Drying wood

[woodworkingboy]

Yes, it made sense, Stig. It seems like the best method.

Scott, it's an interesting idea about keeping a drying out piece moistened, and I know that at least one type of kiln has steam being applied, but i think it's more for color than to prevent cracking. The thing is, sun or heat will crack something very quickly, so I don't think you could practically keep up with it to prevent cracking. Keeping it wet all the time, you might get some fine mildew however, which can do pretty things to wood before ruining it.

 

[Magnus]

Sometimes when I cut disc's of large diameter elm I replace the water with oil.
It usually work. Sometimes it will not matter what you do, it cracks in any case.

I make a shape high as the disc, try to not have dead space around it. Put plastic in and the disc. Fill under and sides with the oil (Lin olja?) and as water go, oil go in. When it is done drops of oil is on top side of the disc.

 

[tntree]

Friend of mine has had good luck with a kiddy pool full of water and a lot of salt
Keep it submerged for 6 months

Don't know about that big of a round though

 

[arborworks1]

Makes sense, driftwood is pretty nice looking stuff most days.
I think I will guve that a shot with some small pieces first b

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Friend of mine has had good luck with a kiddy pool full of water and a lot of salt
Keep it submerged for 6 months

Don't know about that big of a round though

Problem with the salt : it takes the humidity out of the air and your piece always looks (or feels) clammy; impossible to keep it dry. And it's terrible for the associated metal, either bolds, screws, hinges or what else.

For drying in a wet area, it's good to loose the free water in the wood cells, but the wood don't move much or at all during this drying part. It only helps to keep the moisture content at nearly the same level between the inside and the outside. In itself that's a lot, avoiding cracks from a too fast surface drying with an inside full of water.
But when the free water is out (piece lighter but far from dry), the humidity in the fibers has to go. It's the most difficult, long and it gives the main shrinkages and movements. Moisturizing the wood can't help at all for this part.

As Stig's method, I though of a variation ( but not put it in practice yet). Cut your round in two or three parts; let it dry; put the parts together, spreading the shrinkage between the 2 or 3 cuts; then cut a wide kerf over the voids (same width as the max gap made by the shrinkage), so the wood in excess is cut out. Now you can put the parts side by side, with no gap, and glue them together.
You can do the same with an already broken round.

 

[Raj]

Bump for later reading.

 

[mdvaden]

wood won't dry as a log so yes you have to cut it or split it to get it to try. What are you trying to do??

Why do wood workers seal small logs with wax or other sealers and let it slow dry?

The man in this video made a comment about if somebody wasn't going to be cutting logs into boards for a while. So is end sealing just a temporary interim thing?

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[stig]

No, it is used because the end of a log or board dry out much faster than the rest because it is all end grain.
This causes checks and splits.
So to save as much of the log/board as possible, the ends are coated with something non or semipermeable.

 

[ruel]

Nice bump!

I was volunteering on a project building a "replica of the first ocean going boat built by white folks in the USA" a bit ago. Settlement called the Popham colony started next peninsula east of me same year as Jamestown VA. A ton of them died and the rest couldn't hang the Maine winter so they built a boat and sailed back to England https://mfship.org/

All blocks on the replica are wooden, with the sheaves made out of sugar maple soaked in a mix of linseed and some thinner for over a year. Local company called woodex http://www.woodexbearing.com/about made them. Long term soak supposedly completely displaces water

 

[Tree09]

That's cool!!!!

 

[Part Time]

pentacryl wood preservative bit pricey but it works

 

[Raj]

The load I have in my kiln is ready to come out. Some of it was thick oak from December. This is the next load to go in. Hope I can have it dry for Christmas.

 

[lxskllr]

What happens at Christmas?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Wood for xmas presents!!!

 

[Raj]

Took a dry load out of the kiln and put some walnut in. I'll have to paint the ends very soon, and load up more.

 

[Slabhappy]

I grabbed a thick bottom cut off a 30" black walnut this past week....freebie piece. Looks very nice and will make a fine work bench or shelf. Should I smooth the surface and peel it now, then seal the top?
It is between two and six inches thick. Seven foot long with a double cathedral heart wood to white and spalted sap wood. Nice chunk. Wet and solid. One big knot for a post and vice mount.