For small pieces the microwave works well, just don't go too fast. I once burned a hole in the middle of a block of wood, didn't find it until I turned into it and found the charring. I was working on a bowl blank that time.
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For small pieces the microwave works well, just don't go too fast. I once burned a hole in the middle of a block of wood, didn't find it until I turned into it and found the charring. I was working on a bowl blank that time.
Forget salt (OMG!!! We are not making mummies here! :shock:), microwaves, heat lamps, and other drying efforts. See my #19 post above. The only way to rapidly (sort of a relative term) dry green wood is in a commercial drying kiln with pressure, humidity, and temperature controls. And even then, it still takes time. To drive most/all of the engrained moisture out of the wood fibers and cells takes a long time. That is why long-term air drying is the best and oldest way of curing hardwoods. I have 800+ board feet of 4x4 and 6x4 eight foot long by 8-10" wide slabs of Iowa black walnut that has been air curing in one of my storage sheds for 7+ years and it is perfect now. They are racked up with 1/2" pine slats between the layers for good air circulation and to minimize warpage and winding.
Take your time. You should have a beautiful piece of wood to work with in the future if you dry it long enough and properly.
Good luck on your project.
I've done a little bit of turning on my lathe. I read about soaking green wood in denatured alcohol to shorten the dry time. I roughed out a couple of bowls while green, then soaked in D/A for a day IIRC. It worked as best as I can tell. Google it.
Working green wood is not impossible. But what you have to consider is what will it do 3-4 years after you are done working with it? I have turned green wood treated with PEG and it worked OK. But I prefer to use good seasoned hardwoods for my projects and not worry about possible/inevitable dimensional changes, warping, cracking, and winding.
Yup, any time you are in a hurry with wood you are likely to make a mistake. Shortcuts typically don't work well.
OP ...I am a professional grip carver and I re-saw and process all my own green logs, blocks and blanks ..
It IS correct to get the "chunk" reduced to working size you expect to create your scales from ....
Once you have your sized piece of scale block(s) ..do more than one as a suggestion ...
Paint the ends with any latex paint ...
Place the blocks with stickers in between them so air can flow around them ..place them in an air conditioned portion of your shop/office/house and place a fan directly on them 24/7 ..you need the wood down to 7 to 8% water content ..to do it right buy from Harbor Freight a moisture content meter ( around $20) ..write down your starting water percent then about the third day start checking daily ..most wood.. stump dead will be about 18 % H2O ..3 days fan air and AC will drop it near to 10% ..don't go below 7%
I've had guys argue you cannot put wood in a room with 60% humidity and get 8% wood but the fan is the wild card and the killer to most folks' sometimes tragic attempt at "air drying wood" is direct sunlight and intense temperature and/or humidity swings
You've got a plenty big enough piece of wood so take a chunk around the block with the fan and latex painted ends ..pretty sure you will like it.
Bear
Seal the ends with wax and set outside under cover in ricks. Stickers every stack for air and weight on the top to keep them straight
Another good place for air drying small amounts of wood ... at least in Louisiana ... is a well ventilated attic . Our gas fired central heating unit is up there and aids in keeping the attic dry and warm during the winter .
Of all the places around my place the attic stays dry and well ventilated .
I even made beef jerky in the attic once ...before splurging for a food dehydrator .
Gary