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PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:54 pm 
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Hi All,
Its been a while for me and I have a question about turning green wood. I have a beautiful piece of walnut that I want to turn for a deep vessel. It seems my choices are to either let it dry for a few years or turn it to rough shape and bag it and let it dry as long as it takes. It is 9"x9"x18", a big piece of wood. If I do rough turn it, what is the best way to let it dry so that it will not crack if at all possible? I have looked on the internet and it seems there are a million different ideas, and I need some hands on (What Works)

Thank You,
Rob W.[/img]


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:10 pm 
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Image
See "9'x9'x20' block of walnut"


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:59 am 
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Can't expect to dry something that large without degrade. Turning is the best solution to getting the stuff you don't want anyway out of the way of your design. Also means it has a chance to dry in your lifetime.

Won't be a cakewalk to dry even after rough turning. The inside will want to stay wet long after the outside. You'll probably be best to get several boxes which will fit the piece, box until the cardboard's damp, then move on to the next. The box will make the flow around the exterior as slow as the interior.

Or, you could turn thin and settle for a bit of deformity.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:32 am 
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The box was meant to compensate for NOT coating. Coatings, even the thin water emulsion waxes like Anchorseal will slow drying too much on face and quarter grain and allow light woods to black spot. Walnut won't be a problem there, of course.

Since I'm in the habit of not even buying green bananas, I'd like things to dry faster.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:25 am 
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You'll find many different drying strategies, they all are designed to relieve destructive stresses as the wood dries.

I've had superb luck with using the alcohol approach to speed drying and also reduce degrade. Then agan, I've turned hundreds of bowls, but very few hollow forms.

Rough turn, and then soak a couple days in denatured alcohol. Take it out and let dry for a couple hours, then wrap the outside with newspaper or a paper bag, leaving airflow to the interior. Should be dry in a few months.


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