I recently started cutting up some wood I have had sitting for 2 to
2-1/2 years drying. I had sealed all the open ends with anchorseal.
What I am finding, aside from some very dark, modly looking spots, is
that some of it may still be wet. None of the logs are larger than
5-6" in diameter. Anything I had over that size I sliced in half.

Wood in the log dries slowly. Figure at least a year per inch of
thickness, maybe more. 2 1/2 years is not much drying time for 6" of
thickness. Now you know why we rough turn. You get your bowl or hollow
form wall down to an inch or less and it will be dry in a year or less and
you still have enough wood left to true it up after it is done warping.
If you are trying to dry some thick carving blocks, that's going to take a
great deal of patience.

Soren Berger is a champion of drying cabinets (a simple kiln) to speed
things up considerably. People use them with great success. It's just a
box 3 feet square and as tall as you want. It can be made from wood,
heavy cardboard, an old refrigerator, whatever. Put some shelves in it
made from sticks, old oven shelves, any kind of lattice that allows free
air movement. My box is 4 feet high and made from styrofoam insulation
panels. Drill ten 1 inch holes in the sides near the top and bottom and
put a 60 watt light bulb in the bottom. This creates a gentle warming and
air circulation - emphasis on gentle.

I seal the outside endgrain on bowls and hollow forms to reduce the risk
of cracking. Bowls go top down, base up. Weigh the blanks every few
weeks on a sensitive scale. When they stop losing weight, you are done.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co