On 12/07/2011 05:13 AM, Keith wrote:
Yesterday I got some live Cherry and Apple woods. The pieces aren't huge
but should make some nice bowls. I've read numerous accounts of how to
handle it but haven't reached a conclusion as to how best to go. I'm
sure we have people in the group who have the answers with far more
experience.

I turned the outside of a piece of cherry yesterday and now it's in a
plastic bag. One thing about wet wood...no dust and boy do the curls
come off it nice once the bark is gone :O)

They'll never dry in a plastic bag. A paper grocery bag is the better
option.

1) I have to store most of it until it's time to use it. So, starting
with piece #1 - Am I better off turning a piece wet, sealing and storing
it until it's dry?? Saying this - How long to store, what to seal it
with and how to store it. Should it go in a plastic bag, then in a box??

Turn them over size, then coat the endgrain with Anchorseal. Often I'll
put a small stick perpendicular to the grain from edge to edge. Helps
it to not move so much as it dries. Then stick it in the aforementioned
paper bag.


2) Am I better off waiting for it to dry until turning?? (Seal ends and
store somewhere??)

Yup. I turn them, then set them aside for 6 months to a year. Usually
good and dry by then. Rough turn some every month, and you'll always
have something dry to turn (after the initial waiting period of course.)
Be sure to put the date on them w/a marker so you know how long
they've been curing.

Al this might be mundane to a lot of you. I did two levels of
woodturning courses but we never did talk about storing wood or preparing
wood for storage. That would have been a good topic at a class!!

It kind of varies with climate. Wood in Arizona is going to dry a lot
faster than the wood in the rainforest I live in. It's a good question
to ask of the instructor, but isn't one that has a definite answer.
That includes the answers you get here too, of course...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller - http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
In a recent survey, 7 out of 10 hard drives preferred Linux
Registered Linux User No: 307357, http://linuxcounter.net