap tightly with Brown Paper and set on a drying rack for a couple of three weeks. all the while I am weighing and recording the change in weight. When the piece has quit changing weight for a week or so I feel it is dry. Have a great deal of success with this but yours sound to be quicker.

Please explain the time reference here and will soaking provide the same results as "Wet Painting" several times a day? Does the Soap leave a residue on the piece? How long do you wait after the solution?

Skew, I have tried the Microwave method and have not been to successful there, perhaps I rush, over nuke.... Usually I find failure at grain differences, such as limb confluences and crotches as ell as knots and such.

As for the boiling, I have heard that boiling the piece causes the cells to rupture and thus allow water to escape more rapidly and so dry more quickly, haven't tried that method yet.

For the soap soaking, I also heard where some soak in pure soap and allow to dry the same method as the alcohol soak. But also heard it is messier and slings soap all about.

Based on your statements, I will try soaking in a 50/50 Alcohol/Soap mixture on my next wet turning. I have just the piece in mind. I think I will also weigh and record as well, Perhaps I will do two identical pieces form the same log and compare the results (more scientific approach)

Also please relate the Ron Kent web site so I might surf there.

Hickory, his home page is http://www.ronkent.com and you'll find descriptions of his LDD methods after scrolling down through his "techniques" link for a while. 'Tis an interesting read.

Interestingly, a google search for "ron kent" has him as the top half-a-dozen hits, which makes it nice and easy to see some of his works. Hefty price tags, too!

As for the microwave method, I've found that if there's a flaw/fracture in the wood nuking it will exacerbate it. As most flaws seem to be in the areas you describe, well... that's why I only use it on pieces that are neither valuable nor irreplacable and basically only when I have no other wood to use. Hence my playing with LDD.

Thanks skew, The man is much like myself in that it takes him a long time to tell a story But quite a story it is. I'm earmarking that discription and plan to try some in the near future. That would be along side the many other things I plan to try in the near future. But for sure I will try it soon as I said before, I have a log I want to grind up and figure this would be a good chance to try.

Also an interesting read about Dry wood turning. I have a big chunk of Black cherry already dry and hard as a brick, Been working me silly to get it turned into a big salad bowl. I had stopped till I can muster up a bowl gouge thinking that would help. I'm going to soak the dry Cherry bowl in soap and see. He says it lubs the turning on dry wood. We'll see...

Thanks again.

Has anyone tried detergent AND microwave?

From what I understand the detergent accelarates and equlaises the moisture flow on the material.
It should therfore allow much more accelarated drying without cracking.

cheers

here's a couple of links to pdf files you've probably already found that relate to fast drying of wood by means of boiling, microwaving and freezing.

http://www.penturners.org/content/Wood-Drying.pdf
http://www.woodturners.org/tech_tips...es/boiling.pdf

rec.crafts.woodturning newsgroup appears to be a useful site but I haven't been there myself yet.

It seems that everyone has their favourite way of doing things, and everyone is pretty quick to criticise what they don't use. However, Pentacryl seemed to be a good idea and work VERY quickly. Then Hughie pointed out this site to me and he had used Pentacryl, choked on the price a bit, and found something that worked almost as well. Then while we were discussing it, Hughie suggested using metho or acetone in place of water. It made sense to me and sounded quick so I gave it a go.

It seems to have worked really well, but it may have shrunk the knot in the wood a bit...

As for painting it on, well, that is one way to use Pentacryl, so I thought why not? As for painting it several times, well that was just me being cautious. However, it doesn't get a build up of scum or anything on the wood, it all seems to soak in pretty well, but it may not work on oil resistant woods like eucalyptus...

Any other questions - please ask...

Cam

Hi Cameron,

Nice post! gunna give it a go myself. I usually soak my blanks but if painting on can do it. So be it and sounds easier and hopefully quicker.
For those who have a larger budget than most, food grade glycol works well. But its only here say as I have not tried it myself. $$$$$$$:mad:
The oily type woods might work with Hickory's method of immersion over night in meths [ denatured alcohol ]. See his post
Will give it a go on my camphor blanks shortly

As I understand it the liquid soap is hygroscopic?? and takes up or rapidly displaces the water, much the same way as meths would act or some such similar fluid.
hughie

Yeah, maybe I will try making a metho and detergent bath, but finding a big enough bath that can be sealed (to stop the metho from simply eavporating) might be a bit of a struggle. I have a few ideas though.

But the metho and detergent method seems to work really well for me - doesn't stink (yet) - is super easy to do - is very fast and doesn't seem to have any flaws, but I am not yet confident enough to do it on my best bits of wood. I have a gorgeous bit of myrtle and a huge bit of tiger myrtle that will be seasoned as slowly as possible to keep them from going to pieces...

Cheers

Cam