Thread: Wet timber

Originally Posted by cookie48

Folks.
I have rough turned an olive root ball and placed it in storage to dry. I have used sawdust from many types of timber. Is that ok?

I think so. Its just to slow the drying down a bit. So where's the pic?

Olive root!


What was it like to turn, Olive is fantastic but I find roots are generally full of stones, grit and other tool blunting substances?

Hi Cookie.
I find out that a good way to dry wet timber in a short time (few weeks) is :
put the timber in a plastic bag zip seal, take a note of the weight and date ( put the notes inside the bag so you don't loose it), place it in the freezer for a minimum of 24 hrs, or more not less then remove it from the freezer and let it defrost under shade, repeat the above, weight and date and place the timber inside a paper bag, no need to be sealed in the fridge in the bottom shelf.
Do that weight and date every week till the weight does not change much it means is ready to finish.
Feel free to contact me for any question you my have.
I hope this will help you.
Works for me. so good luck.

Cheers.

First, I am only an occasional turner. But I will pass on what has not worked for me and what has.
I filled a wheelie bin with shavings and rough-turned green bowls and left it for 6 months with the lid part open. Result: lots of mould on the bowls.
Next try was to paint the green bowls all over with a fungicide and throw them in a wheelie bin without any shavings. Left the lid just cracked open with a piece of timber. Tipped them all out after a couple of months and put them back so the ones at the bottom are now nearer the top. I've had first class results in 6 months with this method.

Thanks for all your answers. Maybe I should have been more to the piont in that really the root has been rough carved not turned. Sorry about that.
Wizened, will try your method I think.
Tea Lady, will take pics this arvo and post tonight.
Ricardo, I only have little beer fridge in the cave. Missus might get a bit peeved if I chuck out her food and put a big hunk of timber in her freezer.

Ricardo92,

I take it that the freezing works like boiling, microwaving, or steaming to break open the cells and let the moisture move out faster.

Cookie 48,

I have rough turned, wrapped in many layers of newspaper and let dry, some crack some don't.

Rough turned, soak in 1/2 water 1/2 liquid hand dish washing detergent about 1 week per inch of thickness. Works better than above.

Rough turned, submerged in water, covered, microwaved until it boiled, repeated 3 - 4 times in one day, drain, let air dry. This is a red oak bowl with the pith running through the sides. A little cracking radially from the center but not bad.

Mushrooms turned from wild cherry limbs will crack badly if let air dry. So will the logs, cut up or left long. If roughed out and soaked in 50 - 50 dish washing liquid 2 - 3 weeks, some radial hair line cracks when dry.

I had a piece of 12 in diameter semi dry red oak, halved the log, cut corners off with a table saw, gouged out the inside with a portable circular saw, let it sit around inside the house for about 7 years. Finally got a lathe, did the outside, rough hollowed the inside. Left it on the lathe overnight, in the morning there were two
3 /16 inch cracks across the bottom of the bowl.

Some crack and some don't.

Paul39

Freezing doesn't works like boiling, microwaving, or steaming to break open the cells and let the moisture move out faster.

freezing compact the cells and you can finish it in weeks not months,depend on how thick it is, I do it at 20 m/m and 9 out of 10 will not crack. as you said Some crack and some don't.

Thanks for the info about water n detergent y never try that.
Regards Ricardo.