Hello Steve,

For me, my boiling protocol produces the best overall results. It's still my
first choice when I want to speed up the drying process, or limit drying
degrade to the absolute minimum.

Boiling works consistently over a wide range of species, grain orientations,
wall thicknesses etc. It's used by woodturners around the world and it's
also becoming increasingly popular with a few wood mills in various
Countries, for post-processing of solid blanks. Having boiled thousands and
thousands of bowls and platters, I still think that boiling (for me) is the
best option to insure a quickly dried, crack free roughout/blank.

Since I make my living as a production bowl turner, I have to use protocols
that consistently work on a wide range of species and conditions. You need
to try a bunch of things to really see what works best for you, your area,
the amount of time you're willing to commit, the loss ratio you are willing
to accept, the amount of money you're willing to invest, etc.

Your answers are likely to be different from your friends, so we must each
endeavour to find the optimum protocols that fit our own unique
requirements. Good luck to you and best wishes in all of your woodturning
endeavours!

P.S. I'm still evaluating the LDD method and should have the results ready
to publish later this year. Also, a new freeze drying protocol and an
updated enhancement to the boiling protocol will hopefully be ready later
this year.

On 4/19/06 7:55 AM, in article 8rq1g.3570$B42.3361@dukeread05, "Steve
DeMars" wrote:

Paper bagging, Liquid Dishwashing Detergent (LDD) soaking, microwaving, cover
in sawdust and wait a month or two, boiling - so many methods of attempting to
control drying problems.

Which method above seems to work the best overall . . . I want to get into
turning but I'm sure watching finished projects crack into firewood will be a
real turn off.

Thanks in advance, Steve



--
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Steven D. Russell
Eurowood Werks Woodturning Studio, The Woodlands, Texas
Machinery, Tool and Product Testing for the Woodworking and Woodturning
Industries

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